DIY Shaker Door Advice

[matthew tubbs]

I am looking at making some shaker kitchen doors to upgrade an existing kitchen.

I recently got some 18mm solid oak flooring from a reclamation yard for practice but I am struggling to get the motrice and tenons correct. I am hoping when I move to 22mm this will become easier.

If I plan to paint the units do I have to use hardwood or could a softwood suffice?

I am currently trying to do it by hand but I need a table saw for other jobs anyway so that might be making an appearance soon, however I would like to get it right by hand first.

When doing the tenons is it best to saw them out or just chisel the material away?

 

[Newboy]

Saw

 

[PaulWoodsHome]

I am looking at making some shaker kitchen doors to upgrade an existing kitchen.

I recently got some 18mm solid oak flooring from a reclamation yard for practice but I am struggling to get the motrice and tenons correct. I am hoping when I move to 22mm this will become easier.

If I plan to paint the units do I have to use hardwood or could a softwood suffice?

I am currently trying to do it by hand but I need a table saw for other jobs anyway so that might be making an appearance soon, however I would like to get it right by hand first.

When doing the tenons is it best to saw them out or just chisel the material away?

Using a saw might be hard to get the V grooves in the doors. You might need to get them routed.

 

[Roger928]

What V grooves are in a shaker door?

 

[Chud]

What V grooves are in a shaker door?

That's what I was thinking - to me a shaker door is a floating panel in an un-mitered frame like the below.

The grooves between the pieces of the frame could be made using a block plane (maybe on a shooting board).

 

[Deleted member 174758]

I recently got some 18mm solid oak flooring from a reclamation yard for practice but I am struggling to get the motrice and tenons correct. I am hoping when I move to 22mm this will become easier

I'm tempted to ask whether or not the materials you are working with have been replaned and thicknessed. Recycled stuff can be out of square and/or a little bit warped.

If I plan to paint the units do I have to use hardwood or could a softwood suffice?

For durability a hardwood is probably much better. A suitable, relatively cheap hardwood for painted doors is poplar (sometimes called tulip wood).

When doing the tenons is it best to saw them out or just chisel the material away?

Mark out with a marking knidfe. Saw. Clean-up the faces with a rebate plane and the shoulders (if required) with a shoulder plane. To work on small scale joints the joinery has to be pretty accurate

Using a saw might be hard to get the V grooves in the doors. You might need to get them routed.

The "v-grooves" are merely slightly chamfered edges on the rails and stiles - easily worked with a block plane BEFORE assembly