DIY Raised Panel Door — Exploded View with Full Joinery Details

DIY Raised Panel Door — Exploded View with Full Joinery Details

A traditional raised panel cabinet door built with:

  • Solid wood stiles and rails
  • Floating raised center panel
  • Groove joinery
  • Biscuit reinforcement
  • Professional cabinet proportions

Perfect for:

  • Kitchen cabinets
  • Wardrobes
  • Bathroom vanities
  • Furniture projects

Finished Example Door Size

Overall Door Dimensions

  • Width: 500mm
  • Height: 720mm
  • Thickness: 22mm

(Standard cabinet-style proportions)

Door Construction Overview

Main Door Components

Part Qty Dimensions
Stiles 2 720 × 70 × 22mm
Top Rail 1 360 × 70 × 22mm
Middle Rail 1 360 × 90 × 22mm
Bottom Rail 1 360 × 110 × 22mm
Raised Panel 1 360 × 460 × 18mm

Understanding the Parts

Stiles

Vertical outer members.

Size

  • 70mm wide
  • Full door height

These provide:

  • Structural strength
  • Hinge mounting area

Rails

Horizontal members connecting stiles.

Top Rail

  • Lighter visual weight

Middle Rail

  • Decorative center support

Bottom Rail

  • Wider for visual balance and strength

Exploded Joinery Layout

Groove Specifications

Groove Size

  • Width: 6mm
  • Depth: 10–12mm

Cut into:

  • All stiles
  • All rails

Accepts floating panel tongue.

Raised Panel Design

Panel Thickness

  • 18mm center

Raised Edge Thickness

  • Reduced to 6mm tongue

Allows panel to float inside grooves.

Floating Panel Rule

Never glue the panel into grooves.

Reason:

  • Wood movement expansion/contraction

Panel must float freely.

Rail-to-Stile Joinery

Recommended Method

Option 1 — Stub Tenons

Professional method.

Tenon Size

  • 6mm thick
  • 20–25mm long

Option 2 — Biscuit Joinery

Simpler beginner-friendly option.

Biscuit Size

  • #20 biscuits

Use:

  • 2 biscuits per rail connection

Biscuit Locations

Rail Connections

Place biscuits:

  • Centered vertically
  • ~25mm from rail ends

Raised Panel Profile

Typical Raise Angle

  • 15°–22°

Cut using:

  • Raised panel router bit
  • Table saw bevel setup

Door Edge Profile

Common Edge Profiles

  • Roundover
  • Ogee
  • Chamfer
  • Shaker square edge

Door Back Relief

Optional:

  • Back-cut relief groove

Reduces:

  • Warping
  • Weight

Recommended Wood Species

Best choices:

  • Maple
  • Oak
  • Cherry
  • Ash
  • Walnut

Avoid unstable softwoods for cabinet doors.

Rail Width Guidelines

Rail Type Typical Width
Top rail 70mm
Middle rail 90mm
Bottom rail 110mm

Assembly Sequence

  1. Mill lumber square
  2. Cut stiles and rails
  3. Cut grooves
  4. Machine tenons or biscuit slots
  5. Shape raised panel
  6. Dry fit entire door
  7. Sand panel before assembly
  8. Glue rails/stiles only
  9. Clamp square
  10. Final sanding

Clamping Tips

Use:

  • Parallel clamps
  • Corner checks

Measure diagonals:

  • Must match exactly

Sanding Guide

Recommended Grits

  • 120 grit
  • 180 grit
  • 220 grit final

Pre-finish panel edges before assembly.

Finishing Options

Traditional

  • Stain + polyurethane

Modern

  • Matte lacquer

Painted

  • Primer + cabinet enamel

Common Beginner Mistakes

❌ Gluing floating panel
❌ Uneven groove depth
❌ Rails cut too short
❌ Not checking door square
❌ Over-tightening clamps

Professional Upgrade Options

Cope & Stick Router Bit Set

Creates:

  • Decorative rail/stile profiles
  • Perfect matching joints

Mortise & Tenon Joinery

Stronger than biscuits for heavy doors.

Rubber Space Balls

Tiny rubber spacers inside grooves:

  • Keep panel centered
  • Prevent rattling

Why Raised Panel Doors Look Premium

Raised panel construction creates:

  • Depth
  • Shadow lines
  • Strong proportions
  • Traditional craftsmanship appearance

A timeless cabinet door style used in high-end kitchens and furniture for generations. Access over 16,000 Woodworking plans 

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