# door panel glue up size



## duburban (Feb 12, 2011)

Cabinet doors, each door roughly 12x34 with rail and stile frame.

How big should i rip my panel pieces for glue up. I'm assuming its a balance of big enough for looks and small enough for stability. 

Panel will be flat on the front and total 1/2" thick. 

These doors are small so I'm guess two pieces but I do have wider doors in my future. 

Thanks


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## cabinetman (Jul 5, 2007)

Two sections should work OK.












 







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## duburban (Feb 12, 2011)

Thanks cabinetman. Your name reminds me of a super hero alias like superman etc...


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## cabinetman (Jul 5, 2007)

duburban said:


> Thanks cabinetman. Your name reminds me of a super hero alias like superman etc...


I was going to use Superman, but I thought it was a bit overt even for my personality.:laughing:

Back to your panels. For ½" panels for that width their thickness are less likely to have movements that ¾" would have. But an interesting characteristic that glued panels can exhibit is the results of a non uniform panel. IOW, because of a glue joint, those mating edges become a stiffener for each panel that doesn't exist across the rest of the panel. For most cases a well acclimated and glued panel can provide a very stable panel.

In some cases one of the faces (front or back) may appear to be proud along a glue joint. For ¾" panels on wider doors, a three panel glue up would offer better balance IMO.












 







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## Tom5151 (Nov 21, 2008)

cabinetman said:


> I was going to use Superman, but I thought it was a bit overt even for my personality.:laughing:
> 
> Back to your panels. For ½" panels for that width their thickness are less likely to have movements that ¾" would have. But an interesting characteristic that glued panels can exhibit is the results of a non uniform panel. IOW, because of a glue joint, those mating edges become a stiffener for each panel that doesn't exist across the rest of the panel. For most cases a well acclimated and glued panel can provide a very stable panel.
> 
> ...


Excellent information as always. I wish I would have known that sooner......I did 26 panels (3/4 thickness) for thos cabinets i just built. I ripped board widths of 2.5 and 3.5 inches wide for all of the panels. Would have saved me some time for sure but now I am wondering if I may have caused myself future grief by going with narrower boards. Panels were anywhere from 10 inches wide to 20 inches wide.


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## Rick C. (Dec 17, 2008)

Tom 5151, Just my $.02, I've never had a problem with narrower boards.


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