Custom Cabinet Door

I decided to put a little spin on a set of cabinet doors on my entertainment centre. I'm really happy with the results and I think they look pretty cool!

Start by ripping boards to 2" wide. You will need enough to make 2 styles (vertical peices) and 2 rails (horizontal peices) per door. I chose to use poplar for my styles and rails due to the cost (cheap) and the fact that the doors would be painted. Next, cross cut your styles (vertical pieces) to the exact length of your cabinet. Then, cross cut the rails to the width of the opening using this formula:

Total rail length = door opening - the width of two of your styles (4") + the width of your tenon X 2 (3/4"X2) + the width of your rabbit X 2 (3/8X2).

Option is to cut the rabbits before you cross cutting all the lengths. I, however, find it easier to manage by cutting the rabbits after cutting all the lengths. Cut the rabbits 3/8" by 5/16". To do this, prepare your table saw by setting the blade height to 3/8" and setting the fence to 5/16" a. Make the first pass on the boards edge. From there, lay the board on its flat side and set the blade height to 5/16" and the fence to 3/8" minus the blade thickness (measure to the outter side of the blade) and made the final pass.

To cut the mortises, I used a slot mortiser (learn more here: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLHSNXRMBJVP_iklOP5xsZexHojN4MBdfo ). Option is to drill out the material with a drill press and clean it up with a chisel.

This can easily be done buy marking the depth of the tenon on the end of the style. Then, line up the edge of the rail with the mark. Mark each of the cheek lengths.

Again, I used the slot mortiser. Option is to cut the cheeks by using a table saw.

Glue the rails to the styles by securing 2 clamps across the rails.

On your PC, load the SVG file into easel by going to inventables.com. Stretch the grill the required size plus a 1/4". Start the CNC machine. To ensure a perfect fit, trim the length using a table saw.

This step can be tedious. I used a dermal with a small round sanding wheel.

I purchased a really inexpensive door mirror from the hardware store. The width was already the right size, so I only had to cut it to length. Mark the length. Then, use a straight edge to score the mirror and snap apart.

Paint all your grills and frames.

Using a hot glue gun, glue the mirror to the rabbit. Use a piece of 1/8" hardboard as a backer. Caulk the seams and add a couple of screws to hold it together.

Using your choice of hinges, attach the doors to your cabinet. I chose hidden hinges, which required me to drill 2 holes at 1 3/8".