help with shaker style cabinet doors

[Christopher Fusilier]

Has anyone attempted to build shaker style cabinet doors with a Kreg Jig?  The process is simple and I have started a few doors, but I would like some feedback from someone who has done this before.  My frames are made of 1X3 pine and the centers 1/2" ply.  All of my doors will be primed and painted.  My only issue with the build so far is the amount of finish time filling in holes.  Otherwise I love the final product, solid, clean edges and decent weight.  I would like to see pics of someone else's final product. 

Chris

[justin waldron]

I had the same issue in the very begining of using the Kreg Jig and I opted to use biscuits to join my rails and stiles afterwords. There was an issue of Fine Woodworking that did a load test on specific joints and believe it or not a biscuit fares just as well as anything else. I have enclose a picture of my shaker style doors that I'm doing for my kitchen, but I used the shaker router bit set from MLCS woodworking and they were a breeze and I'm happy with the finished product. The picture is of an unstained door, but see what you think. Also on my page there's a picture of a maple door that's very dark, the rails and stiles were used with biscuits, but an easier way that I've found here lately is to run a groove to accept panels in all the of the stock and then cut stub tenons in the stiles. Good luck, hope this was a little helpful.

[justin waldron]

Chris,
Here's a look at stub tenons and a rail. Take your 3/4 inch stock and measure to the center, which is 3/8, set your table saw blade just outside the line and at 1/4 in. depth, run your rail through, flip the rail over and run it through again. That should be pretty close to your size for an undersized piece of 1/4 in. ply for a panel. Cut your stiles 1/2 in. longer than needed because your tenon will be 1/4 in. deep. Set your fence 1/4 in. away from your blade and run your cheek cuts and nibble away the excess, then flip your piece over and repeat, this will reveal your stub tenon. I usually use some scrap until I get the fit just right, but after setting the table saw up it's very easy to repeat and creates a nice door.

[justin waldron]

Chris,
Here's what your finished pieces should look like. The rails in green and the stile is in yellow. I hope this is helpful and included is a pic of a shaker door I did out of maple with biscuits.

[justin waldron]

The benefit is that you don't have to fill the holes your having trouble with on the pocket screws, the set-up makes the door much much easier to glue up and all pieces fit together like a puzzle piece more or less. I guess one more thing is you save a little money on screws and time on filling holes??

Robert Melrose said:

MLCS is a great place for good router bits and they have videos to show you the proper use of them. One question about your doors. You said you use stub tenons on the stiles. What good would tenons do on the stiles? Maybe I'm not picturing it right in my head.

justin waldron said:

I had the same issue in the very begining of using the Kreg Jig and I opted to use biscuits to join my rails and stiles afterwords. There was an issue of Fine Woodworking that did a load test on specific joints and believe it or not a biscuit fares just as well as anything else. I have enclose a picture of my shaker style doors that I'm doing for my kitchen, but I used the shaker router bit set from MLCS woodworking and they were a breeze and I'm happy with the finished product. The picture is of an unstained door, but see what you think. Also on my page there's a picture of a maple door that's very dark, the rails and stiles were used with biscuits, but an easier way that I've found here lately is to run a groove to accept panels in all the of the stock and then cut stub tenons in the stiles. Good luck, hope this was a little helpful.

[Gary roofner]

Justin Waldron this information is great. Those dark doors you made, had inspired me to want to use that design for my tv stand. I spent the week trying to figure out what to buy for a router table. Like I said in my post I was ready to buy from rocklers but came accross an old Sears industrial on my back porch. I had looked at your design and assumed you just cut 1/4 inch grove put 1/4 inch plywood and pocket wholed as a face frame. The information on mlcs was also very valuable. Did you buy the alignment blocks? I am going to go sears and buy some inexpesive bits and play with the sears table over the weekend. Probably will buy the table from rocklers sometime next week. I will probably take the top off the sears and mount the rockler top on it. Here is link to my post http://kregjig.ning.com/forum/topics/router-table-purchase.
What kind of table do you have?

[patrick in memphis(collierville)]

hi christopher i built two bifold shaker doors out of maple and 3/16 maple ply i used the k3 on the rails. i put blocks on the back corners to accomidate for the hinge pins.(if anyone breaks the door i can just replace the blocks ).I did no bother with filling the pocket holes as no one will ever see them w/o removing the doors.good luck patrick in memphis

[justin waldron]

Gary, sorry I never saw this post.  As a matter of fact, I just made stub tenons on the end of my rails that fit into the groove of the stiles.  I also did buy the setup blocks from MLSC and the work perfect!!!!  I have a router table in my tabe saw that I use, my router in it is a Milwaukee 3 1/2 hp, it's a workhorse!!

Gary roofner said:

Justin Waldron this information is great. Those dark doors you made, had inspired me to want to use that design for my tv stand. I spent the week trying to figure out what to buy for a router table. Like I said in my post I was ready to buy from rocklers but came accross an old Sears industrial on my back porch. I had looked at your design and assumed you just cut 1/4 inch grove put 1/4 inch plywood and pocket wholed as a face frame. The information on mlcs was also very valuable. Did you buy the alignment blocks? I am going to go sears and buy some inexpesive bits and play with the sears table over the weekend. Probably will buy the table from rocklers sometime next week. I will probably take the top off the sears and mount the rockler top on it. Here is link to my post http://kregjig.ning.com/forum/topics/router-table-purchase.
What kind of table do you have?

[Jamie Robe]

Hi Tomboy,

I am trying to figure out how to reface my master bathroom cabinets. I am going to reuse the main cabinet (72 inches wide in a recessed nitch, so only front side shows). I am thinking of using my Kreg to try to make the doors, which if I buy unfinished ones are going to run about $300! I like shaker style things. My question is hwo to go about this. Do I join the 4 outside frame pieces first, then route (can I do this by hand?) the inside back, then glue the plywood?  Is the plywood just glued and not joined?

Thanks for any advice.

BTW I am totally new to Kreg tools and this site - very inspiring stuff on here :-)

Jamie

 

TOMBOY said:

Hey Christopher, here is my take on the shaker style door, though a bit rough as it is only primed right now; hopefully, you get the general idea:-)  It is a very simple door with the back routed out at 1/4" with a rabbitting bit and a 1/4" panel inserted; standard 1x2 frame...I have used this style of door mainly for asthetics as I do not like alot of extra flare and decoration in my furniture (see also, medicine cabinet photo). But, it looks like you have already gotten some really great advice on this one:-)  Good luck with your build!  Look forward to the pics...

[Kevin Maloney]

if your painting the piece, use body filler, works great

[Jens Jensen]

Fill holed with bondo and sand prime and paint

[Jens Jensen]

daddo cut just make sure your insert is long enough   to slip ihe last pc over it.

Jamie Robe said:

Hi Tomboy,

I am trying to figure out how to reface my master bathroom cabinets. I am going to reuse the main cabinet (72 inches wide in a recessed nitch, so only front side shows). I am thinking of using my Kreg to try to make the doors, which if I buy unfinished ones are going to run about $300! I like shaker style things. My question is hwo to go about this. Do I join the 4 outside frame pieces first, then route (can I do this by hand?) the inside back, then glue the plywood?  Is the plywood just glued and not joined?

Thanks for any advice.

BTW I am totally new to Kreg tools and this site - very inspiring stuff on here :-)

Jamie

 

TOMBOY said:

Hey Christopher, here is my take on the shaker style door, though a bit rough as it is only primed right now; hopefully, you get the general idea:-)  It is a very simple door with the back routed out at 1/4" with a rabbitting bit and a 1/4" panel inserted; standard 1x2 frame...I have used this style of door mainly for asthetics as I do not like alot of extra flare and decoration in my furniture (see also, medicine cabinet photo). But, it looks like you have already gotten some really great advice on this one:-)  Good luck with your build!  Look forward to the pics...

[Rory A]

I tried to make my own wood window coverings for my attic windows, but I couldn't manage to devise something that would be efficient and easy to maneuver, so I gave up and chose to buy them online from this place http://www.blindsuk.net/velux-blinds.html . I am really pleased with the choice now, it is much easier like this.