Posts: 2,580
Threads: 0
Joined: Jul 2008
Location: phila pa
(09-23-2018, 07:43 PM)cme4dk Wrote: I am making a few kitchen cabinets for my son's kitchen and he wants the doors to match the existing cabinets.
Three inch rails and stiles with a plywood panel. I am using a router bit set for making the rails and stiles but it is meant for a true 1/4 inch panel. Can I get plywood panels that are a true 1/4 inch? Can I use 1/4 inch MDF? The doors will be painted.
Thanks
Jay
I know you can get true 1/4" plywood but I doubt the big box stores will be your source , try a lumber yard or plywood supplier . If you can't find either maybe a local cabinet shop can hook you up . I don't know of an MDF in true 1/4" even from a plywood supplier .
Failure is simply the opportunity to begin again, this time more intelligently. "HF"
Posts: 24,145
Threads: 2
Joined: Sep 2003
Location: Missouri
1/4" MDF is available with veneer on one side. Comes in 4x8 sheets.
Usually sold by lumber suppliers like Paxton's, etc. Doubtful the box stores will have it on hand.
Steve
Mo.
I miss the days of using my dinghy with a girlfriend too. Zack Butler-4/18/24
The Revos apparently are designed to clamp railroad ties and pull together horrifically prepared joints
WaterlooMark 02/9/2020
Posts: 12,885
Threads: 0
Joined: Jan 2010
Location: Lewiston, NY
MDF is your best choice for painted doors. It is consistent in thickness, stays flat, and paints better than plywood.
John
Posts: 12,606
Threads: 0
Joined: Aug 2003
Location: Wapakoneta, OH
MDF will be fine, and you won't need a friction fit...just be sure to glue the panels in. It was surprising to me to see some posts that the MDF isn't a true 1/4". It's hard for me to find the stuff, but that which I have is 1/4".
I started with absolutely nothing. Now, thanks to years of hard work, careful planning, and perseverance, I find I still have most of it left.
Posts: 227
Threads: 0
Joined: Jan 2005
Thank you, you guys are great!!
Posts: 2,500
Threads: 0
Joined: Oct 2005
Or get 1/2" and back cut it so the tomgueis exactly the thickness you want. It will make for a more solid door also.
"There is no such thing as stupid questions, just stupid people"
Posts: 1,590
Threads: 0
Joined: Aug 2009
Location: Manassas, VA
There are options. MDF is one and is fine for painted doors - in fact, probably the best.
Construction grade 1/4 plywood is used mostly for flooring underlayment. I used a ton in my old house when I redid the vinyl flooring. I found the actual thickness to be about 9/32", and it would be pretty easy to sand or plane it down to 1/4". What I had was three ply, no thin face veneers (it's not appearance grade).
I have done flat panel doors with 6mm plywood, and the gap is not really visible. Space balls also keep the doors tight so they don't move and they don't bend. If it bothered you, you could always tack it from the back.
