How should I deal with this cabinet issue?

If I understand you correctly, you have already made the doors.

Is it too late to reduce the width of the meeting door stiles and fit pieces that will allow you to have overlapping stiles?

The result would be rabbeted stiles, which is a traditional detail for cabinets where the shadow line of the meeting stiles is not sufficient to hide what goes on beyond.

A second possibility is to introduce an astragal into the meeting of the door stiles. This is common in traditional work, albeit less so in more modern stuff. Even in a modern look the work of the astragal, as a simple overlaying piece that hides the door gap and whatever is behind it can be done by a simplified applied molding which, if the section is small enough and the detailing is appropriate, can be an enhancement, rather than a detriment, visually.

HTH

Tom Watson - WoodDorker

tjwatson1ATcomcastDOTnet (real email)

Hi Tom. Thanks for the reply. It sounds like you understand perfectly what I was asking.

I do already have the doors made because I was going by my original plan. Now I've decided to see what really smart folks in the group had to say before I move forward. But what you said makes great sense.

If I understand you correctly about the overlapping stiles I'm confused. I would think I'd need to increase the width of the stiles and not reduce it? But even with that confusion, I wish I had thought of the overlapping stiles beforehand, I could have done it with what I'm thinking based on my understanding of what you are saying. My only issue would be any decoration I would rout on the outside edge of the doors. I'm not sure how overlapping would affect it. What I am proposing is to add a piece to one door that will sort of emulate overlapping stiles. The door with the piece will have to be closed before the door without the piece is... basically saying the stile is attached to that door.

As for the astragal... I'm trying to match some cabinets in my house and I fear that an astragal would just blow that style away. It is, however, a heck of an idea that I hadn't even thought of.

Thanks!

Mike W.

Tom Wats> >

You would ultimately be increasing the width of both meeting stiles.

First you would have to reduce the width of each stile to create space for your added on pieces that will create the rabbeted stiles.

You can go the route of having the add-ons look like part of the original work, in which case you will have to carefully match the grain and color of your added pieces to the original. Then you will have to sand it all flush to make it look all of a piece. You will essentially be gluing up a wider stile when you do this but the external appearance will be that the stiles are their current width, which I assume fits in with the other cabinets, but you will have the overlapping rabbets, which will hide the insides.

An opportunity may be there to use contrasting stock, which will add a feature, in place of the defect, although this may not fit in with what is already there.

Good luck.

HTH

Tom Watson - WoodDorker

tjwatson1ATcomcastDOTnet (real email)