Rail and stile stock

[todd]

I'm in a bit of a pickle. I've had my base cabinets (or at least the carcases) for the new kitchen finished and installed for a few months. However, I haven't gotten around to milling the rail and stile stock for the doors and drawer fronts. The new garshop isn't quite complete, so I don't really have any place to mill it. The missus, who has been pretty patient through this process, would like something done by Christmas. I know that I could buy the doors and drawer fronts complete, but I'm wondering if I could take just one step back and buy the rail and stile stock already made. If I had that, I could get enough going here to cut it to the required lengths. The local lumber place could cut my plywood panels to size, and I could do the glue-ups and finishing. It's just that I'm not set up now to joint, thickness plane, etc.

This might be a longshot, since a Google search didn't turn up anything, but does anyone know any place that sells rail and stile stock?

todd

[trs80]

HUH! you buy wood, you cut it to width.

[Upscale]

It's likely that the only solution for you is to find a friend or a professional who will cut to order. The problem is having the proper width of rail and stile stock as well as having the rails cut to proper length. There's just too many dimensions that can vary for anybody to keep something pre-cut in stock. It would involve just too many pieces of varying size to be worthwhile.

[George]

Not one of the molding patterns offered anywhere I'm looking, though there's this gnawing thought that I've seen 'em somewhere. I flash to the color of a Woodworkers' Warehouse catalog, but they're defunct. Guess you'll have to reveal and set up one machine at a time and get 'em done. Pretty much what some of us who work in close quarters have to do anyway. At the prices quoted for other millwork, it's worth it.

Alternatively, try the local HS IA or adult education program, or perhaps a JC might have some facilities. Before I collected some of the current gear, I used to "rent" the use of a machine and helper for a half dozen - actually five, since I got one after the job wrapped - containers of beverage. Now I have the machines, I hire myself out.

[Leon]

After have done literally hundreds of drawer kitchen drawer fronts and cabinet doors, may I offer some advice or at least some assumptions from my observations.

1. I avoid making rail and stile drawer fronts unless they are tall. A solid piece of wood looks just fine and gives you a large flat area to attach a drawer pull. If your drawer fronts have recessed panels you end up with drawer pulls partially below the surface of the drawer front.
2. For me I only takes about 4 hours start to finish to cut the rails and stiles and to mill them for a whole kitchen. The real time is invested in door glue up, sanding, and finishing. I will not be saving much time by buying rail and stile stock already made and that is likely to be expensive. Remember also that if you want to buy rail and stock and cut it top length yourself that you will still have to mill the ends of the stock and you will have to exactly match the profile of the stiles.
3. I seldom joint or thickness plane my rails and stiles either. Simply buy S2SE1 lumber and you are good to go if you have a decent TS. The S2SE1 lumber is uniform thickness and one edge has been ripped straight to start with.

[Swingman]

Tsk tsk! ... better specify that it be "jointed" or it will be completely unusable, doncha know?

;)

[Pat Barber]

Save yourself and your marriage...

GO BUY THE DOORS...(get them to spray the f> I'm in a bit of a pickle. I've had my base cabinets (or at least the

[trs80]

by a rail and stile and panel cutter for your 3hp table router. get wood, cut inside mold, cut rail and stile to lenght, cut end mold, cut raised panel. assemble and glue. why is it so hard. Alternatively buy the doors from cabinet door provider.

[Leon]

If you cut the rail and stiles to length before cutting the inside mold you save wear and tear on the stile cutter and have shorter and easier/shorter pieces to work with when running through the stile cutter.

AND, ;~) if you run the end cut molds on the rails before the stile cuts you can clean up the inside tear out when running the inside mold cuts.

[Joe Bemier]

Take a look in the back of any Fine Woodworking Mag and you'll find jobbers that cutom make drawers, doors, etc. Try a few of them and you might get lucky and find one that needs some work and agree to cut parts for you.

[Earl Creel]

Where are you located Todd? I am in Wichita Kansas and have a source for low cost red oak rails and stiles. However, unless you need widths that match the already coped rails you can't re-cut the copes unless you can exactly match the profile. I recently made 4 doors for a shop cabinet using this material. I mitered the corners and then reinforced with a spline. The material is 3/4" thick and 2 1/16 wide. The lengths vary but at least some are as long as 28". If you are close to Kansas might be able to save you a few $. Earl Creel

[todd]

I have a number of cabinets in my office that were purchased several years ago that use rail and stile drawer fronts. I'm very happy with the look.

I don't recall saying that I was trying to save time. My problem at this particular moment is that I don't have access to most of my machinery. I could swing getting the SCMS and ROS and some clamps out, but getting the table saw, planer, dust collector out right now would be problematic.

The local hardwood lumber place sells S2S that supposedly has a straight edge. I seem to have two problems with that. First, individual boards might be thicknessed consistently, but no two boards seem to be the same thickness. Second, the straight edge isn't. I could probably buy the stock and have them specifically plane all of it to the same thickness and joint an edge. I could probably get the table saw going if I had to. However, after having the local place do all the prep work, I was wondering if someone could just take it the whole way and supply finished stock. It appears that isn't available.

todd

[todd]

I'm not against that, necessarily. Unfortunately, I can't have them finish them as they need to be tinted to match the cabinets. If I order them, I may pay to have them drill for the Euro hinges.

todd

[todd]

Well, that's a good point. Even if available, the ends of the rails would have to be coped to mate with the stiles. Looks like I either buy the drawers and fronts or wait until I can make them myself.

todd

[Leon]

If you like the look and the drawers are big enough that should work fine for you.

Your comment, The missus, who has been pretty patient through this process, would like something done by Christmas, sounded like running out of time to me.

You have to look for S2SE1 not just S2S.

I could probably buy the stock

If you did not need it before Christmas I would probably be able to supply that service.

[George]

Pretty much, though the problem of tool access/timing may be something you can work out with the spouse using that information. Especially if you have at least one "non-standard" size door which would necessitate a custom job and a custom price.

Even the source I recall offered a limited number of sizes, though IIRC, you had a choice of three-four panel styles to go with.

[trs80]

[Chris Friesen]

The issue is that the OP doesn't have access to his tools.

The reply suggested pre-made rail/stile stock, which means that you have to live with the pre-made door dimensions since you can't redo the cope cut unless you have the same cutters that were originally used.

Chris

[bent]

I have seen drawer stock sold sep!

[bent]

you could use flat rectangular rail and stile and use a small moulding L} in the corners to simulate raised panel, if getting there is a problem. Like a quarter round with a profile. Sort of a roggee. I bought some in oak at borg for fuse box panel approx. 3/8" x 1/2". I used 1" x 2" select pine, painted white, straight cut ends for frame. Plywood center. Screwd in from sides with Lg holes and round head screws. The moulding actually protrudes from the face frame ~1/8".