# Anyone have experience making glass cabinet doors?



## bauerbach (Mar 25, 2012)

They are for an entertainment center, so glass is required as I do not want to run a repeater for everything. 

should I just buy doors premade?

I estimate a door will cost me ~60/ea. I need 4 of them for the initial project. I figure $240 should easily buy me a router set to do the job, and then I can make doors forever. 

but I believe the grill will require a mortise... which I am not experienced at and can only make with a chisel. Buying a mortiser machine would be another $300 that Id rather avoid.

Any tips? router sets that people have used with good results?


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## BigJim (Sep 2, 2008)

If you plan to make your own doors and mullions for the glass you are going to have to put out a few bucks to do it. A good rail and stile set will run over $100, then you will need a pretty good router, I would recommend the Bosch 1617evspk 
http://www.amazon.com/Bosch-1617EVSPK-4-Horsepower-Variable-Collets/dp/B00005RHPD
2 1/4 HP 1/2 inch collet and can be used in a router table or handheld plung.

You will need a mullion bit and a cutter like this one to make the joints to connect the mullions.
http://www.eagleamerica.com/product/v179-3312/ea_-_window_door_trim

It depends if you plan to make individual panes or one sheet of glass with add on mullions as to the difficulty and amount of work it will take to make the doors.

There are cheaper rail and stile sets on the market but I would advise buying as good as you can afford. The really cheap sets will not do well for you and won't last long and some will be out of balance and vibrate bad.

I don't care for cheaper tools but for a person not using them to make a living and using them every once in a while, the cheaper ones will get you by. But I have found the cheaper tools will work you harder to get a quality product. Some may not agree with me but this has been my experiences over the years.


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## Steve Neul (Sep 2, 2011)

If you get a cabinet door set all you have to do is make the door as though you were making a panel door and leave the panel out when assembling it. Then take a 3/8" rabbeting bit with a bearing and route the lip off of a back side. After routing I normally take a sharp chisel and square the corners and install the glass with strips of wood.


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## bauerbach (Mar 25, 2012)

I already have a router (PC 895), and Im getting a table to go with it. the theoretical $240 breakeven point only needs to cover the router bits. 

That mullion cutter looks great, as it does not appear to require a mortise. And its plenty cheap. Any rail/stile bits that you've liked? Im not too picky about profile, ideally something "regular" so it would fit into most applications.


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## BigJim (Sep 2, 2008)

If I were buying a set of cutters, I would go ahead and get the cutter for raised panels with the set as it will be cheaper that way. Here is a pretty good set:
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0..._m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_r=171JPBXFDH07DP3SNDWY

And not a bad price either.


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## Steve Neul (Sep 2, 2011)

No more often than you would probably make cabinet doors I would probably get a cheap set off ebay or amazon. I use a shaper with high speed steel knives to make cabinet doors and the set I have has made hundreds of doors. A carbide set, even a cheap one would last you the rest of your life and never have to sharpen it.


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## bauerbach (Mar 25, 2012)

I might try the frued, seems like the bits are fairly flexible, so Im thinking I can use the stile cutter (minus the mortise tab) to cut the munion profile, and the coping cutter to profile the munion ends to the inverse profile of the rail/stile.

for stacking the munions, I would think I just route a 1/4" groove and then take a 45 degree bit and cut the miter. I think I have everything I need except the rail/stile bits... or I might get into it and need another odd or end.

thanks for the leads, we'll see where it goes.


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## woodnthings (Jan 24, 2009)

*my glass kitchen cabinet doors*

A simple mitered corner frame with splines in the corners and a rabbet on the back to support the glass. The glass is held in place with "Z" clips and small screws. You can also use a wood molding:
http://www.woodworkingtalk.com/members/woodnthings-7194/albums/kitchen-cabinets/


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