Sr

Steve

03/02/2008 4:09 AM

cabinet door advice needed

I'm building garage cabinets for a client -- 21 feet wide, 5 feet tall,
16 inches deep. The client wants all-plywood construction, and that's
what I'm doing, except for clear pine face frames.

Not counting non-planar and out-of-square walls and ceilings, the
carcasses and face frames are great. Unfortunately, the 1/2-inch plywood
doors warped, as I was afraid they would do. These are just plywood
panels set flush with the face frame using T-hinges. She likes the
rustic look of the silver hinges with high-gloss white paint, but she
doesn't like the warp. I don't blame her; I don't like it either.

I'm looking for a fix for the doors. Here are the options I've thought
of so far:

* Double up the plywood. I'll have to rip 1/2" off all the shelves, and
I don't think it will work, and I don't think it will look good.

* Apply a frame around the edge of the door with a diagonal piece. It
would look like a barn door. I'm leaning toward this one.

* Make new flat-panel doors. The T-hinges wouldn't work well with these,
because the frame would be too narrow.

Anybody have better suggestions?


Thanks,
--
Steve B.
New Life Home Improvement


This topic has 4 replies

gp

"goaway"

in reply to Steve on 03/02/2008 4:09 AM

03/02/2008 3:33 PM

Steve,
I suspect that these cabinets are for "storage" for that area. (Not
a tough guess). What I have done with this situation is to make a frame that
attaches to the inside of the door. It allows peg board to be attached to
the door to disguise the frame that keeps the warp down. In very large doors
4' x8', I have used this to hide turn buckles that keep the sage down. In
the very large doors, I have used the so called "economy" studs to make the
frame. The frame looks like this: The boards are mounted on edge.
___
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|___|

Good Luck.
Paul

"Steve" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> I'm building garage cabinets for a client -- 21 feet wide, 5 feet tall,
> 16 inches deep. The client wants all-plywood construction, and that's
> what I'm doing, except for clear pine face frames.
>
> Not counting non-planar and out-of-square walls and ceilings, the
> carcasses and face frames are great. Unfortunately, the 1/2-inch plywood
> doors warped, as I was afraid they would do. These are just plywood
> panels set flush with the face frame using T-hinges. She likes the
> rustic look of the silver hinges with high-gloss white paint, but she
> doesn't like the warp. I don't blame her; I don't like it either.
>
> I'm looking for a fix for the doors. Here are the options I've thought
> of so far:
>
> * Double up the plywood. I'll have to rip 1/2" off all the shelves, and
> I don't think it will work, and I don't think it will look good.
>
> * Apply a frame around the edge of the door with a diagonal piece. It
> would look like a barn door. I'm leaning toward this one.
>
> * Make new flat-panel doors. The T-hinges wouldn't work well with these,
> because the frame would be too narrow.
>
> Anybody have better suggestions?
>
>
> Thanks,
> --
> Steve B.
> New Life Home Improvement

cc

cc

in reply to Steve on 03/02/2008 4:09 AM

02/02/2008 10:06 PM

On Feb 2, 10:09=A0pm, Steve <[email protected]> wrote:
> I'm building garage cabinets for a client -- 21 feet wide, 5 feet tall,
> 16 inches deep. The client wants all-plywood construction, and that's
> what I'm doing, except for clear pine face frames.
>
> Not counting non-planar and out-of-square walls and ceilings, the
> carcasses and face frames are great. Unfortunately, the 1/2-inch plywood
> doors warped, as I was afraid they would do. These are just plywood
> panels set flush with the face frame using T-hinges. She likes the
> rustic look of the silver hinges with high-gloss white paint, but she
> doesn't like the warp. I don't blame her; I don't like it either.
>
> I'm looking for a fix for the doors. Here are the options I've thought
> of so far:
>
> * Double up the plywood. I'll have to rip 1/2" off all the shelves, and
> I don't think it will work, and I don't think it will look good.
>
> * Apply a frame around the edge of the door with a diagonal piece. It
> would look like a barn door. I'm leaning toward this one.
>
> * Make new flat-panel doors. The T-hinges wouldn't work well with these,
> because the frame would be too narrow.
>
> Anybody have better suggestions?
>
> Thanks,
> --
> Steve B.
> New Life Home Improvement

How about groove and panel, using 1/2" lightweight MDF for the panels,
and a lightweight wood for the rail/stiles? Or use the MDF panels and
overlay with a hardwood strip that looks like rails and stiles?

JS

Jack Stein

in reply to Steve on 03/02/2008 4:09 AM

14/02/2008 9:39 AM

Steve wrote:

You could rip grooves about 1/4" deep down the length of the doors
spaced to make it look like individual boards say 3" - 4" apart. Do the
same to the back of the door with the groves off set from the front
groves about a half inch or so. Then, screw 3/4" battens across the top
and bottom of the doors to keep everything flat and strong.


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--
Jack
http://jbstein.com

> I'm building garage cabinets for a client -- 21 feet wide, 5 feet tall,
> 16 inches deep. The client wants all-plywood construction, and that's
> what I'm doing, except for clear pine face frames.
>
> Not counting non-planar and out-of-square walls and ceilings, the
> carcasses and face frames are great. Unfortunately, the 1/2-inch plywood
> doors warped, as I was afraid they would do. These are just plywood
> panels set flush with the face frame using T-hinges. She likes the
> rustic look of the silver hinges with high-gloss white paint, but she
> doesn't like the warp. I don't blame her; I don't like it either.
>
> I'm looking for a fix for the doors. Here are the options I've thought
> of so far:
>
> * Double up the plywood. I'll have to rip 1/2" off all the shelves, and
> I don't think it will work, and I don't think it will look good.
>
> * Apply a frame around the edge of the door with a diagonal piece. It
> would look like a barn door. I'm leaning toward this one.
>
> * Make new flat-panel doors. The T-hinges wouldn't work well with these,
> because the frame would be too narrow.
>
> Anybody have better suggestions?
>
>
> Thanks,

dd

"dadiOH"

in reply to Steve on 03/02/2008 4:09 AM

03/02/2008 12:04 PM

Steve wrote:
> I'm building garage cabinets for a client -- 21 feet wide, 5 feet
> tall, 16 inches deep. The client wants all-plywood construction,
> and that's what I'm doing, except for clear pine face frames.
>
> Not counting non-planar and out-of-square walls and ceilings, the
> carcasses and face frames are great. Unfortunately, the 1/2-inch
> plywood doors warped, as I was afraid they would do. These are just
> plywood panels set flush with the face frame using T-hinges. She
> likes the rustic look of the silver hinges with high-gloss white
> paint, but she doesn't like the warp. I don't blame her; I don't
> like it either.

I feel your pain. I recently made some 14" x 40" frame and ply panel
doors for utility cabinets...1 1/2 x 3/4 rails and stiles, 1/4" ply.
The damn ply warped enough to distort the frames all of which are now
1/2" proud of the face frames at one corner on each door. For the
moment, I am living with it.
_____________

> I'm looking for a fix for the doors. Here are the options I've
> thought of so far:
>
> * Double up the plywood. I'll have to rip 1/2" off all the shelves,
> and I don't think it will work, and I don't think it will look good.

Not likely to work. Might - if the warp in each layer was
complimentary - but not likely. Fact of the matter is that plywood
does NOT stay flat without being fastened to something or being well
constrained.
________________

> * Apply a frame around the edge of the door with a diagonal piece.
> It would look like a barn door. I'm leaning toward this one.

That should work IF the frame is stout and flat before applying the
ply. It has to be strong enough to resist the twisting force of the
ply.
_________________

> * Make new flat-panel doors. The T-hinges wouldn't work well with
> these, because the frame would be too narrow.

You mean a frame with overlaid ply/whatever? If yes, just add a
couple of rails for the hinges to fasten to.

Actually, I think this is the best long-term choice for flat doors
that will stay flat. Going to be more than 1/2" thick though. I made
one recently, used 3/4 x 2" stock doweled together for the frame, 1/8"
ply door skins glued over both sides. Light & flat but 1" thick.


--

dadiOH
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