Single-piece Cabinet Door Frame Method
I recently made a set of 16 cabinet doors from MDF (frames) with metal panels. Instead of assembling rails and stiles, I cut the frames from a single piece of MDF. I rough cut them with a sliding miter saw and the used a pattern forming router bit to clean out the frames. The metal panels are set in routed recesses with glazing points.
Just got them back from the paint shop last week. Need to find a couple of hours this week to install them. They are going on cabinets with heat sensitive electronics inside. The punched metal is for looks and ventilation.
Replies
Nice looking doors and a good way to avoid the lines where rails/stiles join. Should work fine for small (i.e. lightweight) doors.
I don't use MDF very often, but when I do, I like to drill out all my hinge screw holes and glue in pieces of 1/4" hardwood dowel. This gives the hinge screws a much stronger "bite" and cuts way down on the screw "tearout" that is almost inevitable with MDF.
Dave,I am using cup hinges on these (and they are small doors) so the dowel tip may not be necessary in this case. I will keep that in mind though. I plan to offer simple interior sign and picture frames built the same way.I could make one piece frames as large as a 4'x8' sheet of MDF.
A lot depends on how much use the doors actually get - and how rough they get treated. - lol
The dowel trick is how I always fix stripped out screw holes and I've been known to do it even when assembling something new - particularly if it's something for kids.
Good luck with your business venture.
Buy your cup hinges with the plastic plugs already on the hinge. Then just bore your three holes for the hinge and beat the hinge in with a rubber mallet.
Better than drilling out and filling with a wooden dowel.
Doug