Cutting Cabinet Doors Shorter

Trimming a wood door with a circular saw without splintering the wood or damaging the finish is a challenge.

Cutting cabinet doors shorter.

Cabinets are no more than plywood boxes and most can be changed readily. After cutting the cabinet down on my table saw and putting back together the section i d disassembled i salvaged the doors as follows. The microwave cabinet door was easier since i was reusing the door that originally went on that once taller cabinet. How to cut the bottom of a hollow interior door without damaging it.

So it just took cutting a few inches out of the middle to make this door work. This one only took me an hour ish to do. Sometimes this frame is made out of a product called mdf which stands for medium density fiberboard. The best way to cut off a door bottom.

Changes in cabinet dimensions can be done with a table saw. If you ve just installed carpeting your doors will probably rub and bind which means that you have to trim off the bottoms. The process of shortening cabinets typically involves cutting out a section and cutting down doors to fit the shortened cabinet. 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. 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. The boards that make up the frame are about 1 1 8 thick. The doors are often used for.

Then we just had all the little finishing projects to do like caulking and extending the backsplash. Hollow interior doors consist of a solid wooden frame covered with a wood or composite veneer. However since the door is painted a tight seam and some wood filler would make the seam disappear. All in all though i couldn t be happier with the finished product.

Here s the method of door cutting that works best for us. Cut a strip of material out of the middle of the door then glue it back together. Cabinet installers shorten cabinets all the time to accommodate changing situations. This method wouldn t be as easy if the door wasn t painted as it would be difficult to hide the seam.