Raised panel (used as cabinet door) problem
- Thread starter WarDamnEagle
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It's an attractive solution, but not without problems. The main reason behind putting solid wood panels into a groove, in stile/rail frame construction is to allow them to move without warping (which they will want to do, especially as their size increases). By freeing the panel from its frame, you would need to deal with the warping, perhaps by screwing some battens to the back of the panel.
It can be done. I once did raised paneling for the well of a spiral staircase, turning one "dead" corner of the well into a hidden gun cabinet by hinging the raised panel like this, away from its frame and into the dead corner.
WarDamnEagle
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- #43
Thanks again Henry. A pair of Soss 101 hinges worked perfectly. I couldn't completely hide them as the panels aren't supposed to be flush at the bottom. The Soss, for those that are familiar, have to be mortised in; the center part (for the 101) about 1/2" and the sides about 1/4". I mortised them in flush on the bottom of the panel and only mortised the center part 1/4" on the cabinet frame and allowed the sides to sit on the frame. That kept the panel 1/4" high on the bottom. You really don't notice them unless you know they are there and are standing back.
I think the access will work fine. The panel will actually rest on the foot rail without much strain on anything. Two magnetic catches at the top hold the panel in pretty tight. Again, just planning on storing board games, etc. in the space and don't anticipate needing access very often.
Looks good.Take the hinges out and paint them black.They will be harder to see in the reveal.
It might also be worth your while to put a limiter of some kind on the door, because you will damage the face of the door eventually.
WarDamnEagle
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- #45
Take the hinges out and paint them black.They will be harder to see in the reveal.
It might also be worth your while to put a limiter of some kind on the door, because you will damage the face of the door eventually.
Thanks; good suggestions. I just bought the first color I ran across and these happen to be polished brass. In hindsight, I could have bought black Soss hinges. I'll paint them if it really bugs me. I'll have to give the limiter some thought as well.
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It might also be worth your while to put a limiter of some kind on the door, because you will damage the face of the door eventually.
I second the limiter, even as simple as a short length of brass plumber's chain. Someone, sometime, is going to drop the door against the rail. It is a bar, after all.
sounds dumb but why dont you cut the door just above the bar and reattach the lower part to the frame.
It will look normal when closed but just short when open, like the old bar doors
It will look normal when closed but just short when open, like the old bar doors
WarDamnEagle
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- #48
That was my first thought regarding solutions but there is no way to cut the door and not have the seam visible. While that may not bother everyone, it would have bothered me.
We have been using the door now for a few weeks and so far access hasn't been an issue with the bottom hinges. It's only being used to store board games, dominos, poker chips, etc. so we don't access it very often anyway.