How To Make Shaker Cabinet Doors

Are you thinking of redecorating your kitchen? Maybe you have a beautiful wooden island, but it’s time to change the old design. Or, maybe you enjoy working with wood.

Shaker cabinet doors are both simple and stylish. They are also very popular right now. This makes them a great DIY project that won’t be overly complicated.

How To Make Shaker Cabinet Doors

Making and installing DIY cabinet doors at home is a great idea. It is not that hard and if you have a table saw with a dado set, it will be a quick project.

Here are a few things to keep in mind before you get started:

• Start with 1×3 or 1×4 hardwood planks and reclaimed lumber, which are readily available at home improvement stores.
• Use only store-bought wood, as it is in a suitable shape for making shaker cabinet doors.
• Choose a panel made entirely of ¼-inch plywood and is relatively straight and flat.

With that in mind, lets get started on the steps for making your shaker cabinets.

You might also enjoy my guide on how to build a tall cabinet with doors.

Step 1: Cut The Shaker Cabinet Door Rails and Stiles

To properly measure and assemble the cabinet door, you need to understand the difference between the stiles and rails.

The door rails run horizontally such that when assembled, they fit in between the vertical stiles. The standard width of the stiles and rails is 2¼”, but you can go as far as 2½” depending on your specific cabinet size.

To estimate the material you need for the cabinet door, measure the height and width of the opening and multiply by two to give you extra room for errors and adjustments. Using the table saw, you should now trim the stiles and rails to the desired length.

Since the stiles are cut exactly to the door height, I recommend you cut them first. The rails, however, require a bit more math to get right. Use this formula to get the rails’ length:

Total door width – Two styles 2(2 ¼”) = Ans + ¾” (for both tenons)

• The width of the structure must be equivalent to the width of the door when cutting the Shaker cabinet door frame.
• Then, you must subtract 5 inches from your measurement. Your frame’s width is now complete to move on to the total height.

The overall height of the door should be equal to the full size of the structure. You must also cut 1×3 of the length of the door.

If you want to make more than one shaker cabinet door, you must repeat step 1 multiple times. So before moving on, make sure you have completed the first step for all the doors you want to build.

The door frame is taller because you will have to trim the ends after applying glue. Typically, the entire structure should be ⅛-inches long.

Step 2: Groove the Rails and Stiles

If you have a table saw, you can use it to cut the doors in the frames.

If you don’t have a table saw, don’t worry about it! A router or a dado blade are two alternatives to a table saw. Both are time-saving options, although they require more expertise. As a result, the simple solution is to use a table saw, which is easily available and less expensive.

Moreover, a table saw is great for making straight cuts and cutting large pieces of material. If your doors are going to be small and light, a table saw could work just fine for this task.

After cutting out the materials, all four pieces need to be grooved. Adjust the fence to center the blade on the board and raise the blade to ⅜ of an inch. Firmly hold the planks to ensure accuracy and avoid accidents.

Afterward, grab a scrap piece of wood and run a groove through it as well. You will use it as a test piece to get the precise location of the fence such that the groove is centered and exactly matches the size of the plywood panel.

Aim for a perfect fit, not too tight or loose.

Step 3: Mill the Tenons on Each Side of the Rails

Let’s get started by cutting dados with a table saw.

• Take a piece of ¼-inch plywood and compare it with the blade. This way, you can make the required size modifications.
• It’s important to remember that the blade should not be placed on top of the plywood. Since you want the edge to be around 14 inches long, the ripping barrier should be placed 14′′ and 5/16′′ from the edge.
• Make use of your table saw’s cutting capabilities, considering all of the boards’ ends. To accomplish this, you must keep your saw attached to the board and run it along the board’s perimeter.
• Remember to turn it around and run it through the corners as well. This is a critical step in ensuring that your finished product has the appropriate shape.
• By the point you’re done, each side of the board should have been run across the ripped border.
• Carve a large slot for the 14-inch board to slip into. The width of the edge is around 18 inches. Therefore, you should attempt to cut 18 inches from the center of each border.
• When working with the longer board or the vertical door piece, you should proceed with the utmost caution when cutting it. The longer board effectively eliminates the need to run the table saw the entire length. Instead, each side of the groove needs to be cut separately.

Pro Tip: You must make markings if you are not a professional. These marks should be visible on the 2×4 rip fence so you can tell when to start and stop cutting.

Step 4: Cut the Cabinet Panels

Cutting the panels requires some mathematical expertise. The simplest and most convenient formula for cutting the inside of the plywood panels is to multiply the length of the bottom and top by 1 x 3 and add half an inch to the result.

Width = (Upper Portion and Lower Portion Lengths Combined 1×3) +1/2′′ 

Similarly, you can determine the required length of the panel by altering this formula. I’ve simplified the mathematical calculation to make it easy for you to determine the length estimate. You can now use the steps outlined below to determine the exact length of the panel.

Length = (Vertical Measurement of the Side 1×3) – (5″ OR 2 x 1×3 Width if they are Not Precisely Two ½″ wide) + ½″

Adjustability and compatibility are two critical factors to consider when measuring door panels. Here’s how to go about it:

• Ensure that the plywood grain slides up and down within the forum to make this work. It will look fantastic and also aid in the overall adjustment.
• Using glue, check for fitness and make sure everything is adjusted correctly.

Width = (Upper Portion and Lower Portion Lengths Combined 1×3) +1/2′′ 

Similarly, you can determine the required length of the panel by altering this formula. I’ve simplified the mathematical calculation to make it easy for you to determine the length estimate. You can now use the steps outlined below to determine the exact length of the panel.

Length = (Vertical Measurement of the Side 1×3) – (5″ OR 2 x 1×3 Width if they are Not Precisely Two ½″ wide) + ½″

Adjustability and compatibility are two critical factors to consider when measuring door panels. Here’s how to go about it:

• Ensure that the plywood grain slides up and down within the forum to make this work. It will look fantastic and also aid in the overall adjustment.
• Using glue, check for fitness and make sure everything is adjusted correctly.

Step 5: Attach the Shaker Cabinet Door With Glue Or Screws

Now, it’s time to start putting the Shaker cabinet doors together. You can modify and fit everything into place tightly using one of two solutions.

1. You can use screws.
2. You can apply a strong glue made explicitly for cabinet doors.

Glue is simpler but less precise. Drilling is more accurate if you use the right tool, and should last a bit longer.

If you find it a challenge to get started with the screws, I recommend moving on with the glue. Here is how you can do it:

• Start the gluing process where you can easily see the grooves on the sides. It would also help place the boards in the notches on the edges.
• Apply high-quality glue on the inside of the top and bottom after carefully applying glue to the grooves. At this point, you will be able to see how you can put the extra 1×3 at the top and bottom to good use.
• Put the top and bottom 1x3s in position and secure them.
• Raise the fasteners but not so far that the door slams shut.
• Scrape away any remaining paste with a scraper.
• Finally, allow the glue adhesive to dry for a few minutes.

If you want to use screws, here is the process:

• First, drill the holes at the specified spots using a drill press. A high quality drill press will allow you to make these quickly and repeatable.
• Then, instead of using adhesive, adjust the screws and ensure your door fits well.

You might want to pick up a top end cabinet hardware jig to make the drilling simple and quick.

Fun Fact: Wood accounts for about half of all residential demand in the United States and is projected to reach $4.8 billion by 2022. So, if you get decent enough at making shaker cabinet doors, you could even sell this woodworking project!

Conclusion

Now that you know how to manufacture shaker cabinet doors, you can start immediately. All you need are a few supplies and a little know-how. DIY can be a fantastic adventure, especially when things smooth out and you gain more admiration and knowledge from your experiences. Finish your cabinet doors with paint or stain to match your other cabinets.