Cutting Cabinet Doors Shorter

Here s the method of door cutting that works best for us.

Cutting cabinet doors shorter.

After cutting the cabinet down on my table saw and putting back together the section i d disassembled i salvaged the doors as follows. However since the door is painted a tight seam and some wood filler would make the seam disappear. Cabinets are no more than plywood boxes and most can be changed readily. Once your wood filler is dry sand the cabinet down and prime and paint using this tutorial.

Hollow interior doors consist of a solid wooden frame covered with a wood or composite veneer. Changes in cabinet dimensions can be done with a table saw. Cabinet installers shorten cabinets all the time to accommodate changing situations. This means if you cut more than 1 1 8 off the bottom of the door then you have cut the bottom frame of the door completely off.

Each side of the hollow door is glued to a wooden frame. The microwave cabinet door was easier since i was reusing the door that originally went on that once taller cabinet. We also cut the previous tall door in half to fit on the top cabinet. Trimming a wood door with a circular saw without splintering the wood or damaging the finish is a challenge.

The best way to cut off a door bottom. Remove the cabinet doors with a screw gun and then mark the location of the cuts you need to make on the cabinet frame under the counter top and or between cabinets. Sometimes this frame is made out of a product called mdf which stands for medium density fiberboard. This one only took me an hour ish to do.

The process of shortening cabinets typically involves cutting out a section and cutting down doors to fit the shortened cabinet. This method wouldn t be as easy if the door wasn t painted as it would be difficult to hide the seam. All in all though i couldn t be happier with the finished product. The doors are often used for.

If you ve just installed carpeting your doors will probably rub and bind which means that you have to trim off the bottoms. The boards that make up the frame are about 1 1 8 thick. How to cut the bottom of a hollow interior door without damaging it. Cut a strip of material out of the middle of the door then glue it back together.