Door construction advice

[markturner]

I have to make some doors for a project, there are 5 in total, 700mm high and approx 500mm wide. they need to be about 25mm thick. They are to be veneered both sides and have solid edge lippings. The veneering is being by a specialist, as on reflection ( its a complex sunburst pattern & it may be beyond my current skillset...)

My question is what would you recommend as the best material & method to make the doors? First thought was 25mm MRMDF, for stability, but I thought the doors may be rather heavy as a result. However, I did not want to have any twisting issues.

What do the professional here think?

Thanks,

 

[petermillard]

MRMDF for stability, sure. If 25mm may be too heavy then you could try 22mm - veneered on either side it'll come up close to 25mm. If that's still too heavy, then you could laminate something up with a hollow core, e.g. a 12mm core 'frame' skinned either side with 6mm; maybe with 12mm 'spacers' glued in between the skins within the 'frame' would help prevent it from feeling too hollow or deflecting??

Either way, I think I'd run a few tests first

HTH Pete

 

[jasonB]

MR MDF would also be my preference but depending on where the doors are in the building you could use Medite premier which is quite a bit lighter than MR though obviously not a moisture resistant, could even go down to one of the lightweight MDFs

 

[markturner]

Hi, yes the clad frame option was what I was looking at, but 6/12/6 seemed a bit flimsy to me....it does not need to be MR , its on a sideboard in my lounge, so perhaps the lightweight MDF is the way to go....

thanks for the input,

Cheers, Mark

 

[AndyT]

That sounds like a very big sideboard! I hope you will show us some pictures.

 

[nathandavies]

Lightweight mdf isn't a huge difference in weight. Once hung 25mm normal will be fine.

 

[Cheshirechappie]

A technique used on quality antique veneered cabinets with curved doors was to build up the shape with pine (or sometimes hardwood) strips. The same technique could be used in the flat - indeed the old 'blockboard', the better grades of which were highly regarded as a ground for quality veneered work I gather, was just that.

One possible problem to watch is that older veneers tended to be thicker, so laminating up, then applying a backing veneer running cross-grain, then the face veneer on top of it might be a wise plan. An advantage of this is that final door thickness is not dictated by available sheet goods thicknesses; the stripwood laminated panel can be thicknessed as required. Care would also be needed to see that the stripwood was adequately dry before laminating up, too.

 

[jimmyhenson]

We always use mdf where we can, plywood can have air pockets throughout it, even birch ply and the veneer won't bond properly. We have bonded 3mm mdf to each side of block board to keep the weight down but a better surface to bond to but it's extra work for little gain. What veneer are you using, if it's a light colour veneer like maple or sycamore we would put a double layer as when sanded the brown of the mdf can show through a single layer.