# Can I pass the outer frame of a cabinet door through a planer?



## bauerbach (Mar 25, 2012)

dewalt 735 to be exact. The door will be glass, so there is no panel in it

Try as I might, the rail and stiles never seem to mate up *perfect*. They are very close, maybe 1/32 at most, lacking a drum sander, it seems like a quick shave through the planer would cure all.

it would cut cross grain on the rails... but that aside, would it work or would the rollers be spinning in the center void?


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## Masterjer (Nov 6, 2012)

This is really the job of a drum sander. I would think, at best, you would get a lot of tear out in the cross grain cuts and would ruin your door. 

I find a random orbital sander flushes up the rails and stiles nicely.


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## del schisler (Nov 5, 2009)

bauerbach said:


> dewalt 735 to be exact. The door will be glass, so there is no panel in it
> 
> Try as I might, the rail and stiles never seem to mate up *perfect*. They are very close, maybe 1/32 at most, lacking a drum sander, it seems like a quick shave through the planer would cure all.
> 
> it would cut cross grain on the rails... but that aside, would it work or would the rollers be spinning in the center void?


what size ? if small enough i would run it at a angle and not Straight thro, and don't take much off . if the stiles that are off than you should come out ok , just down flush than sand the rest so any marks don't show


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## Steve Neul (Sep 2, 2011)

If you run a cabinet door through a planer it will tear out the corner of the wood on the rails because they would be going cross grain. You could fix that problem with a hand held belt sander or very coarse paper on an orbital sander.


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## woodnthings (Jan 24, 2009)

*lacking a drum sander and ....*



bauerbach said:


> dewalt 735 to be exact. The door will be glass, so there is no panel in it
> 
> Try as I might, the rail and stiles never seem to mate up *perfect*. * They are very close, maybe 1/32 at most, lacking a drum sander,* it seems like a quick shave through the planer would cure all.
> 
> it would cut cross grain on the rails... but that aside, would it work or would the rollers be spinning in the center void?


A block plane would level it out quickly as would a sanding block about 3" X 9".

However, not wanting to hand sand, here's what I would do. I would fill the center void with a piece that fits flush with the frame as much as possible. This way you can sand with a ROS or as to your question you could run it through the planer. Personally, I would not take that chance.

A belt sander would rest partially on the center panel without digging in on the frame. It would not take much, but belt sanders are aggressive if using a grit under 80 or 100.


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## Hammer1 (Aug 1, 2010)

Seems a bit overkill to avoid a few minutes of hand sanding.


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## firehawkmph (Apr 26, 2008)

I agree with the others. I would not run it through a planer. I have always found a random orbital sander with 150 grit disc will flatten that out in seconds, without tearing up the wood. 
Mike Hawkins


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## Oneal-Woodworking (Apr 14, 2013)

bauerbach said:


> dewalt 735 to be exact. The door will be glass, so there is no panel in it
> 
> Try as I might, the rail and stiles never seem to mate up *perfect*. They are very close, maybe 1/32 at most, lacking a drum sander, it seems like a quick shave through the planer would cure all.
> 
> it would cut cross grain on the rails... but that aside, would it work or would the rollers be spinning in the center void?


A handheld belt sander would be most helpful to you here and save you a ton of time. :yes:

Build yourself a 'sample door' to shoot through the planer and see what happens... :smile:


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## Oneal-Woodworking (Apr 14, 2013)

firehawkmph said:


> I agree with the others. I would not run it through a planer. I have always found a random orbital sander with 150 grit disc will flatten that out in seconds, without tearing up the wood.
> Mike Hawkins


A door has to be damn near perfect for things to happen like that and especially so for it to happen in 'seconds'. 

A belt sander is a tool used to very quickly get things 'flat enough' so that you CAN move quickly with a ROS and finish things up.


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## firehawkmph (Apr 26, 2008)

OnealWoodworking said:


> A door has to be damn near perfect for things to happen like that and especially so for it to happen in 'seconds'.
> 
> A belt sander is a tool used to very quickly get things 'flat enough' so that you CAN move quickly with a ROS and finish things up.


My doors are damned near perfect. If there's any mismatch, it is no more than 1/32". And it does sand quickly. I wouldn't use a belt sander because the only one I have is a Porter Cable 4" x 24" belt size. It's a heavy beast and would do more damage. Plus I can sand across the grain with a RO without leaving telltale marks.
Mike Hawkins


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## Tim G (May 10, 2012)

You will ruin the door if you run it through a planer. I'm with the guys that say belt sander. Use a new 120 grit belt. Sand the rails first across the stiles. Then sand with the stiles sanding out the scratches from sanding the rails. Follow up with random orbit and 120 grit paper. Work you way to finer grits as desired. This is pretty much the standard way for someone without a drum or wide belt sander.


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## Chamfer (Sep 6, 2014)

Don't run it through the planer. I agree with the guys saying use a ROS. Belt sander IMHO would be far too aggressive for that little amount. From my experience a ROS with 150 should fix 1/32 or less as quick as you would want without causing damage.


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## wericha (Apr 29, 2012)

Chamfer said:


> Don't run it through the planer. I agree with the guys saying use a ROS. Belt sander IMHO would be far too aggressive for that little amount. From my experience a ROS with 150 should fix 1/32 or less as quick as you would want without causing damage.


Ahhh....the voice of reason.


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## Quickstep (Apr 10, 2012)

When I've had to clean up where my stiles and rails meet, I've used a low angle block plane set up to remove just a sliver. I follow that with a random orbit sander.


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## MattS (Feb 17, 2010)

On faceframes and doors I clean up those mismatches with a ROS as well, only takes a minute to touch up all corners per door/cabinet. They never match up 100% perfectly at glue-up, it's normal and the ROS is incredibly easy for cleanup work.


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## bauerbach (Mar 25, 2012)

well I appreciate all the feedback. The door is 15" wide, so if it fit through the planer, it would be by the skin of its teeth, no angleing it through.

I will give it a go with the ROS as I do not own a belt sander as of yet.


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## Maylar (Sep 3, 2013)

For me, it'd be a block plane.


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## shoot summ (Feb 21, 2014)

bauerbach said:


> well I appreciate all the feedback. The door is 15" wide, so if it fit through the planer, it would be by the skin of its teeth, no angleing it through.
> 
> I will give it a go with the ROS as I do not own a belt sander as of yet.


735 is a 13" planer, so a 15" door isn't going to fit, sideways, forward, angled, period.

As other have stated ROS will do the trick, belt sander would too.


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## woodnthings (Jan 24, 2009)

*it's amazing ....*



Maylar said:


> For me, it'd be a block plane.



It's like a power tool is the first thing everyone thinks of.
A block plane used to "live" in the apron of most carpenters, and cabinet makers. Now it's a cell phone.
A few strokes and it's done, no cords, no sandpaper changes, just done. Of course it has to be sharp and that takes time .....


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## MattS (Feb 17, 2010)

woodnthings said:


> It's like a power tool is the first thing everyone thinks of.
> A block plane used to "live" in the apron of most carpenters, and cabinet makers. Now it's a cell phone.
> A few strokes and it's done, no cords, no sandpaper changes, just done. Of course it has to be sharp and that takes time .....


I'm one of those guys - learned when I was a kid to use power tools and grew up & went off to work for a CNC OEM. Was trained to do all manner of mechanical, electrical, hydraulic repairs (after I was hired to program robots, cnc's and conveyor systems). 

One of these days I'm going to start learning where to begin with non-power tools... I'm on my 4th read through Schwartz's - Workbenches, I am dying to build one :icon_smile:


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## Maylar (Sep 3, 2013)

woodnthings said:


> It's like a power tool is the first thing everyone thinks of.
> A block plane used to "live" in the apron of most carpenters, and cabinet makers. Now it's a cell phone.
> A few strokes and it's done, no cords, no sandpaper changes, just done. Of course it has to be sharp and that takes time .....


It's also easier to keep something flat with a plane, as opposed to a sanding pad. It just seems natural to me.


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## hwebb99 (Nov 27, 2012)

I would use a ROS. It might take longer then a belt sander, but every thing I touch with a belt sander looks like the surface of a golf ball. Actually I'd use my drum sander, but assuming I didn't have one I'd use a ROS.


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## mengtian (Nov 8, 2012)

*Can I pass the outer frame of a cabinet door through a planer?* 
:yes:You can pass a kidney stone...does not make it pleasant


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## NickB (Sep 24, 2013)

Ya know... Theoretically, if the surface of the stiles are a defined measurement higher than the rails and the planer was set at exactly that measurement, minus an assumed deviation, one could take off the bulk of the waste cleanly... Or you'll find out your planer or math is off and totally destroy the piece :shifty:


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