Dumb newbie question - cabinet doors

[ACobra289]

I am going to be making a few simple cabinet doors using pocket screws. I want to put glass inserts in them. What is the best way to make the rabbet to accept the pane of glass? I have a router, but don't seem to have a bit that would accomplish this. Should I just go buy a bit for this purpose? :help:

Thanks.

 

[McRabbet]

Since you are going to use pocket screws, why not just make a 1/4" deep saw kerf centered on the rails and stiles and put the glass in place before you finish the assembly. You can run the kerf through the rails all the way and it won't show, but you'd need to make a stopped kerf in the stiles to keep the through cut from showing on the exposed ends. Be careful with this saw operation -- the workpiece must be lowered onto the blade so the blade does not cut through to the end of the stile and then stopped at the other end before the blade exits the wood. The saw should be turned off and the blade brought to a stop before the work piece is lifted off the blade. Be sure that your pocket screw holes don't hit the glass once it is in the groove formed by the kerf. Hope this helps.

Here is an example of the corner of doors I just made using stopped saw kerfs to hold the glazing (Lexan in this case). Although these have half-lapped joints where the rails meet the stiles, notice that the saw cut doesn't show on the outside ends of each piece.

 

[tom hintz]

If you have a router table or a good fence you could use just about any straight bit (flat bottomed) to cut a rabbet for the glass. You'd have to square up the corners with a chisel but that's on the back anyway in case you mess that up like I usually do. (Call it a professional overcut....)

A good rabetting bit set isn't all that expensive and would be something that you would use alot in the future.

 

[Travis Porter]

Pocket screws, glass and doors just don't seem to go together to me. I would think there is not enough strength, but I go overkill at times.

I agree with the rabbeting bit. You can get one for around $20 and it is a bit I find I use a lot.

 

[Joe Scharle]

I treat glass differently than plastic. I would assemble the frame, route out a rabbit, square the corners and hold the glass in with either small stops or glazing putty.

 

[ACobra289]

Thanks everyone. The reason I was planning on using pocket screws is because I have used them before with pretty good success. But I hadn't thought about how the screws would affect the use of the glass panels. I will have to see if that will even work. :dontknow:

I have a dado set I bought a while back, so the half-lap method is an option. I have never done them, so I could learn a new technique.

Thanks again for the suggestions. Now that I have several options, I can mull them over to see which one I think will work best for this situation.

Bill

 

[McRabbet]

If you are going to make half lap joints, here is the thread I did on the doors illustrated above. I think you will find it helpful, but don;t hesitate to PM me if you need advice.

 

[JimD]

I made a couple glass doors for my son's entertainment center earlier this month. I cut a 1/4 groove on the rails and stiles and used short tenons to assemble the door. Before glue-up, I used a straight bit in the router table to remove most of the material on the inside for the glass (the rabbet is the same width as the groove cut for the tenons, I think I used 3/8 but I use 1/2 sometimes if the door is large). It means you have to start and stop on the stiles but that is not too hard. After glue-up, I used a forstner bit in the drill press to remove most of what was left in the rabbet on the stiles and then a chisel to remove the rest. You could do the same thing with pocket screws instead of the short tenons but it would be good to learn to make doors with little tenons like this, they are strong and easy, once you do a few.

I have a rabbetting bit but rarely use it. You still have to chisel the corners and you are limited in width to the range of bearings you have for the bit.

Jim