# Cabinet doors made of hardwood and fiberboard



## sil (Sep 27, 2007)

I couldn't decide whether I wanted to refinish(paint) or reface so I am re-dooring and painting.
The contractor suggested paintable hardwood such as alder or poplar with the center made of fiberboard for the doors. It will have Euro hinges which is what I want as opposed to my exposed hinges. All my cabinets including the new doors will then have 2 coats of oil based paint and 2 coats of semi gloss with acrylic-all spray painted.

Is paintable alder/poplar wood with center of fiberboard a good choice? Does it matter what kind of wood since I am getting it painted?
Would plywood be a better choice or not?


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## send_it_all (Apr 30, 2007)

If your plan is still to use the recessed panel shaker style door, then I wouldn't suggest an mdf center panel. It will be about 1/4" thick and not very strong. A plywood center panel would be stronger if that is being offered.


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## sil (Sep 27, 2007)

I'll ask but he said that mdf would be easier to paint and would be better in different temperture environment.

Also, did you get a quote for doors and drawers with concealed hinges. I think I will redoor and paint everything including cabinets and doors and rails etc so I don't need very good wood like cherry or maple but wood that can do well with paint.


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## Ron6519 (Mar 28, 2007)

Is this door flat or raised panel? If flat, you would be using plywood. If raised, then mdf is more stable then wood, and will expand and shink less. If the wood they place in for the panel isn't dry enough, it will shrink and expose bare wood over time. You will then need to sand and repaint.
Ron


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## sil (Sep 27, 2007)

It will be recessed doors , shaker type. Every place I called said it would have mdf in the center panel and solid maple or poplar or alder for the hardwood.


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## Ron6519 (Mar 28, 2007)

Doors are flat or raised panels. They both are "recessed " into the frame. Which is it?
Ron


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## sil (Sep 27, 2007)

Not sure than. It is shaker style. As far as painting, they will buy paintable alder/poplar wood with mdf for painting. " If the wood they place in for the panel isn't dry enough, it will shrink and expose bare wood over time". What do you mean? My undertanding is they buy the door with the panel in placed and then paint it.


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## NateHanson (Apr 15, 2007)

If the panel is flat (when you say shaker, I think of flat panels) then plywood would be stronger, but MDF would be fine if the back of the panel is rabbeted. What I mean is, that the MDF panel should be thicker than the dado that it sticks into in the surrounding door frame (that dado will be about 1/4".) So the panel should be 3/8 or 1/2" MDF, or 1/4" plywood.

The panel shrinking, and exposing unpainted wood, is only a problem if you're using solid wood. Neither plywood nor MDF will have this problem. They are very stable.


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## PK. (Nov 12, 2007)

Shaker style doors are raised panels, sometimes having a backcut, that are reversed. Flat panel doors are simply 1/4" or so panels floated or glued in place.

If you're painting, I'd opt for the mdf panel because that should be glued in place eliminating reveal lines around the perimeter of the frame. I'd also opt for soft maple under paint. Poplar is okay but can be a pain to paint and I think alder is too soft for under paint.

Temperature has little to do with things and properly painted mdf will last forever.


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## send_it_all (Apr 30, 2007)

PK. said:


> Shaker style doors are raised panels, sometimes having a backcut, that are reversed.


I'm not clear on what you mean by backcut and reversed, but a shaker style door is not a raised panel door. It is a 3/4" frame with a 1/4" flat, recessed panel.


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## send_it_all (Apr 30, 2007)

http://www.caldoor.com/cat1024/2/44-1.jpg


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## send_it_all (Apr 30, 2007)

By the way, Sil. The door in the link above is what I am offering you...only it will be maple instead of cherry.


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## PK. (Nov 12, 2007)

A true Shaker door is a reversed raised panel. Some of the door manufacturers sell flat panel doors and call them Shaker doors. But there is a difference. When I make them I sometimes backcut the panel so the door is centered in the frame. (Although this also isn't a true Shaker door) Without the backcut, a 3/4" panel will sit proud of the frame unless you sand down the raised panel.


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## Spyko (Oct 26, 2007)

Ah, PK... there you go again...no?


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## CuCullin (Sep 20, 2007)

Ron6519 said:


> Doors are flat or raised panels. They both are "recessed " into the frame. Which is it?
> Ron


If its a shaker, then its likely recessed panel door - flat (from my history) is a slab door.


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## NateHanson (Apr 15, 2007)

PK. said:


> A true Shaker door is a reversed raised panel. Some of the door manufacturers sell flat panel doors and call them Shaker doors. But there is a difference. When I make them I sometimes backcut the panel so the door is centered in the frame. (Although this also isn't a true Shaker door) Without the backcut, a 3/4" panel will sit proud of the frame unless you sand down the raised panel.


If you're talking historically, PK, then nearly all panels had the back relived a bit where they entered the rail and stile dados. So yes, historically a shaker panel would be "raised" on the back. As would any other door panel (others raised on BOTH sides. However, I haven't seen any cabinet or furniture manufacturer who does that today, so I'm not sure the point applies to the situation.


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## CuCullin (Sep 20, 2007)

NateHanson said:


> However, I haven't seen any cabinet or furniture manufacturer who does that today, so I'm not sure the point applies to the situation.



I think Conestoga still does... other than that, none come to mind. None of the typical dealer-type cabinets atleast (Bertch, Wellborn Forrest, Cornerstone, whomever).


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## PK. (Nov 12, 2007)

You can order reversed raised panel doors from most of the door manufacturers. 

I used to think that a flat panel door was a Shaker door myself until a furniture conservator explained the difference. I know that a lot of the catalogues will list a flat panel door as Shaker style, but really they're Arts and Crafts. Look at any of the catalogues and you'll see so-called Shaker doors with rope moulding and all sorts of adornments, is this a correct usage of the name? 

It may not matter to the majority of people this question of definitions, but it does to some. If you bid a kitchen and specify Shaker doors and show up with flat panel doors you're going to have a problem if the person who's paying the bills knows their furniture.


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