Questions about raised panel kit. cabinet doors with curved tops.

[KIMOSABE]

Questions about raised panel kit. cabinet doors with curved tops.

I'm referring to one like the the second door from the right in the top row at

there such things as templates for the curves?

If there are no templates easily available and I draw it up from scratch, is there any best way to adjust the pattern when making doors of different widths? The width of the curve gets smaller, but the height of the arch remains the same to match the other doors.

My guess about doing the raised panel is that the top curve is cut and the panel is done face down on a router table, using a pilot bearing to follow the curve.

Obviously I've never made a raised panel door. I'm just at the beginning of the planning stage to make several cabinets.

Thanx for any advice.

[RicodJour]

Yep, that's about it. Some people would use a hand held router instead of the table so they could see what's going on, but it's the same thing. An average kitchen would probably only need four or five hardboard templates for the arch tops.

R

[chaniarts]

page contains links to templates

[Sonny]

Additionally:

If you ever need to hand draw any pattern (any symetrical pattern that requires a mirrow image for left/right [usually] or top/bottom, for any project), draw one half, cut the form/outline, then fold your "paper" in half, to make/draw an exact copy/profile on the other side (for the other half). .... actually, I'm supposing you know this.

Curve templates are readily available for creating designs of your own....

.... again, draw one half, cut the form, fold your "paper", then draw the other half.

Sonny

[FrozenNorth]

Wouldn't fold the paper, draw the form once, cut both forms simultaneously, unfold, be more accurate? Assuming you have the fold in the vertical center.

[keithw86]

half way down the page.

[RicodJour]

That certainly seems like a good deal, but what's 'granular PVC'? Is that a fancy name for something like Azek PVC trim board?

R

[Sonny]

Seems it woud be. Thanks for the heads up.

I guess I was trying to get the idea across, more so, than best technique. I perform this technique most often with my upholstery work. Fabric doesn't cut quite the same as "paper" patterns. Fabric often flexes, depending on the weave, so cutting 2 ply doesn't always work out, properly. On fabric, front and back (top and bottom) centers are established, one half of the profile is marked/cut, then the fabric is folded, to mark/cut the other half. When old fabric is removed from an item, it's often no longer symetrical, so sometimes a new pattern is made. Of the old fabric, I use the best side (best remaining profile) to determine which profile best outlines what the original was, then make a paper pattern, for the new fabric.

Thanks again. Sonny

[Leon]

[KIMOSABE]

You guys posted a lot of good links on exactly what I needed. Thanks.

After reading much of it, it seems that using a vertical bit would be nice, but is there a way to use a vertical bit on the curve of a cathedral door panel?

[Leon]

No. Verticals will only work realistically on straight cuts. Additionally you want to for sure mount a raised panel bit in a router table. Actually I only use a router table for all the bits in this situation.

I have done a kitchen where I had to match existing arched cab doors. I simply held a thin piece of wood and bent it up to the high spot and had a helper trace the arc. I was able to do the arcs smoothly enough.

[Sonny]

de quoted text -

LOL, I like that "special pricing", too.

Sonny

[RicodJour]

Really. And I also like that they're made of HDPE instead of 'granular' PVC. The router base will slide a lot better on the HDPE.

R

[Leon]

LOL, I like that "special pricing", too.

Sonny

LOL, It does seem like 2 or more would have been easier to portray. Good thing they did not extend it out to all choices had they a few hundred styles to offer.

[woodstuff]

I was blessed with a good deal when I bought the weaver jigs for panel and rail and also got one set of templates on Woodweb woodworking machinery.

don't really need this, but it is he best I know of. Some other companies make similar jigs and I don't see why they couldn't be used on a router table.

I have a good friend who has always made his own patterns of 1/4' plywood and it's pretty fast. He uses a shaper, but that doesn't matter; it should work on a router table. The best advice I can give you is that you need to make good handles and use good control practices when doing this. And also, count your fingers on a regular basis.

For what little you are going to do, consider making your own patterns. It's really easy to make half of it on tracing paper and just fold it over to achieve symmetry. I still make my own patterns for some weird designs.

I forgot to say that if you put a small piece of sacrificial wood on each end, it will help prevent tear-out.

Have a good day, woodstuff

[Robatoy]

The real question is why? That style is so..... yesterday.

[Larry Jaques]

What's with the "granular" crap? Are termites barfing it up in different styles of late?

[KIMOSABE]

Other than eliminating the curves and going with rectangular doors, do you have additional suggestions? Links to pictures?

[Robatoy]

I have been a long time fan of the genuine shaker door style where the raised panel is on the inside of the door (although usually not a huge bevel). I find, and it is really a personal preference, that too much detail on a whole lot of doors becomes too busy. The array of doors in a kitchen will create enough of an interest all by themselves. There are situations where nicely done raised panel doors can be very nice, I just don't think a kitchen is the place. Wardrobes, vanities, desks, sure. I will get you a few shots of doors I like.

[Robatoy]

From Woodweb.com:

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From contributor C: Read your history on the Shakers. If you are going to use their name, you owe it to them, yourself and your customer. Along with lots of great information, you will find that the Shakers preferred the clean look of a flat panel as opposed to a raised panel. The raise was considered an undesirable design element. Being pragmatic but balancing that with design, they did not want to spend a bunch of time hand planing 1" material to 3/8" or so. Their solution was to turn the raise to the inside/backside. This also helped keep the (air-dried) panel in balance. To be fair, fielding a panel and turning the field (raised) to the back was common for centuries before the Shakers, but they get the credit in this part of the world. The resulting flat panels could show fancy grains, be veneered, carved or ornamented better than a raised panel. You may also read that a Shaker woman invented the circular saw blade ("teeth on a wheel"). This was also done about the same time in England.