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Cabinet doors

Is making a door with a maple frame(which will match the FF) and using clear poplar for the panels acceptable as far as expansion contraction and painted is concerned.

Reply to
OFWW
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If you are using solid wood for the panels you should allow for some expansion and contraction across the width of the panel. The important thing will to be to pre paint/seal all six sides of the panels before assembly. This will limit the amount of movement.

Reply to
Leon

Thanks, I have read in a few places that it is better to have joined a few pieces for the panels rather than use one solid piece to eliminate warping, would you agree with that?

I'm sealing everything before I paint.

Reply to
OFWW

On 09/30/2016 12:27 PM, OFWW wrote: ...

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May help but grain selection will be far more helpful. Use quarter-sawn or near as can get rather than plainsawn w/ a lot of face will be the best.

Reply to
dpb

Are the panels flat or raised? Since you're painting, you might consider MDF for either. If flat, shaker style, I would highly recommend MDF, as it doesn't get much easier than that. MDF paints great and is about as stable as you can get.

Reply to
-MIKE-

Solid wood panels can warp however if they are not warped to begin with and you seal them properly they should not warp, especially in a controlled environment. My experience is that multi piece panels are less expensive to buy than one piece wide panels. It is a practice to alternate growth rings up and down on multi piece glue ups. I think this is a carry over from many years ago when there was no AC and or controlled humidity year round. I have never had issue with panels warping with proper precautions.

Be sure to seal all 6 sides of the panel before assembly too.

Reply to
Leon

They are going to be raised panel. IIRC Mdf in such a situation looks rough and not easily sanded.

Reply to
OFWW

Got your single-wide to double-wide conversion completed, OAF?

Reply to
Nicholas Holloway

That's why I "highly" recommended it for flat and only said to consider it for raised. However, I would add that the reason many MDF raised panels look poor is because some people skip the step of priming and sanding. It doesn't take long.

With a shellac based primer like Zinnser BIN, you can get a baby-butt smooth surface on cut MDF surfaces with about 2 coats. Considering how quickly is machines, how stable it is, non-built-up panels, and how well it paints up, a high quality MDF is a worthy substitution.

The big negative is if you need a pattern that looks stupid when cut with the rounded interior corners that router bits produce.

Reply to
-MIKE-

Well being as I am going to be building some sample door for the wife to approve of, I will give that a shot for the panel and see what she says as well as see how it looks after sealing and painting as you have said. Thanks.

Reply to
OFWW

Anxious to move in are you?

Reply to
OFWW

If you add a coat of sealer and then sand I would imagine that the MDF would be easier to smooth out before painting. I have not done this but that is what I would try first. ;~)

Alternatively the MDO that I am using and it has Fir interior plys. Ourter surface is good for painting too... Just a thought.

Reply to
Leon

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