Best practice cabinet making

[Demps]

I’ve got two projects coming up needing hardwood doors (F&P), drawers, and a footboard/headboard combo.  Cherry and red oak.
 
Cabinetmaker friend takes 4/4 rough sawn hardwoods skip planed to about 15/16 and glues up panels as wide as his planner.  Plans those to 3/4, then simply rips what he needs for rails/styles/panels.  This method can yield some unsightly parts.
 
My question, is this best practice for using rough cut stock or ?
Any help her much appreciated.

[Rob Young]

I’ve got two projects coming up needing hardwood doors (F&P), drawers, and a footboard/headboard combo.  Cherry and red oak.
 
Cabinetmaker friend takes 4/4 rough sawn hardwoods skip planed to about 15/16 and glues up panels as wide as his planner.  Plans those to 3/4, then simply rips what he needs for rails/styles/panels.  This method can yield some unsightly parts.
 
My question, is this best practice for using rough cut stock or ?
Any help her much appreciated.

Nope, not if you are interested in aesthetics.

Rails and stiles get the rift sawn material from the boards (you can find this by looking at the end grain).  Then, depending on the species, the panels get material with flatsawn or quartersawn grain.  Other unseen, structural parts, get the rest.

Panels get book matches or slip matches, again depending on material and final look desired.

And panels can be veneered, bandsawing thinner to economize the best looking pieces.  This of course depends on how the panels are made, flat panels are easier.  Those with raised fields, you can still make your own veneer but just thicker so that the fabrication process doesn't cut down to the support material.

[jteneyck]

It depends what you mean by best practice.  Aesthetics wise?  No, of course not.  Material yield wise?  Absolutely.  There was a guy on here, maybe still here, that ran a cabinet shop that used that approach and it seemed like he was in business a long time, so it must satisfy some group of customers.  In defense of that approach, if you are using rift or QS stock for frame material and take just a little care in how the boards are paired up the joints are just about invisible.  If the finish involves stain, they probably are nearly impossible to see.  

John

[Woodshop]

I’ve got two projects coming up needing hardwood doors (F&P), drawers, and a footboard/headboard combo.  Cherry and red oak.
 
Cabinetmaker friend takes 4/4 rough sawn hardwoods skip planed to about 15/16 and glues up panels as wide as his planner.  Plans those to 3/4, then simply rips what he needs for rails/styles/panels.  This method can yield some unsightly parts.
 
My question, is this best practice for using rough cut stock or ?
Any help her much appreciate

I don't , we take 4/4 rough sawn boards, skip planed to about 15/16 so we can see the grain. Never do we use a glue up in frame. we will rip the door rails and styles off first and set aside the rest. of each plank for panels, we chose what boards we want for glue up panels, matching grain for that cabinet. say it has 4 doors, all four will have same boards not all from one plank but several. and each will be fliped crown up, crown down, crown up, crown down.
The look or the cabinets is what brings customers back.

[photobug]

What's best practice for a profit seeking cabinet shop and for a home woodworker are two different things.  A cabinet shop has to think about the efficient use of time and best use of materials.  I pick and choose each board with care for aesthetics and contemplate each layout to show off the wood and my woodworking skills. It probably takes me weeks to produce what a professional cabinet maker can whip out in a morning but I'm not concerned about profit margin.

[joe1086]

A cabinet shop has to think about the efficient use of time and best use of materials.  I pick and choose each board with care for aesthetics and contemplate each layout to show off the wood and my woodworking skills. It probably takes me weeks to produce what a professional cabinet maker can whip out in a morning but I'm not concerned about profit margin.

+1

When I did my kitchen I had some beautifully clear, wide 13" cherry boards. I was able to resaw and bookmatch them for the cabinet ends and refridgerator panels. Took me forever...take that kind of approach for color and grain, there will be more waste.

[EricU]

It just seems like glued-up rails and stiles are something I would want to avoid.  Then again, if I was going to bother with buying from a cabinetmaker, I probably would want to go a little more upscale than someone that worries that much about wasting wood.

Still seems like there could be waste from the glued up panel.

[bhh]

Yep, I don't see anything wrong with that   ( </satire>)

[Cecil]

Not in my book.  I don't like painted cabinets and I see no other way to finish an eyesore. Definitely not the rails and the styles. Even the panels should be carefully selected for the best look.

[rwe2156]

+1 on what Woodshop ^ said.  

Taking rails/stiles off outer aspect of the boards gives you rift/qs material most stable.

Glueing up is fine to maximize yield is for painted cabs but if you're ripping the rift saw off first there is no need for this.

BTW there is nothing wrong with painted cabinets. Right now its the current trend in kitchens. Its all a matter of preference.

Aside from this the best advice I can give you is do NOT mill rough lumber to final thickness in one session. Take it slow, keep the boards in stickers away from fans and let them sit at least 3-4 days between millings.