rasied panel doors

[jce]

Hello,

I am hoping to make raised panel doors for my kitchen. I am also not rich so using solid stock is not a viable option. I realized that I could use a veneered plywood flat panel to cut down on costs but my wife likes the look of the raised panel.

My question is this: can I use veneered plywood (e.g. maple veneer) for my rails and stiles but cut thin strips of solid stock and glue them to the inside edge of the plywood and then rout that thin solid stock strip? On the outside edges of the rails and stiles, I was thinking about using maple edge banding. For the panel, my panel cutting bit routs a 1.5" cove into the wood so I would cut thin strips (1.5") of solid stock and glue it to the edge of the veneered plywood panel and then rout the solid stock.

The bottom line is that I want to use veneered plywood for the rails, stiles, and panels and use solid stock ONLY where the wood will be routed.

Has anyone ever done this?

Thanks,

Jay

[pmspirito]

Before you commit to the whole project try a couple of test pieces. Make a few samples and work out the kinks to see if it is worth the extra work.

[FordPrefect]

I don't know how that would look since there is a noticable difference between the look of finished plywood, even cabinet grade, and hardwood...

My suggestion would be to try to find a local hardwood floor manufacturer and see if you could buy some stock from him. I did this yesterday and managed to walk away with about 100 bf of 4/4 cherry and 25 bf of 4/4 walnut (both from an Amish relative of the hardwood floorer in Virginia and cut down this year... sorry this is starting to sound like a gloat.) for less than 3 bucks a bf each. Which is about one quarter of the price I would have paid at Windsor Plywood.

I had planned to build a makeup table for my wife, and I was going to use edgebanded baltic birch ply for the top and yellow birch for the rest, but at the price I got the cherry my plans changed, the top is now going to be solid cherry since it is only one dollar a bf more over plywood. And my wife is happier that it will be made of cherry rather than birch which is only good for me

[jce]

Hello,

Thanks for your replies. I have already bought some test samples from Totem (maple ply and solid stock maple) and will be doing some test cuts. With regards to FordPrefect's advice, I never knew I could approach a floorer about buy stock from them but I will look into that option today and see what I can find. Any suggestions for floorers to talk to in Edmonton?

Thanks again.

[PEARCO]

jce,

If you are going to band a plywood panel with enough solid stock to be able to panel profile it, remember that when you do so, you will have the top and bottom profiles with grain running different than that of the panel. This can be a dead giveaway as to what you have done. It will look like the cabinet doors when particle board center doors first came on the market.

Jim

[Dewy]

I doubt whether doing them the way you suggest will look good at all, the opposite in fact.
I would tell the good lady that if she wants raised panel doors then they will a lot more than you can afford.
I would suggest using timber for the rails and styles and use veneered ply to make flat panels.
You only need 1/4" ply and can trim the inside of the rails and styles with a beading glued and pinned to the rails and styles so the ply panels float.

[Mike]

If the raised panel look is what she wants, make her happy. Think outside the "How do I cut it?" box. Cut 1/4" panels from plywood, then make center "raised panel's" by glueing solid wood pieces you have profiled into the center. This can be as simple as cutting a 45 degree bevel or more decorative like a roman ogee? Perhaps 6 or 8 small squares or rectangles glued to the plywood for a very elaborate look? Stick to solid wood for rails and stile's.

Mike