Kitchen cabinet doors. Any reason not to do this?

[Mike in Arkansas]

All but of couple of my upper doors are true divided lite. To make these I purchased the freud 99-270 router bit set. For the lower doors and drawer faces and two upper doors I was planing on flat panel construction with the panel fitting into a grove in the rail and stiles. The divided lite set won't make this type. It doesn't cut a groove but a rabbit. Is it inappropriate to mount panels in a rabbit and apply some kind of backing around the edge to hold it in just like they were glass panels. I can't imagine why this won't work. But, want to be sure before I mess up some expensive wood. Also, I want things to look good and be "right". Would I be better off getting a rail and stile set with a matching profile (its a plain cove) and go that way? Mike in Arkansas who is recovered from the kickback incident except for a mighty itch near the ribs.

[sailors10]

Is it possible to return the router bit set and get the right one? We normally use a panel bit set to make frames for glass doors. Then use a rabbit bit to remove the 1/4 back rail. This does require cutting the corners with a chisel

In answer to your question, yes you could do it as you described. If you have ever tried working with 1/4" quarter round, you will find it challenging.

-Lee

[Mike in Arkansas]

Thanks for the input Lee. I didn't actually get the 'wrong' bits for what I wanted. They did a fine job for what they were designed to do. With so much time and money going into this everlasting gobstopper of a project I don't want to do anything that would distract from the quality just because I'm impatient and too cheap to buy tools unnecessarily. Thanks again Mike

[Prometheus]

Well, Mike- I'm assuming you have a table saw from your mention of the kickback incident below (glad to hear you're recovering.) So why not rout the cove with a regular cove bit, then cut the dadoes with your table saw? Even if you don't have a dado stack, you can do it with a single blade and multiple passes- that's the way I've done it a lot of times, and it works fine.

There's nothing really "inappropriate" about mounting the panels in a rabbet, but it will not look as good as setting them in dadoes. If you really just prefer to use the router method, or don't have a cove bit, you could make the rails and stiles a little thinner (if that will work with your bit set), rout the rabbet, set the panel in place, and then glue a second thin set of rails and stiles to the back to effectively make a dado without cutting one.

[Mike in Arkansas]

Two interesting solutions Prometheus. Thanks for your input. I do have a table saw so cutting the dado isn't a problem. Your suggestion just made me realize that my rail and stile bit set comes apart so I can simply replace the rabbeting cutter with spacers and have a perfectly matched cove. Doh! Honestly, sometimes I can be such a dolt. Thanks for fire by the way. Mike in Arkansas