Flush mount cabinet door fit question...

[David Rose]

I cut hinge mortises on the face frame and door frame prior to glue up. One screw per hinge is installed using the edges of the hinge leaves as a guide for alignment. The leaves are not the same length so I knew I would be off some.

How exact a fit is considered a reasonable fit on flush cabinet doors as far as "in and out" flushness of the door to the cabinet? It is easy to feel the level difference but it is not very visible on this cabinet. Of course "feel" is important on some parts of furniture too. The fit varies from .010" below flush to .015" above.

I've not mounted flush doors on a piece I wanted to call furniture and really don't know what is reasonable. I was surprised that first fit of the hinges was this close.

David

[Todd Burch]

Hi David. I've never done anything but inset, flush doors. And, I've never put a feeler gauge to see how far my installs have been off. I simply use the eyeball and thumb test. If it looks visibly out, or feels visibly out, I fix it. If the bottom is out and the top is in, or vice versa, I fix it. If both are in just a smidge, or out, that's ok, especially if I have rounded over the edges of the door. The more the roundover, the more I allow for imprecision. Symmetry is what I go for. Perfection takes too long, and most people don't want to pay for that either.

Put the intended use of the cabinet in perspective. For yourself in the house? For the shop? For a gift? For a little pay? For a whole lotta pay?

And, factor put the material. MDF & Poplar? Mahogany & Satinwood?

When I was younger, I spent countless hours restoring a 1958 GMC pickup. When I was finished, I had a vehicle that looked great, but was not that desirable to the general population. Now, had I spent all that sweat and labor on a '58 Corvette - then, I really would have had something.

Todd.

[Terry Hatfield]

Todd,

Exactly how many thousandths is a "smidge"?

Couldn't resist,

Terry

[David Rose]

Thanks Todd! I only put the feeler gauge to it out of curiosity and to see what I was "feeling". I consider myself a "newbie" as I've only been working wood in this fashion for a couple of years. I'm still trying to learn my capabilities vs. practicalities. When you restored the '58 GMC you had the satisfaction of doing it. Hopefully it wasn't a money making project. I am kind of working on the satisfaction angle yet. My work is "our own".

Thanks for the roundover and perspective tips. Very good points!

Btw, since I only had drilled one screw hole on each leaf, I fixed 'em!

David

Hi David. I've never done anything but inset, flush doors. And, I've never put a feeler gauge to see how far my installs have been off. I simply use the eyeball and thumb test. If it looks visibly out, or feels visibly out, I fix it. If the bottom is out and the top is in, or vice versa, I fix it. If both are in just a smidge, or out, that's ok, especially if I have rounded over the edges of the door. The more the roundover, the more I allow for imprecision. Symmetry is what I go for. Perfection takes too long, and most people don't want to pay for that either.

Put the intended use of the cabinet in perspective. For yourself in the house? For the shop? For a gift? For a little pay? For a whole lotta pay?

And, factor put the material. MDF & Poplar? Mahogany & Satinwood?

When I was younger, I spent countless hours restoring a 1958 GMC pickup. When I was finished, I had a vehicle that looked great, but was not that desirable to the general population. Now, had I spent all that sweat and labor on a '58 Corvette - then, I really would have had something.

Todd.

[David Rose]

Since you asked Terry, a "smidge" is from .0005 to .007" give or take .0005". Sometimes it may be .0005 to .004" plus or minus .0005".

David

Todd,

Exactly how many thousandths is a "smidge"?

Couldn't resist,

Terry

[Terry Hatfield]

Since you asked Terry, a "smidge" is from .0005 to .007" give or take .0005". Sometimes it may be .0005 to .004" plus or minus .0005".

David

David,

OK...good. Now I understand.

BTW...If anything I ever built were within .0010, I would be tickled.

You are always your worst critic. No one will ever fault you for your precision. I promise.

t

[David Rose]

Hey, don't give me that! When my weekend projects take two years, you sing a different tune! If you only knew how precise (in thousandths) your body work was you would probably have had trouble sleeping. ...and I would have LOVED it!...

David

David,

OK...good. Now I understand.

BTW...If anything I ever built were within .0010, I would be tickled.

You are always your worst critic. No one will ever fault you for your precision. I promise.

t

[Terry Hatfield]

Hey, don't give me that! When my weekend projects take two years, you sing a different tune! If you only knew how precise (in thousandths) your body work was you would probably have had trouble sleeping. ...and I would have LOVED it!...

David

I NEVER said anything about you being fast....just accurate!!!! AND...body/paint work is not the subject here.

t