Making Arched Top Raised Panel Doors

It s important to use a guard with all router bits but especially so with raised panel bits photo 8.
Making arched top raised panel doors. Whether you are looking for the old world charm of a rustic door or the timeless elegance of a decorative glass door an arched door can be an important design element to a home or elevation. Bandsaw or jigsaw to within 1 16 of the lines on the top rail and panel using double faced tape secure the templates to each piece aligned with the outlines you drew earlier. Cathedral and arched top doors are the top of the line when it comes to raised panel doors. Then saw the arch and smooth the surface as you did on the top rail.
Below we ll go through the steps involved in making an arched top raised panel door. Cabinets usually need a door or two and deciding on the style of the door can be make or break the appearance of the piece. As with any woodworking project however your first concern must always be safety. Bill ewing developed a quick way to cut arched doors using an adjustable jig that allows him to cut raised panel doors of almost any size.
He says it s best to set design parameters first such as 1 in. But many intermediate woodworkers consider them out of their league. The front door company carries a wide selection of arched and round top wood doors. How to make arched cabinet doors easily.
The truth is making doors with curved top rails and panels is no more difficult than making any other type of door provided you have the right equipment. First you cut the parts for the rails stiles and panels to size. There are five major steps to creating a raised panel door. After ripping the panel to width square the lower end and draw the arch at the top.
Woodworkers with intermediate skills and some experience using a router table will have no trouble mastering the techniques in a short time. Arches and then make two easy to build accurate templates one for the rail and one for the panel. We make solid wood panels 3 16 narrower than the rail length to allow room for expansion aligning the template 3 16 below the top edge of the panel keeps the raised field centered in the door.