Measuring Shaker Cabinet Doors Like Cabinet Box, Stile Length, Etc.,
The measures are the most crucial aspect of making any cabinet door. While you could always cut down a door that is too huge, if it ends up being too little there is nothing you can do! However, you may be sure that your cabinet doors will fit exactly if you perform a few simple calculations. Two top and bottom rails, two side stiles, and a center panel make up the traditional cabinet door's five components. To ensure that your door is square on the opening and has a consistent reveal all the way around the outside, it is essential to have all of these dimensions absolutely right. Sets of rail and stile router bits are available. The tongue on the ends of the rail pieces is chopped by the rail bits. For the center panel and the tenons, the stile bit creates a groove on the inside edge of the rails and stiles. The tongue on both ends of the rail components should first be cut. To maintain the board flat and straight as it passes the blade, use a coping sled. After that, use the stile bit to cut the groove and ornamental profile on all the parts. Verify the tenon's fit in the groove to make sure the tops are flush and there are no gaps. Before committing to the final configuration, I test it on a scrap piece. I then save the test pieces to make future setup easier.
Measure The Cabinet Box
All of the cabinet doors on my frameless cabinets have a full overlay. Check out this article on the components of a cabinet for further details if you're unsure of the kind of cabinets you have. Measure the cabinet's total width and height, not just the entrance, if you want full overlay doors. Measure to the bottom of the cabinet box sans the toe kick if it is a base cabinet. Verify the measurements multiple times to make sure they are consistent.
Determine The Reveal
The area on both sides of the door's exterior known as the reveal. Every cabinet door should have the same amount of space in between them. My preferred method is to take 1/16" off of each side, which will leave 1/8" between the doors. It could seem like a good idea to have the doors extend all the way to the edge of the cabinet box if you have a bank of cabinets with open sides like the ones pictured above. But once the cabinet end panels are put in, you'll need that extra room so the doors can open properly.
Calculate The Stile Length
You can determine the length of the stiles now that you are aware of the dimensions of your cabinet and the size of the reveals. The vertical elements on either side of the cabinet door are these. The height of the cabinet, minus the top and bottom reveals, is just the stile length.
Calculate The Rail Length
- We require a little bit more information in order to determine the length of the rails. You must first choose how broad the stiles will be. This can change based on the style you choose, but it typically ranges between 1 12 and 3 inches. The rails and stiles of a typical Shaker cabinet door are 2" wide. The length of the tongues that will be attached to the ends of the rails must also be known. From the tip of the blade to the bearing, measure the router bit that will be used to create the tenon. You should take your measurements from the straight edge rather than the angle if there is a decorative element like this bevel. Mine is 3/8" long.
- We now have all the data we require to determine the rail length! Start by taking a measurement of the cabinet's whole width if it has only one door. Add the widths of the two stiles together (in this example, a total of 4 inches). Next, take the reveal on the door's left and right (18) away "). Last but not least, multiply the length of the tenon on both ends of the rails (38" + 38" = 34") ").
- Consider a cabinet that is 14" wide, has 1/16" reveals, 2" wide stiles, and rails with 38" long tenons. Add the reveals, then deduct the width of the stiles from the width of the cabinet. Once you have the total length of the rails, add the length of the tenons.
- Before beginning your calculations, divide the cabinet's width in half if it has two doors. To enable them to open and close smoothly, both doors should have a 1/16" reveal, leaving a 1/8" gap in the center.
Calculate The Center Panel Dimensions
- The center panel completes the cabinet door puzzle. Depending on your tastes, this might be built of real wood, MDF, or even plywood. It need to be thin enough to slide into the slot made by the stile router bit.
- I'm using 14" MDF for the center panel because I'll be painting my cabinet doors. The fact that it is dimensionally stable means that I can relax about seasonal wood movement. It paints wonderfully as well, hiding the wood grain. It has the extra benefit of being exactly the same thickness as the groove, which prevents it from rattling like plywood that is too small might.
- The middle panel's width should be equal to or slightly less than that of the rails. It might be somewhat smallerened so that the wood glue has a place to go.
- The length of the stiles is subtracted from the width of the rails (in this case, 4 inches), and the length of the tenon is then added back to determine the height of the center panel.