MDF shaker doors and Wealden groovers!?

[Winston Todge]

Hi all,

I am embarking on my first set of fitted wardrobes with shaker doors for the wife...

I'll be using a 'loose tenon' method to assemble my doors using 22mm rail and stiles and 6mm panelling.

I'll be routing a slot into the full length of the stile to then put a loose tenon in to hold together to the rail.

How do these arbors work?! Can I mount a bearing of a certain size onto the end to set my cut depth? Do they all come with a threaded hole on axis to mount a bearing?

I'll be using a 6mm T5460...

Is using a 6mm groover a good idea for a 6mm panel? Or will it be too tight? What sort of depth of cut is suitable? And what size would people tend to cut their panels to? 2mm all round smaller than the two depths of cuts in the stiles and rails? Or more?

Sorry for all the questions. I'm a complete noob when it comes to this stuff (except for fitting the kitchen surfaces and some other DIY type radiator covers).

Ta,

Chris.

 

[Winston Todge]

P.S. This is what I'm attempting to build!

 

[Zeddedhed]

If you're using MDF for everything I'd use the 6.4 groover set 10mm deep. Cut the panels exactly to size and glue em up. You don't need to worry about movement since its MDF and having it dead to size helps with getting it all square I find.

If it's proper tree wood then you need to allow room for movement, so with a 10mm deep groove aim to leave say 2.5mm free. That's not based on science - it's a guess but it's worked so far for me.

 

[chippy1970]

You can use those and a loose tongue but I use the set below and theres no need for loose tongue's

http://www.wealdentool.com/acatalog/Onl ... t_260.html

Sent from my MotoE2(4G-LTE) using Tapatalk

 

[mseries]

I made some similar doors late last year. Used a 6mm cutter IIRC but did several passes to widen the groove to take the 6mm panel. No mortice as such just s stub tenon on the rails to fit the extended panel groove. Glued it all up and a year later everything is fine/ There are some pictures on the forum somewhere, just search my posts

 

[RobinBHM]

I tend to do 2 to 3mm overall less on the width and zero on the height.

 

[Winston Todge]

Thanks for the replies so far chaps! Much appreciated.

I think I'll be ordering a 6.4mm and setting to around 10mm, and then probably order a rebater bit to cut a stub tenon into the stile instead of faffing around with loose tenons.

I'll then probably do what Robin/Zed suggested and go for dead on height and maybe a small amount of slop in width (~2mm total).

I'll let you know how it goes!

Chris.

 

[petermillard]

I must be super-cautious; I use the 1/4" (6.35mm) heavy duty groover with a bearing, puts a 22mm groove all round, with panels a few mm undersize. Anyone used the Wealden T&G set for doors with glass panels? Just wondering if they'd be strong enough??

Cheers, Pete

 

[Eric The Viking]

I'm looking at a similar project at the moment, but still not sure if I'll do it or buy-in (time is an issue).

Anyway, several people recommended putting a 10-15 degree chamfer on the top of any rails, right back to the panel, so they don't act as dust traps.

I've got the Axminster Shaker rail+stile set already, that does 15 degrees automatically, so it's not an issue, but I guess you could put a chamfer on afterwards. I've seen a few Shaker-style doors with just the bottom rail done that way - looks good if the angle is subtle.

E.

 

[dzj]

I'd leave a mm or two all around. Since you're gluing the mdf panel, the glue might need somewhere to go
and a bit of tolerance space comes in handy when setting the diagonals.

 

[user22161]

I have to make a hi-fi cabinet glazed door with hardwood frame. Which is the "easiest way" of doing this - Shaker style (using cutters shown above) and use glass instead of panel or, mortice & tenon/loose tennon and rabbit the frame out on the inside and use glazing beads? Have table saw and router table.

 

[custard]

I have to make a hi-fi cabinet glazed door with hardwood frame. Which is the "easiest way" of doing this - Shaker style (using cutters shown above) and use glass instead of panel or, mortice & tenon/loose tennon and rabbit the frame out on the inside and use glazing beads? Have table saw and router table.

Personally I think a glazed door without glazing beads just looks wrong (even if the beads are only on the inside on a Shaker style unit), but maybe that's just my opinion. However, whichever route you go don't forget that you'll be able to see inside the rebate through the glass, as long as you use thin glass and have a tight fit you'll get away with it, but with thicker glass and a sloppy fit it looks terrible.

Good luck

 

[mailee]

I use a cutter made up from a 6mm groover with a bearing and a 6mm gap and another 6mm groover. Using 18mm MRMDF I run the ends of the rails through giving me a 6mm tongue I then place a false bed on the table of 6mm MDF and run the rails and stiles through to give me the 6mm groove. It takes mere minutes to make a shaker door this way. I learned this method from Dr Bob who uses it all the time for shaker doors as it is so quick and fool proof. :wink:

 

[Nelsun]

Now there's a tip from the school of why didn't I think of that before. Farting around rebuilding bits is a real PITA so this sounds great! Thanks mailee & Dr Bob!