I’m going to be building a cabinet soon with a bead detail around the doors similar to the one shown in the photo. (from Jeff Clark’s kitchen photos http://forums.taunton.com/tp-breaktime/messages?msg=100340.1).
The picture shows the bead attached to the face frame. I like the look of the bead on the door instead. Is one way better than the other?
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Replies
Helps to actually attach the photo, duh.
Will the bead detail on the doors/drawers go on the outside edge of the panel frames, or the inside?
I'd be afraid the outside edge would be rather fragile a detail, and ripe for damage.
J. D. Reynolds
Home Improvements
It will be going around the outside of the doors/drawers. Same place as in the pic, it can either be attached to the inside of the face frame or the outside of the door.
Fragility is a consideration but probably not a huge one in this case. Living room cabinet for a single, older woman, no kids ever. Any other concerns?
... it can either be attached to...
Any other concerns?
Attached? As in, an added piece? I would definetly add them to the cabinet frames in that case.
A routed detail to the doors might be stronger.....but my personal preference would be face frames either way.
J. D. ReynoldsHome Improvements
Personally, I prefer to attach to the frame. If you need to adjust the doors for fit it is not only more work to do with the bead attached to the door, but you could also end up with an uneven bead.
If you need to adjust the doors for fit
Adjust the doors, why would you have to do that? Just make them right in the first place. ;)
(that's a good enough reason to put them on the frame, thanks)
Main reason is ease of making. The bead installs like a picture frame inside an opening. The drawer front is just a slab you can tune to fit with a shave off the top and side.
Try this the other way round and you will have problems getting it to fit nice. Try shaving the inside of the opening.
My biggest concern about attaching to the drawer front would be the miters opening as the front expands. As well, you'd be attaching short pieces to endgrain (with glue? ) and asking for the piece to develop splits. I know this was done with old furniture but old growth wood was a lot more stable. I think if I wanted that look I would consider either veneering or using a good quality ply , or at least using quartersawn wood. I would be concerned even with quartersawn. There are very laborious ways to mill the bead into the endgrain of solid wood, carefully take some off of each long side leaving a 45 and add the beadgrain to the long edge, only you can answer as to the amount of time you are ready to spend on each piece. Still, for a kitchens worth of doors and drawers I think it would be so much easier to do the bead on the face frames. jmho..... But it does look great when done to the fronts.
there is little difference. I get high end cabinets that are built both ways so its up to you. I think the best reason for beading the opening is you do not have to be so precise. the bead hides marginal gaps around the doors and drawer fronts.
I like beading the frames and making the plain doors slightly oversize, installing everything, assuming it will all rack a little, and THEN planing the doors for a consistant reveal.
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Forrest
Edited 2/1/2008 8:51 pm ET by McDesign
J
I've done the cockbeading several ways and I don't think there is a right or wrong. I prefer to put it on the faceframe, easier to do, more pleasing to my eye but in many of the antiques that I have the cockbeading is on the drawers if its a chest and on the frame if its doors.
Here are three samples
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Doug
Edited 2/2/2008 11:16 pm ET by DougU