A cabinet door presents two challenges. First, you've got to make a strong door that's flat and will stay that way, and won't bind in the opening. Then, you've got to hang and fit it. It's a complicated dance to get all of that done, but there is a logic or rhythm to the process. In this course, I'll walk you through the steps of making a frame & panel door all the way to final plane strokes that create a well-fit door with even gaps that opens and closely smoothly throughout the year. To make it easier for you to follow along in your shop, I'll provide shop drawings for a simple wall cabinet ahead of time. You can make the case before the class begins, and then make & fit the door as we go. The lessons are presented live, but will be available for on demand viewing afterward. Here's what the four lessons cover. 

Lessons 1 & 2: Making a frame & panel door The goal is to make a door that looks great, stays flat, and opens smoothly. We'll start with a discussion of how to choose lumber for the frame and panel, and then head off into construction. Along the way, I'll discuss layout for the joinery, how to cut the joints, and how to glue up the door. I'll cover two techniques for the mortises (router, drill press/chisel), and two for the tenons (tablesaw, bandsaw). If there is time at the end of the second lesson, we can take a look at cutting the joints by hand.

Lesson 3: How to mortise for the hinges This is a make or break step. Get it wrong and you're sunk, so I'll demonstrate the smartest way that I know how to do it: with a router, pattern bit, and template. I'll show you how to make the template, set up the router, and drill holes for the hinge screws.

Lesson 4: Fitting the door It can be really hard to fit a door, but it shouldn't be. I'll demonstrate how I do it, and explain all the subtle nuances of the process. The good news is that if you made the door properly, and mortised the hinges correctly, it takes very little work with a hand plane to get the door swinging smoothly.

Tools I'll use

• Block plane
• Smoother or Jack plane
• Tablesaw and dado stack
• Bandsaw
• Drill press
• Chisels (1/4" and a wide one, like 1")
• Router and 1/2" diamter pattern bit with 1/2" cut depth
• Square, rule or tape measure, bevel gauge, sharp pencil
• Clamps

Dates for the live lessons

Wednesday nights, from 7:00 pm to no later than 9:00 pm, New York time.

February 17, 2021

February 24, 2021

March 3, 2021

March 10, 2021