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Thread: Grain direction input

  1. #1

    Grain direction input

    I'm building a hutch - lower base with separate slightly narrower upper shelves. The base will have two drawers with a bifold pair of doors under the drawers. They will be "shaker" style-rail and stile with 1/4" rift cut oak panels. I always run the grain horizontally on the drawers and vertically on doors. Do you think it would look "right" with both, drawers and door, running horizontally? The door panels are almost square ( 13 3/4"h x14 1/4"w) I'm leaning towards having both run horiz, the sides of the cabinet are vertical, of course. Any input would be appreciated, thanks.

  2. #2
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    In a word, no.

  3. #3
    So, I take it you are saying horizontal on the drawers and vertical for the doors ? Thanks

  4. #4
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    Agree. Horizontal grain on the doors would look odd to me. Fine for drawers.

  5. #5
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    This is a look that I have come to love. I would not build slab doors BUT I would certainly not hesitate to make a frame and panel door with the grain running horizontally. The frame allows for wood movement. If you flush the panels to the frame face this can be a very classy and contemporary look - even with the panel set in an 1/8" to 1/4" it looks great. I just prefer the flush look. I have built quite a number of pieces this way. They have always been extremely well received.

    Not a great photo but you get the idea.

    Alder-Cabs.jpg
    Last edited by Sam Murdoch; 01-24-2016 at 1:11 PM. Reason: Added photo
    "... for when we become in heart completely poor, we at once are the treasurers & disbursers of enormous riches."
    WQJudge

  6. #6
    Thanks Sam, I like that. Are your panels solid t&g with what looks to be a v-groove? Mine will be a recessed 1/4" rift sawn oak plywood. Almost square panels. I wish they were perfectly sq and I could just swap it around if I (SWMBO) didn't care for it

  7. #7
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    Quote Originally Posted by Brian Tillinghast View Post
    Thanks Sam, I like that. Are your panels solid t&g with what looks to be a v-groove? Mine will be a recessed 1/4" rift sawn oak plywood. Almost square panels. I wish they were perfectly sq and I could just swap it around if I (SWMBO) didn't care for it
    Each board in the panel is solid 1/2" stock with a loose spline between each leaving an 1/8" gap as a detail and fitted with a rabbet into the rails and stiles. There is no glue involved so it was fun assembling with all these loose pieces. I did a dry layout and corrected the board sizes to each door height. I tried to maintain no more than 1/2" board height variability throughout this particular project and so needed to recalculate the panels sizes for the various door and end panel heights several times to come up with the right dimensions. I think in this case I was working with 4-1/4" to 4-5/8" boards (and maybe a bit of cheating on the gaps). Obviously if you are only making 2 or 4 doors this is not as much a consideration as for a kitchen full of cabinets.

    You could also glue the boards together as a conventional panel but to emphasize the horizontal feature I would recommend that you ease the edges of each board to leave a bit of a V or a U between the boards as a detail. You could also leave that V or U gap around the perimeter of the panel to the door frame.

    Have fun with it!

    Cheers, Sam
    "... for when we become in heart completely poor, we at once are the treasurers & disbursers of enormous riches."
    WQJudge

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