Cope And Stick Cabinet Doors

Cabinet doors have existed from the first time doors were added to the shelves that lined the cabin walls.

Cope and stick cabinet doors.

Cope and stick joinery produces great looking frames for cabinet doors but you need specialized router bits or shaper cutters to do the job the traditional way. The cope and the stick are the names assigned to the two pieces of wood that are cut using a router bit so that a smooth joint is created. Over time these wood planks began to look more like today s cabinet doors with design variations starting to appear. Cope stick replacement cabinet doors can be machined with any of dozens of stile cuts.

Beyond that is the falling apart of cabinet doors some national problem i am unaware of. When used in cabinetry this technique can be applied to intricate glass doors that exhibit a pattern. Learn how to build cabinet door frames using a rail and stile router bit set. A cope and stick mortised joint will also survive seasonal humidity cycling much better than a miter joint.

So we found a low cost low tech alternative based on a simple dovetail bit. It is the most common style of replacement cabinet doors because they come in a wide range of popular styles and offer longer term value. This is due to the design s ability to compensate for changes in the cabinet door s size. The cope and stick cabinet door design is durable and lasts longer than simple slab cabinet doors.

Most cabinet doors especially if they are made in a factory have frames tha. This technique is most commonly used in making large frames for wood or glass panels. Those items don t come cheap. Traditional or cope stick cabinet doors have been a favorite in new homes for decades and still are today.

Miter doors do not allow such joinery for the most part. I have never had a door fail or fall apart. Learn how to make production style cabinet door joinery with your router table and the freud cope and stick router bit set. Early designs evolved from burlap curtains and animal skins to crude wood planks.

First let s define some terms. Wood will always react to moisture and the humidity in the air. As humidity rises all cabinet doors will swell slightly.