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Easy Steps to Making Arched Raised Panel Doors

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 materials:

Stiles & Bottom Rail 3/4" thick by 2-3/8" wide
Top Arched Rail 3/4" thick by 4-1/8" wide
Panel 5/8" thick or 3/4" thick with 1/8" backcut.

These instructions break down making arched panel doors into the following three basic steps:
1. Designing the project - choosing the materials and router bit profiles.
2. Preparing and milling stile and rail material. Gluing up panels, if required. Milling the panels.
3. 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, and Panel 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.
Determining Stile Length - The stile length is the full finished door height. 
Determining Both Top & Bottom Rail Length - When using 2-3/8" wide stile material, determine rail length as follows: (Full finished door width required) minus 4" = Rail Length.

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. Make test cuts on scrap until satisfied, leaving approximately 1/8" reveal on the face side. With the material face DOWN, make cut number 1 across both ends of each rail.

 

 

 

 

 

2. Preparing Top Arched Rail for Profile Cut: 
a. Choose the correct size template for the rail. With good side of the coped rail material face down, place double faced tape on top of the material, then with light contact only align the center of the already coped top rail with center notch of rail template as shown in detail (4). When aligned, press template and rail firmly together. NOTE: Small brads may also be used, tacking them through the straight edge of the template into the coped area of the rail indicated by the small circles in detail (4).

b. Rough cut the top rail within 1/8" of template as shown in detail (5).

c. Using a flush trim bit, set up router so the bearing is flush with the template and trim rail flush to the template, see detail (6). Remove template, tape, and any brads.

 

3. Determining Panel Size & Gluing Up Panel
The full finished door width is 1/4" less than the rail length, allowing for 1/8" float on each side. 
The full finished door length is: Full length of door minus 4-1/4" which allows for 1/8" float on each end.
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 (7) or see the detailed instructions for glue joints. 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. Cut the panel to finish dimensions.

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4. Panel Milling
Attaching & Using Panel Template:
a. Choose the matching size template for the panel. With good side of the panel face down, place double faced tape on top of the material, then with light contact only align the center of the panel with center notch of panel template as shown in detail (9). When aligned, press template and panel firmly together. NOTE: Small brads may also be used, tacking them through the straight edge of the template about 1/4" into the edge of the panel where indicated by the small circles in detail (9).
b. Rough cut the panel to within 1/8" of template as shown by heavy dotted lines in detail (9), using a band saw, jig saw, or scroll saw..
c. Using a flush trim bit, set up router so the bearing is flush with the template and trim panel arch flush to the template, see detail (5). Remove template, tape, and any brads.

5. Profile Cuts For Stiles & Rails:
a. Use your fence to make the profile cuts for the bottom rail and both stiles. Set up your router and fence for cut number 2 as shown in detail (2). As shown in detail (3), make a test cut on scrap. Check that the test cuts fit properly. With material face DOWN, make the profile cuts on one edge of each stile and on the bottom rail.
b. Freehand Arched Rail Cut - See detail (8). Since this is a freehand cut, remove the fence. Start with bearing on end of template, then move slowly into the arched rail material, make the cut at moderate speed, slowing at the end to prevent chipping or tearing. Remove template, tape, and any brads.

6. Raising the Arched Panel Profile
Note: Vertical panel raising bits cannot be used to raise an arched panel; you must use a horizontal raising bit to form arched panels. 
If 5/8" material is being used for your panel go to step (b). If 3/4" material is being used for your panel continue with (a) below.
(a) You can back cut the panel with the same raiser bit used for the profile by setting the bit 1/8" above the table surface (See detail 10a) and making your back cuts in a single pass starting on the bottom edge and left edge using a full fence, then using a half fence cut the arched edge, reinstall the full fence and finish the right edge. You then turn the panel and proceed as follows as with a 5/8" panel. 
(b) Set up horizontal panel raising bit and full-fence as shown in detail (10b). 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. Make cuts for each pass as shown in the following 4 step sequence: 1) Using a full-fence, start with the cut across the door bottom edge, 2) cut the left edge, 3) using half-fence, cut the arched top edge, 4) using full-fence, finish the last edge. NOTE: 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.

3. 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.