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BB1
1870 posts
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in almost 2 years
Cabinet door
A friend asked if I could assist with making a cabinet door to match this.
He thinks it is plywood, maybe some wood. He didn't think it was MDF. All I have at this point is these two pictures. If all plywood, I'm wondering how to router the pattern on the front (seems like there would be voids). And if wood is attached to a plywood back, that would seem to be a potential issue with wood movement/cracking. Any thoughts on how to make a similar looking door are appreciated. Thanks!
28 Replies
i think id use mdf. like you said if it's ply routing the grooves would cut into the layers. looks like a v bit would work for the pattern.
working with my hands is a joy,it gives me a sense of fulfillment,somthing so many seek and so few find.-SAM MALOOF.
That really looks like MDF.
That's what I was thinking. I hate working with MDF - so messy.
yeah i agree barb but it would work well doing that style of door. just gotta use a good dust mask. if it's only one door noy too bad, if it's many doors id say, im busy 😂
working with my hands is a joy,it gives me a sense of fulfillment,somthing so many seek and so few find.-SAM MALOOF.
I've done MDF a couple times and that was more than enough. Maybe can find a way to help at his place. I'm still wondering as he thought it was plywood or wood. Maybe Baltic birch could allow for that profile? Probably need to see if I can take a look at what the other doors are (just need one to match their others).
id maybe ask bently what he thinks it's made from or what the best material to use. he's the cabinet expert here.
working with my hands is a joy,it gives me a sense of fulfillment,somthing so many seek and so few find.-SAM MALOOF.
im no expert by far but i would use plywood if its old the thickness might be different but on the other hand i just HATE MDF if not for family i would tell you what MDF stands for
*TONY ** Reinholds* ALWAYS REMEMBER TO HAVE FUN
It's not high end so it really doesn't matter.
I would use whatever scrap that's big enough laying around.
3/4 maple ply (descent cabinet grade) would be my choice. Core is good enough to rout those profiles and v-grooves. A little putty if you hit a void isn't going to show with 19 coats of paint. :)
Mdf would be 2nd choice.
P.B. in a bind, before buying a whole sheet of something else.
I would use whatever scrap that's big enough laying around.
3/4 maple ply (descent cabinet grade) would be my choice. Core is good enough to rout those profiles and v-grooves. A little putty if you hit a void isn't going to show with 19 coats of paint. :)
Mdf would be 2nd choice.
P.B. in a bind, before buying a whole sheet of something else.
Figuring out how to do something you have never done is what makes a good challenge.
Thanks Bentlyj! I'll make that suggestion. I'm ok with working with plywood, but MDF is just too much mess. Will see if they can look into finding some cabinet grade plywood. I bought some recently at a big box store for a project for another friend, and some of the voids were sizable. Given the still high prices, it's disappointing when the quality and cost seem mismatched.
Again - thank you everyone 🙂
Again - thank you everyone 🙂
Is there a budget? Only one door? There's the edge glued pine panels you can use if you want to get away from MDF and plywood. I never bought them so dont really know what they go for.
Barb, it doesn't work in every case, but if you don't need to go too deep into the material you may want to look at MDO over MDF. It has the outer appearance of MDF, without all the mess. You aren't alone in not wanting to wrestle with it. I imagine a lot of us are in the same boat with MDF.
Locally I am seeing 1/4 and 1/2 sheets more often, so you may be able to save some $$$$ going that route.
Locally I am seeing 1/4 and 1/2 sheets more often, so you may be able to save some $$$$ going that route.
Corelz125 - I don't know if they have a budget. They just need one door to match what they have in their house. I'm not sure of the dimensions. Are you saying a panel like this
i would not use a pine panel like that unless in was bonded to ply. solid pine like that could easily warp. id take bents advise barb, he does this kind of stuff for a living.
working with my hands is a joy,it gives me a sense of fulfillment,somthing so many seek and so few find.-SAM MALOOF.
The warping for a large panel was on my mind. I think my friend thought the plywood option sounded good. He's thinking of getting a router too for the project! He and his wife enjoy some DIY projects so having a router will be good for the future too.
Yea something like that. It's small strips glued together. There's a furniture store in NY that makes a lot of furniture out of those panels. I actually got a bunch of it recently. Someone took apart some piece of furniture and had it broken down into boards. So instead of tossing them in a dumpster I took some of it.
Corelz125- free is always good! Any plans for the boards?
Definitely MDF. I blew up the image of the back and the fraying is clearly visible at the top.
Carey Mitchell
I guess these are original to the house (70s) so not sure if that is a factor. I think he's going with plywood for the extra door.
i think your right carey, that was my guess.
working with my hands is a joy,it gives me a sense of fulfillment,somthing so many seek and so few find.-SAM MALOOF.
Is the groove v-shaped or cove shaped? Might need a small cove bit.
--Nathan, TX. Hire the lazy man. He may not do as much work but that's because he will find a better way.
