# Thick cabinet doors: how do they open and close?



## gatortrial (Dec 25, 2013)

So I'm thinking (loosely used) through my next project: a hanging tool cabinet. I'm taking the design mostly from FWW Pekovich's hanging tool cabinet. 

http://mcglynnonmaking.files.wordpress.com/2013/04/screen-shot-2013-04-25-at-10-14-15-pm.png

His design includes frame and panel door faces and wide sides, in other words small boxes, the insides of which allow for more storage. These doors are attached to the box sides with mortised butt hinges. 

My question is how do these doors open and close? 

Perhaps this is a stupid q, but it seems to me that when these doors are mounted and if the mount facilitates a tight fit, these doors will not open and close as the sides will wedge against each other as the doors are pulled open or pushed closed.

So, what am I missing?


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## GeorgeC (Jul 30, 2008)

I have one cabinet with much thicker doors than you are describing. They are 8" deep.

When I was building this cabinet I intuitively thought the same as you so left 1/4 inch spacing between the two doors. In reality that was not necessary. Take a piece of paper and draw two equal arcs so that they just touch at the center. Those arcs are the path that is taken by the inside edges of the drawers.

The arcs do not touch and neither do the doors. The inside edges swing the maximum distance. You can leave whatever spacing you life between the doors.

George

PS Or to demonstrate this to yourself physically take two 4" boards and pin then at one end so that they can swing. Have then touching in the middle when you start. This represents either the bottom or top of a 4" door swinging on a hinge.


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## Chamfer (Sep 6, 2014)

As long as the framing and doors are built for each other you can make as thick as a door as you want. The adjustments also have to be right (mortise and shims).

What youre talking about is a standard 'double door' set up, the workings are pretty standard.


If none of this makes sense than you probably need to read up on basic door installation.


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## abetrman (Mar 18, 2011)

Just watched the build video (Fine Woodworking Site) for this, and as George states, there was no mention of making any adjustments to make sure the doors would work.

He cut them to size and moved on.


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## Hammer1 (Aug 1, 2010)

The center point of the door opening arc is the center of the hinge pin. In this case, that is on the inside face of the thick door. You are thinking as though the hinge barrel is on the outside face, like most doors.


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## GeorgeC (Jul 30, 2008)

abetrman said:


> Just watched the build video (Fine Woodworking Site) for this, and as George states, there was no mention of making any adjustments to make sure the doors would work.
> 
> He cut them to size and moved on.


Correct. The thickness of the doors does not matter.

George

PS Because the doors were going to be heavy I used piano hinge. However, the style of hinge also does not matter as long as the hinge point is on the inner portion.


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## igster (Oct 31, 2013)

One key thing is the hinge plate...make sure it is facing the right way so that the two halves close completely together towards the back, with the hinge pin in front- this is the door open position. when the door is closed, the hinges are wide open like a book laid out flat. that pic 'splains it pretty good


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## gatortrial (Dec 25, 2013)

Gentlemen, thank you very much for your thoughtful replies! Be a while till i get the stage of fitting the doors, but it definitely puts my mind at rest as a f&*%k up at that point would be pretty unfortunate!


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