Kitchen Cabinets

[Jonathan S]

I'm in the midst of ripping down planks of tulip wood and milling them to size for the doors, drawer fronts and end panels.
I'll use a profile scribing cutter in the router table to machine up the rails and stiles and I'll hang the doors with butt hinges.
I have a question for the experienced! - What is the best way to ensure I finish up with good fitting doors - is it to make them slightly oversize and then plane to fit?

I make mine 1 mm undersize then plane to fit.

Would be interested as to what gap other leave before paint.

I used to leave 1.5mm....got moaned at as too tight..... with spraying and two coats of hand paint it would sometimes bind.
The last one I did I left 3mm before paint which left a bigger gap than I personally would like, but everyone else though the bigger gap looked much better.

 

[monster]

Thanks for that Clogs and Jonathan - I’ll take your advice and not try and fit them straight off the bat!

 

[monster]

I’ve just taken a pic this morning of the pantry, I’ve used the same stone as a countertop within it and you can see the two pockets either side of the centre section that will take the doors.

 

[Doug71]

It's all looking great, keep up the good work, if you are making the doors it must feel like you are on the home straight

 

[monster]

Definitely feels like the home straight Doug after doors, just the skirting / kick panels, painting and drawer infills cutlery trays etc.

 

[Jar944]

I'm in the midst of ripping down planks of tulip wood and milling them to size for the doors, drawer fronts and end panels.
I'll use a profile scribing cutter in the router table to machine up the rails and stiles and I'll hang the doors with butt hinges.
I have a question for the experienced! - What is the best way to ensure I finish up with good fitting doors - is it to make them slightly oversize and then plane to fit?

Make them oversized (I usually go 2 to 3mm over the opening) then cut/plane to fit. A lot of commercial shops will oversize, square and edge sand to fit.

 

[monster]

Cheers Jar - Makes sense!

What size gap for a finished fit should I be aiming for - bearing in mind I'll be adding paint to the doors?

 

[Jar944]

Cheers Jar - Makes sense!

What size gap for a finished fit should I be aiming for - bearing in mind I'll be adding paint to the doors?

I fit them with a 2mm gap

 

[Doug71]

I normally make up the frames then the doors and fit the doors while I can do it all on the bench but a bit late for that now!

I make the doors so they just slip in then plane to fit, about 1.5 mm all round.

If you make them say 3mm oversize and are aiming for 1.5mm clearance all around (3mm in total) you end up having to take 6mm off which always seems like a waste of time, energy and wood.

As long as you are accurate, which it looks like you are I wouldn't make them too oversize.

 

[monster]

Cheers Doug - Ive just made the first one today as a bit of a trial - its actually an end panel I made - I aimed to make it the exact size of the aperture and its come out pretty much that - so I just needed to plane a touch off all round.

 

[Benchwayze]

You don't NEED a Domino to join kitchen cabinets. They will be held together also by the walls and adjacent cabinets. So you can use screws and rebated corner joints. You can use pocket hole joinery. You can use a biscuit joiner. You can even use nails and glue. Spend your cash on quality materials.

By all means get a Domino; but when you need rather than want! HTH

John

 

[LBCarpentry]

I'm in the midst of ripping down planks of tulip wood and milling them to size for the doors, drawer fronts and end panels.
I'll use a profile scribing cutter in the router table to machine up the rails and stiles and I'll hang the doors with butt hinges.
I have a question for the experienced! - What is the best way to ensure I finish up with good fitting doors - is it to make them slightly oversize and then plane to fit?

Make the doors so they sit tight in the opening. Then take a sharp pencil, 1.5 - 2mm spacer and scribe the doors to the framework. Cut to the line and hey presto - perfectly fitted

 

[doctor Bob]

I make mine to the hole size, square them up a bit, hang them and shoot in on a sander.
I only ever fit them with one screw in door and frame, fitters can then adjust them (in / out) on site if necessary.

 

[monster]

Nice one guys - I like the scribing in idea, that will take into account if any of my frames are slightly out.

The other question I have yet resolved is where to mount the butt hinges - I see on many kitchens that they are let only into the door and are surface mounted on the cabinet frame - is this purely for ease of fitting - or is there another reason?

What do folk recommend?

 

[Jar944]

Make the doors so they sit tight in the opening. Then take a sharp pencil, 1.5 - 2mm spacer and scribe the doors to the framework. Cut to the line and hey presto - perfectly fitted

So I do a similar thing, where cut them to fit tight to the opening, then take 2mm off each side for clearance.

Fit tight to the opening

Then I machining 2mm off each edge.

 

[stimpy]

Just read the whole thread. Bloody brilliant work mate - looks spot on! Always seems such a shame to paint after all that hard work

 

[sammy.se]

So I do a similar thing, where cut them to fit tight to the opening, then take 2mm off each side for clearance.

Fit tight to the opening
View attachment 97420
Then I machining 2mm off each edge.

Those mouldings on the inside of the rails and stiles look nice - did you make or buy them? which router bit did you use?
I recently bought some, but I'd much rather buy a router bit on recommendation.

 

[sammy.se]

Nice one guys - I like the scribing in idea, that will take into account if any of my frames are slightly out.

The other question I have yet resolved is where to mount the butt hinges - I see on many kitchens that they are let only into the door and are surface mounted on the cabinet frame - is this purely for ease of fitting - or is there another reason?

What do folk recommend?

I recently considered this question as well, and settled on letting the hinges in the door only and not the frame. Here is the thread: Insetting a cabinet door by 3mm using a butt hinge

and here are some pics of the hinges during WIP:

 

[Jar944]

Those mouldings on the inside of the rails and stiles look nice - did you make or buy them? which router bit did you use?
I recently bought some, but I'd much rather buy a router bit on recommendation.

They are integral to the doors (29mm). Run with corrugated knives on a spindle moulder. However its a relatively standard bead and cove shape.

 

[monster]

Thanks Stimpy. Sammy those doors look smart and the hinge pins look good where you have paced them - unless you could get them to line up perfectly with the bead - its probably best to leave the frame alone or else it may look a bit awkward.

Jar - thats professional kit you have there! - Ive been playing with a similar profile on my little router table lol - its the one on the left in my mockup image and is the one I've decided (or the wife has) to use for my doors too.