Float or glue plywood panels?

[blueman]

I am making cabinet doors with 1/4" Birch plywood panels grooved into a Poplar frame.

I was wondering whether I still need to keep the panel floating if it is plywood since plywood is relatively dimensionally stable and since it will be aligned with the grain of the Poplar frame along the stiles and rails.

So is it ok to glue? Or must they float? (Or is there a middle ground where say I can put a dab of glue along the mid-section of each of the panel sides)

[Artemus]

It's OK to glue plywood panels and there are some benefits to doing so.

1. They won't rattle if you made the groove too wide.
2. They won't shift over time exposing an unfinished stripe on the edge.
3. It will help keep a door with narrow rails/stiles from racking & breaking. Art

[Nova]

The panel may be stable but the Poplar isn't.

[blueman]

But the Poplar is aligned with the plywood along the grain length and I thought most expansion/contraction was across the grain...

[m II]

Float with some gasket or silicone caulk on the backs.

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I am making cabinet doors with 1/4" Birch plywood panels grooved into a Poplar frame.

I was wondering whether I still need to keep the panel floating if it is plywood since plywood is relatively dimensionally stable and since it will be aligned with the grain of the Poplar frame along the stiles and rails.

So is it ok to glue? Or must they float? (Or is there a middle ground where say I can put a dab of glue along the mid-section of each of the panel sides)

[Artemus]

most expansion/contraction was across the grain...

Correct. Unless you built it bass ackwards with the grain running from inside to outside for artistic reasons. Art

[woodstuff]

no glue, just spaceballs. See link:

[Leon]

Not necessary to glue but prefinish the panels prior to glue up.

That said it can be difficult to not glue them in place during glue up. The squeeze out in the joint will more than likely get on to the panel also.

And as Woodstuff mentioned, spaceballs will solve a lot of your concerns.

[-MIKE-]

The latest Wood Magazine Tip shows cutting small pieces of foam caulk backer rod to make your own space balls.

[Jim Weisgram]

If you ever want to disassemble the frame for some reason, you would let the panel float. Otherwise you can glue if you prefer.

Or you can just squirt out a rope of silicone caulking on some wax paper, let dry, then cut into pieces to get a similar result.

[Lew Hodgett]

---------------------------------- I'd use at least 3/8" or 1/2" for panels and rabbit the edges.

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----------------------------------- Why glue the panels?

Lew

[Morgans]

The latest Wood Magazine Tip shows cutting small pieces of foam caulk backer rod to make your own space balls.

*********************** I squeeze out several lines of different diameters from a tube of 100% silicone caulking, on to a piece of wax paper. Great way to use the last part of a tube of caulk for something other than leaving it to harden in the tube.

When you need spacers, select the diameter you need and cut off several pieces an inch or less in length. A drop of glue in the slot of the frame works great to hold the spacer in place as you assemble the door.

-- Jim in NC