Help please? Trimming 3mm off new cabinet doors

Hi Everyone,

Looking for some advice, please? I'm making a few doors for some cabinets I've created. I picked up a couple of cheap pine chests of drawers, have removed the drawers and runners, etc, and am adding shelves and doors to convert them into cabinets. I had no idea how much room to leave around the outside of the door edges, and, frankly, think I'm going to run into trouble once I add the hinges.

What is the easiest way to trim down the outside edges of the doors? They're just made of 18mm ply. (I used 12mm, then framed the front of the doors with 6mm, which is glued and nailed onto the fronts). I'm thinking that an electric planer might be the go?? I tried using the table saw, but it got a bit wobbly without the riving knife in situ. Would I be able to use a router for this? If so, what sort of bit would I need?

Also, is there a standard allowance for the gap around cabinet doors using mortice/non-mortice hinges.

I'd appreciate any advice. Thanks very much.
Lizzie.

A flush trim router bit and a straight edge is a good way to remove a small amount. Clamp the straight edge to the door and let the bearing ride along the straight edge.

Are the doors to be fitted internal to the cupboard or on the outside - ie. inset or overlay? I normally aim for 3 mm around outsides of doors and between doors if inset.

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Originally Posted by Lappa

Are the doors to be fitted internal to the cupboard or on the outside - ie. inset or overlay? I normally aim for 3 mm around outsides of doors and between doors if inset.

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Thanks Lappa. The doors will be fitted inside the cabinet. So I allow 3mm on each side, and top and base? Sounds good.

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Originally Posted by NCArcher

A flush trim router bit and a straight edge is a good way to remove a small amount. Clamp the straight edge to the door and let the bearing ride along the straight edge.

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NC, thanks for your reply. Why would I need the straight edge? Wouldn't I just let the router run against the edge of the door? Any recommendations for a good router?

Table saw should be ok, riving knife does not stop wobbles, something else is causing wobbles

NCArcher is spot on. The bearing on the router bit follows the straight edge so the door is trimmed exactly to the straight edge

http://woodtools.nov.ru/books/WoodTi...a%20Router.pdf

Thanks China. The problem with the table saw was that, because I was trying to trim off such a small thickness, the cut off bit wedged at the side of the blade, which then jammed and slowed, causing the wood to move sideways, to the left. I agree, theoretically it shouldn't have made a difference, but it did.

Thanks Lappa, that makes more sense.

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Originally Posted by Lizziecro

The problem with the table saw was that, because I was trying to trim off such a small thickness, the cut off bit wedged at the side of the blade, which then jammed and slowed, causing the wood to move sideways, to the left. I agree, theoretically it shouldn't have made a difference, but it did.

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Hi Lizzie
if this happened it's usually an indication that your saw is either not set-up properly or you're not using it correctly. Either is not good.
Would you like to post a photo of the setup?

Thanks Ian, I appreciate your comment. The machine is otherwise running perfectly. I imagine part of the problem was how I was feeding the timber into the blade.... very carefully! Ha ha. I'm a bit cautious about working without the guard on the blade. The surface of the ply was quite slippery. I like my fingers attached to my hands. It's probably all just rookie error. I haven't used the saw without the riving knife and guard before. Maybe I just had the fence up too close to the blade. I was trying to trim a minute amount off, thinking I'd do it incrementally.

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Originally Posted by Lizziecro

Thanks Ian, I appreciate your comment. The machine is otherwise running perfectly. I imagine part of the problem was how I was feeding the timber into the blade.... very carefully! Ha ha. I'm a bit cautious about working without the guard on the blade. The surface of the ply was quite slippery. I like my fingers attached to my hands. It's probably all just rookie error. I haven't used the saw without the riving knife and guard before. Maybe I just had the fence up too close to the blade. I was trying to trim a minute amount off, thinking I'd do it incrementally.

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Just to confim... the part of the drawer front running against the fence is the good side, not the part you're removing?

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Originally Posted by Lizziecro

Thanks Ian, I appreciate your comment. The machine is otherwise running perfectly. I imagine part of the problem was how I was feeding the timber into the blade.... very carefully! Ha ha. I'm a bit cautious about working without the guard on the blade. The surface of the ply was quite slippery. I like my fingers attached to my hands. It's probably all just rookie error. I haven't used the saw without the riving knife and guard before. Maybe I just had the fence up too close to the blade. I was trying to trim a minute amount off, thinking I'd do it incrementally.

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It has to be asked, why were you working without the guard or the riving knife?
and trapping the off cut between the fence and the blade is a definite no-no


none of us want you to loose a finger or three, or to suffer kickback.

Ha ha ha! Yes, TCCP, you have just struck the problem! Sheesh. Hmm. That'll do it. Indeed, I was trying to trim the part against the fence. Brains certainly left the body there. Good grief. Sounds pretty stupid now.... ha ha ha. Oh dear. Ah well we live and learn. It worked beautifully on the top of the first door, even if it was a) the wrong thing to do and b) just ridiculously stupid!

I've realised why I did it....My table saw has actually got a rip capacity which will take the width of the door, just not wide enough to take the length of the door. I'd trimmed the top of the door off in that way, and then had to trim the length of it off, so just followed suit... Geez Joyce.

Good on you TCCP. No wonder no-one understood what had happened and why! If I wasn't laughing so much, I'd be completely embarrassed! Ha ha ha. Thanks very much. :doh:

Ian, see above for what happened. Uhuh. I took the riving knife and guard off so I could cut a very fine length off the board. That was how I trimmed the top of the board, which wouldn't have fit in between the fence and blade. Stupidly I just used the same system.

Nothing to see here folks, move along now.....

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Originally Posted by Lizziecro

Ha ha ha! Yes, TCCP, you have just struck the problem! Sheesh. Hmm. That'll do it. Indeed, I was trying to trim the part against the fence. Brains certainly left the body there. Good grief. Sounds pretty stupid now.... ha ha ha. Oh dear. Ah well we live and learn. It worked beautifully on the top of the first door, even if it was a) the wrong thing to do and b) just ridiculously stupid!

I've realised why I did it....My table saw has actually got a rip capacity which will take the width of the door, just not wide enough to take the length of the door. I'd trimmed the top of the door off in that way, and then had to trim the length of it off, so just followed suit... Geez Joyce.

Good on you TCCP. No wonder no-one understood what had happened and why! If I wasn't laughing so much, I'd be completely embarrassed! Ha ha ha. Thanks very much. :doh:

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LOL I wouldn't be too embarrassed, we've all been there. That's how you learn. But it's great that you found out before any damage was done because doing it that way makes the whole operation unstable and is potentially dangerous.

BTW there's an easy way to do this (I know because I had to do a similar job on some bi-fold windows I made). If you haven't already done so build yourself a crosscut sled with enough capacity to accommodate the width of the door. Ideally it should be wide enough to hold a little over half the door's length. If you make it with an accurate 90 degree fence (I used William Ng's 5 cut method) it will do a great job of removing even the finest sliver from the door end.

The value of an accurate crosscut sled cannot be over estimated.

Thanks so much, TCCP. I really appreciate that advice. I've googled it and will definitely make one, as I can see this being a recurring issue. Is it critical to do the 5 cut test, or do you think, if the base plate of the cross cut sled was cut on the table saw, at 90 degrees, that should be correct?

Regarding my 'error'... it did work really well on the top of the door! :) It was the only thing I could come up with to trim off that small amount of wood.

Yes, I'm learning alright. Given I only bought my table saw, compound mitre saw and nail gun a few months ago, I'm doing OK. So far I've board and battened two rooms, removed and replaced skirting and architraves from 3 rooms, and planked another room, topping off all the rooms with decorative moulding and scotia. So I'm pretty happy with my progress (and loving it!). I have no-one helping me to learn these things, except people like all the folk here, You Tube and other pages on the net. I am so grateful for everyone's help, you have no idea.

Thanks again, TCCP. I'll get onto making my sled ASAP.
Cheers, Lizzie.

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Originally Posted by Lizziecro

Thanks so much, TCCP. I really appreciate that advice.

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Glad to help

WRT the question about whether it's critical to use the 5 cut method? Yes I think it is. It only occurred to me late in life that accuracy is sssooooooooo important. If you can cut straight and square you save yourself 75% of the work you'll otherwise do. On a recent project where I used bridle joints I found the difference between a joint that was too sloppy and a joint so tight it wouldn't fit was half the thickness of a piece of paper. Digital Vernier calipers and a dial gauge are very worthwhile tools to have in your workshop. Make an accurate sled and I warrant you'll never use your mitre gauge to make 90 degree cuts again. The Youtube video by William Ng is a bit of a struggle to sit through, and the maths can be a challenge but it's worth it.

Sounds like you've made a great start to your woodworking. Renovating a house is a fantastic way to get exposure to many of the skills you'll use elsewhere, and teaches you a lot about problem solving. As you've discovered Youtube and forums such as this one are an invaluable aid.

Cheers,
Tony