MDF Kitchen doors help needed

[RobertMP]

I'm building up to refreshing our kitchen with new doors and drawers. So far I've got competent enough with spraying my workshop cupboard doors and tested the painting I will need to do on the exposed faces of the current kitchen cabinet carcases and am now looking to try making a first MR MDF door.

I've been reading a lot about MDF kitchen doors here and went out today to buy one sheet of 18mm MRMDF and one 6mm for the simple (shaker?) panel....which is where the problems started. 18mm is easy to get hold of but 6mm does not seem to be kept in stock in moisture resistant.

So first question - if the frame is MR does the panel need to be MR too? I'm assuming the MR stuff takes edge finishing better which doesn't apply to the panel?

And while I'm here... Construction method. I was thinking of running off some 1220mm long strips 60mm wide out of the 18mm and running them through the router table to put a 6mm groove central on one edge. Cut to length and then forming a matching tongue on the ends of what will be the top and bottom of the door. Is there a recommended way of doing it? Oh and dust issues aside, if I felt like putting the cut edges through my planer thicknesser will it do any harm to the blades?

Thanks for any help.

 

[Argee]

So first question - if the frame is MR does the panel need to be MR too? I'm assuming the MR stuff takes edge finishing better which doesn't apply to the panel?

Use a good-quality 6mm MDF - doesn't have to be MR for the panel (that's what I did here). The 18mm MR will profile very well. Your construction method sounds fine to me.

Oh and dust issues aside, if I felt like putting the cut edges through my planer thicknesser will it do any harm to the blades

MDF is tough on tools, so I'd avoid it, especially if there's a lot of it. It'll sand just fine.

Ray.

 

[George_N]

I've made kitchen cabinet doors just as you describe, except instead of making tenons on the ends of the rails, I grooved them and made loose tenons out of off cuts of 6 mm MDF. All my doors were made out of standard MDF as I couldn't easily source MR stuff. I think MR-MDF might have been better in terms of having less "fluffy" edges but once sealed with PVA they paint up just fine. I also made end panels for end of run cupboards out of MR-MDF "matchboard", painted to match the doors, and it didn't take the paint any better than the standard stuff. I rounded over the edges of my doors on the router table so I didn't bother about planing the edges. The cut edges sand easily, especially after sealing (waterproof PVA 5:1 with water). I sand to 240 grit on the edges but some recommend going down to 320 grit. I have used water-based paints throughout, primer/undercoat x2, topcoat x2 and lacquered with Ronseal "Diamond Hard" clear satin floor varnish. I have sprayed the Ronseal but I have found that it is just as quick and easy to apply it with a small foam brush.
I hope some of this helps.

 

[RobertMP]

All helpful thanks

I'll go get some MR and std MDF in the morning.

My workshop cupboard doors are just 12mm (std) MDF panels and I played around with various primers and sanding so I think I know what I'm doing with that.

Going to go for the Dulux trade eggshell as the topcoat once SWMBO makes up her mind on the colour.

Outside edges of a door are easy to sand. Just wondering if the inside edges of the rails need similar work or if they don't really notice? guess I'll find out soon enough. Some light sanding of those difficult to get to edges before assembly might help.

I'll start a WIP thread once I get going - it will help push me to get my finger out and get on with it :lol:

 

[George_N]

Outside edges of a door are easy to sand. Just wondering if the inside edges of the rails need similar work or if they don't really notice? guess I'll find out soon enough. Some light sanding of those difficult to get to edges before assembly might help.

Those inside edges do need to be smooth because a rough surface on the finished door becomes a dirt trap, which will greatly displease SWMBO (DAMHIKT).

 

[jasonB]

Sand the inside edges before assembly making sure you don't round over the mating surfaces.

As said above loose tennons make machining much faster, I would also suggest you get a suitable groover so the parts can be machined flat rather than on edge/end. I use a wobble saw in the spindle which makes light work of it. This is my method of door construction.

Another thing that I do to ease clean-up is make the top & bottom rails 10mm over width and the styles 20mm over length. Once glued up the whole door is then trimmed to size with the sliding table saving having to plane or fill any irregular or misaligned ends. You can also do a whole stack of draws like this then just cut them to height if the rails are made just over twice the required height. All saves on clamps and drying time :wink:

Jason

 

[Doug B]

If you don`t want to sand the edges, run the rails through a router table with a straight cutter, making a fine planing cut, with the out feed fence stepped forward the depth of cut.
Gives a great finish.

 

[TonyW]

Just a thought but as you are wanting to use MDF and going to paint it have you considered an alternative (cheats way!!) to get a similar effect without so much effort.

I have never tried this (daughter would not let me when she wanted new doors :lol: ):

Cut a piece of say 12mm MDF to full size of door. Cut the rails to width required from 3mm MDF and glue to front and rear of door. Then seal and spray

Cheers
Tony

 

[jasonB]

An even bigger cheat is to use 12mm and just glue 6mm strips to the front :wink: Works well, i've even used solid wood 6x94 stuck to veneered board then iron on edgeing.

Jason

 

[seaco]

An even bigger cheat is to use 12mm and just glue 6mm strips to the front :wink: Works well.
Jason

That's is how I made mine... https://www.ukworkshop.co.uk/forums/view ... highlight=

 

[TonyW]

seaco, what a nice job
EDIT: Jason, just been looking on your web site - wow

 

[RobertMP]

Some more great info. Thanks very much.

Liking the loose tenon idea now I've seen the pictures. Stick on sounds good too except I can't find 6mm MRMRDF locally and I'm not sure I have enough clamps to glue it up!

I'll be cutting with a straight edge and circular saw so trimming an oversize door is possible but not sure if it will work out the best way for me.

Plan is to make one door, paint it to prove the process on the finished item, and fit it for final approval - so I'll have a chance to try out the construction method.

I've a couple of other kitchen related questions but I'll save those until a bit nearer the time. thanks again.

 

[RobertMP]

I would also suggest you get a suitable groover so the parts can be machined flat rather than on edge/end.

Jason

:idea: I have a Trend 4mm biscuit cutting bit. never thought of using that but I could set it so I make one pass from each side and end up with a perfectly central groove the right size (after a bit of tweaking).

 

[seaco]

Some more great info. Thanks very much.

Stick on sounds good too except I can't find 6mm MRMRDF locally and I'm not sure I have enough clamps to glue it up!

I did use 6mm MRMDF but you don't need clamps you use super glue and activator I think it's called Mitre Fast... works a treat and is easy to use.

By the way the kitchen was done in Feb 2005 and it's as good now as then, not one door has failed in any way!

 

[RobertMP]

You are tempting me now

One place locally did say they could get it in for me. Might try it using the standard stuff I'll have for the 'normal' method. I have some 12mm in the workshop... and I have some mitre fast that could do with using up....

 

[Noel]

That's is how I made mine... https://www.ukworkshop.co.uk/forums/view ... highlight=

Lee, how exactly did you finish the doors? How many coats and what top coat?

 

[BradNaylor]

There are far too many trade secrets being given away in this thread!

:lol:

Ah well, in for a penny...

Re: clamps.

If you're glueing up a load of frame & panel MDF doors for painting you only need 2 (or 3) clamps. Simply fire a couple of short brads through the joint and take the clamps off. Much easier and much quicker - you can wipe off all the excess glue without the clamp getting in the way. And if your doors are the same size your clamps are set for the next one.

Likewise if you are planting on 6mm MDF to make it look like a panelled door use PVA glue and brads.

A quick dab of 2-pack filler and a sand and you would never know once its painted.

You can't go wrong with a brad nailer!

Cheers
Dan

 

[RobertMP]

A quick dab of 2-pack filler and a sand and you would never know once its painted.
Cheers
Dan

2-pack filler... as in isopon car filler or something else?

Thanks.

 

[George_N]

Jason's pictures of the loose tenon construction method illustrate perfectly what I was trying to describe. I also like Dan's suggestion of firing a couple of 15 mm brads in to hold things in place while the glue goes off...I'll give that a try next time as it will make cleaning up glue squeeze out easier with no clamps in the way.

 

[BradNaylor]

A quick dab of 2-pack filler and a sand and you would never know once its painted.
Cheers
Dan

2-pack filler... as in isopon car filler or something else?

Thanks.

That would do fine. 2-pack wood filler is basically the same stuff but coloured in various wood tones. B&Q stock the Ronseal version. Another brand is Metalux. They do it in white - that's what I use on painted jobs.

Cheers
Dan