I'm building a piece of casework with a maple veneer plywood carcass. I am planning on applying framed panels on each end of the case. The framed panel will be approximately 27 inches tall by 20" wide with 2" wide stiles on each side and a 2" stile in the middle of the framed panel. This would leave room for flat panels approximately 7" in width not counting the amount of panel inserted into the stile grooves. I was wanting to re-saw my stock to get a mirror image grain match for each of the two solid wood panels on each end of the case. The problem I've run into is that the rough stock is only a little over 7/8" thick and by the time it is cleaned up and re-sawed, I'll barely get 3/8" thick panels once they are finished and will most likely end up with them being 5/16". I've read that many suggest a 1/2" minimum thickness for solid wood panels. The apparent problem with thinner panels is splitting. Bear in mind that these are not working doors but only decorative, framed panels. On Woodweb, one contributor suggested that splitting may not be a problem with small width panels. I would never consider using solid wood this thin for a larger panel, but I am considering doing what I've covered for these. I don't have an option for plywood due to the fact that the material is quarter sawn sycamore and I don't have a source for plywood of this species. Also, with plywood I wouldn't get the mirror grain match that I'm looking for. I did have the thought of laminating another layer of sycamore to the back sides of the flat panels with the grain orientation the same as the panel, but I'm not sure if that's a viable solution. I plan on sealing the end grain of all of the panels with seal coat and applying the finish before assembling the panels. of course, I would allow room for expansion as with any solid wood panel door. If any of you have any experience with this or any ideas, please chime in. Your thoughts and/or personal experiences would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks a lot,

Terry