# Newbie!!! Please help with router abilities...



## alobrien1 (Jul 11, 2013)

I am going to try not to sound dumb so please bare with me. I am trying to add wood trim to my cabinets in order to get more of a painted shaker style look. I have the same cabinets throughout my house so making them work is my only option at this point. The oak trim at the top and bottom of the doors will stay and I don't want to sand it down, however it is 3/32" over flush with the melamine. What I would like to do is use 1 1/2" x 1/4" lattice molding to frame out each of the drawers and door fronts. My problem is I would need to create a rabbet to cover the existing oak molding and am having trouble figuring out how to set up a hand router as well as finding the appropriate bit size. 

Based on the second image I believe the dimensions I am trying to achieve are a width of 3/4" and a depth of 3/32". If this is sounds right what size rabbeting bit do I need to achieve this? I have purchased a 1/4" trim router that I planned to use. Will this work? Thank you for any and all help! :smile:
http://www.woodworkersjournal.com/Main/Articles/Rabbet-Joints-with-a-Router-9257.aspx


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## woodnthings (Jan 24, 2009)

*questions*

I'm not certain what you are trying to do here. The faces of the Oak are not flush with the Melamine...right? You want to make a rabbet on the outside of the Oak around the perimeter to accept some additional molding? Or make a rabbet on the intersection of the Oak and the Melamine? Are you rabbeting the Oak or the Melamine? :blink:

The drawing shows a rabbet. We know what a rabbet is... just not where you want it. Draw a rough sketch of the section of the doors showing the Oak and the Melamine and where the rabbet is and what the additional trim, if any will look like.

WE can do this. :yes:


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## alobrien1 (Jul 11, 2013)

I want to add lattice trim molding to the cabinet doors to look more like shaker style cabinets. The first picture is roughly what I am going for. 4 pieces of molding will be added to each drawer and drawer front to get the look of the first picture. The second picture shows a close up of what I am working with now. Melamine and Oak trimmed cabinet doors. I want to rabbet the trim piece to lay over the existing oak trim which is 3/4" wide and sits 3/32" higher than the melamine. The third picture shows the profile I am dealing with. I am sure I am making this more complicated than it needs to be so thank you for your patience.


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## woodnthings (Jan 24, 2009)

*OK, I think I get it now*

You want to rabbet the additional trim piece to allow it to sit flush on the existing Oak trim and also flush with the Melamine door panel...right? 

I have 2 concerns ...
First, is the existing trim the same dimension off the Melamine on every panel? This would be great, so that there are no gaps when your new piece is applied. 
Secondly, any finish on the existing trim will prevent glue from adhereing to the Oak, and Melamine is notoriously difficult to adhere to with glue. A contact adhesive or Liquid Nails works best for me in these cases. 

There are 2 ways you can "frame" the existing panels, one piece applied at a time, OR make a entire frame assembly and apply it as a unit over the existing door panel. You may have to have different hinges if your added thickness interferes with other doors or the adjacent walls. 

It's an ambitious project, but you may find a different solution...new doors? :blink:

If you have a table saw, I would consider running each panel edge vertically against the fence and trim off the existing Oak and up into the Melamine enough to make a new surface to adhere the new frame. ... also a bit ambitious. :yes:


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## BernieL (Oct 28, 2011)

Woodnthings has nailed it for you. I agree that it's an ambitious project and liquid nails or other construction adhesive is your only option. These adhesives tend to expand as they dry so you need to apply enough of it to work and deal with the expansion. You may even have to babysit the glue ups all night as it expands. Let it harden a bit but don't let it dry. you will need a sharp chisel sort of tool to keep cutting it.

Woodnthings also suggested you build the frames 1st and then fit them on the doors. This also makes sense to me as it will add strength. 

But first problems 1st... as suggested by our friend here... the additional wood may interfere with the operation of the cabinets, especially in the corner to the left of the microwave. Cut yourself a couple of pieces with the method you planed and lay them over the opposing doors. I think you might discover a problem.


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