How do I rout a panel out of a frame?

I have a cabinet with a plywood panel door. The plywood didn't look too good when I finished it, and a year later it looks even worse. I have to fix it.

I would just as soon not replace the frame it is in. My plan was to rout the back off, remove the bad panel and put a better one in. I am not quite sure how I was going to retain the new panel, but it can't be that hard.

But now I realize that to do this on a router table, I will have the work between the bit and the fence. Last time I tried that I got a rather nasty kick back; but I don't really see any other options.

I am tempted to forget it and take vinigar and water to the glue. Has anyone ever succeeded at that?

Reply to
Toller
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Using my 'butcher first, fix last' technique I would: Drill a hole in the plywood then cut around very close to the frame leaving just a strip of plywood all the way around. Then maybe you could grab the middle of the longest side and pull on it to get the remaining plywood to break. Then you might be able to rout using a bearing guided bit riding where the plywood used to be (or just carefully chisel the frame). Or: Build a simple jig out of plywood with a fence (perpindicular piece) for the router to ride against. Screw the door down to the jig through the panel your are taking out so that the fence is the right distance away and rout without fear of kickback. You could do some fancy clamping and stop blocks but that is not true butchery.

Never tried.

Reply to
RayV

Rout it out with a hand held router, and a guide clamped to the door to guide the router.

Reply to
Swingman

What about using the router out of the table?

Lay the frame face down, and use a straight edge. Position the straight edge to the inside of the rail/stile so that the router base would ride along the rail/stile. Set the bit to cut just deep enough to go through the plywood panel. Do this for all 4 sides and the plywood panel will drop out and you will be left with a nice clean rabbit (once you square up the corners).

Reply to
Mike

It isn't, rout out the back (or front) of the frame so there is a rabbet rather than a dado then "stick" the panel with molding.

Reply to
dadiOH

Usually the fact that my router table is TS wing is restrictive, but today it let me put the TS fence 40" from the bit and run the frame against that. It wasn't the world's smoothest cut, but not bad. I cut the corners out with a multimate.

Reply to
Toller

Reply to
Wilson

Oh, that would have been better, wouldn't it! (yes, of course on the back...)

Reply to
Toller

Reply to
Tvfarmer

I thought about that, but it didn't seem like a good project for my first time veneering.

Reply to
Toller

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