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5 Basic Step for Raised Panel Door Construction
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Before beginning, Please, make note of the following:
1. If your project uses different materials, the dimensions shown here must be adjusted to suit.
2. Making accurate panel doors requires making numerous test cuts, so, while you are cutting and milling your door material to size, be sure to make up enough scrap for the test cuts at the same time.
3. Always assemble a small panel door, using the test cut material before milling your finish material. (see Sizing Materials and Determining Dimensions for Stile and Rail Doors on determining the dimensions for a door 15"wide by 20" long.)
4. Save the correct test pieces to re-set the router for your finished work
5. These directions are for use with a matched stile and rail set, if you have a stacked or reversible style and rail bit, please follow the information for reversible or stacked.
6. Door stock must always be flat and true.

The dimensions shown here for this basic panel door construction project are those for a door using the following material:

Stiles & Rails 3/4" thick by 2-3/8" wide
Panel 5/8" thick or 3/4" thick with 1/8" back cut
The five basic steps to making panel doors:
1. Designing the project - choosing the materials and router bit profiles.
2. Preparing & milling stile and rail material.
3. Gluing up panels, if required.
4. Milling the panels.
5. Panel Door Assembly

1. Designing The Project
Pay particular attention to chose material that is free of end checks, shakes, and loose knots.
When choosing material and designing the project, OLDHAM’s Select-A-Bit Templates can save you a lot of time while allowing you to trace the actual bit profile in place.

2. Preparing and Milling Stile & Rail Materials
Be sure that both the stock and the test cut scrap have matching dimensions and are both straight and flat with exactly 90 degree square edges. (Note: Make door slightly oversize to allow for misfit or planing-off clamp marks or dings.)
See Sizing Materials and Determining Dimensions for Stile and Rail Doors for sample door dimensions and figuring other door sizes using 2-3/8" stiles & rails.
If you are experienced and using other than 2-3/8" stile and rail material here are instructions for determining the dimensions:

Determining Stile Length - The stile length is the full finished door height. 
Determining Rail Length - When using special width stile and rail material, determine rail length as follows: (Full finished door width required) minus (width of stile x 2) plus (3/8" length of tenon x 2) = Rail Length.

There will be two cut set ups as shown in details (1) and (2):

1. Cope Cuts - Set up your router for cut number 1 as shown in detail (1). Use a right angle fixture for safety and a backing board to prevent tearout. With material face DOWN, make cut number 1 across both ends of each rail.

2. Profiles Cuts - Switch bits and align your router for cut number 2 as shown in detail (2). As shown in detail (3), make test cuts and check the joint fit. With material face DOWN, make a profile cut on one edge of each stile and rail.

3. Panel Gluing
Most of the time panels will need to be made wide enough by edge gluing. Use OLDHAM’s reversible glue joint bit as shown in detail (4). When setting up, center the cut on the stock and use test material to check. Rout the first test piece face down, then rout the second test piece face up, then assemble the test pieces to check the joint, it should fit well enough to require only very light face sanding. When making up your finish panel, alternate the cuts, face up - face down, until you have enough material to assemble a panel that is about 1/4" longer and wider than required.

4. Panel Milling
Dry assemble the rail and stiles for the door. To determine the actual length and width of your finished panel use the following formula then cut test strips to check fit in the rail/stile assembly before cutting the finished panel. The strips should be overall about 1/8" shorter than the depth of the grooves so the panel doesn't bottom out in the grooves. (Full finished door width or length required) minus (width of stile or rail x 2) plus (1/4" to fit into groove x 2) = Panel width or length. Cut the panel to finish dimensions.

Set up panel raising bit as shown in detail (5). To be safer and produce panels with better surfaces, always use several passes when raising the panel edges, cutting a little deeper with each pass. Before milling your glued up panel, make a test cut and check the fit. The tongues of the test panel pieces should slip easily into the stile and rail grooves and should not bottom out in the grooves.

 
5. Panel Door Assembly
Only the rail & stile parts are glued during panel door assembly, the completed raised panel must float in the stile/rail grooves to prevent splitting due to expansion/contraction, therefore, the panel is set into the grooves without glue.