Dismantling kitchen cupboard doors

[600rob]

Does anyone know if there's a way of dismantling a kitchen unit door into its compnent parts without destroying the parts.

DSC_1378

• 600rob
• 10 Feb 2018

DSC_1377

• 600rob
• 10 Feb 2018

The pics are of cut a section of one of the doors and shows how the middle part slots into the four outer frame parts.

Just wondering if it is possible to break the joints and dismanlte a door built like this?

 

[pete50]

Yes, I have taken those sorts of doors apart and ordinary household doors. But it does tend to depend on what glue was used when the doors were assembled. If stuff like cascamite or similar was used then that joint does tend to be stronger than the wood. But, as I say, with some gentle-ish tapping with a mallet and some judicial pulling they do tend to come apart especially if they are old doors.

 

[big-all]

assuming you want to remake to look the same but smaller
you need a 1/2 router and the correct cutters to stand any chance off reducing a door but you can only start from an unglued surface as you probably have a less than 25% chance off breaking 2 glue joints without visible damage
the last one i did i removed the top as i your picture then cut the side rails at the point they meet the top so you have as close to the moldings on the door top then just cleaned it out slowly with a chisel or indeed it may have been the cutter
it is worth gently tapping the full off cuts in case it will easily give way but be prepaird to find the splinters to fill in the damage

 

[600rob]

Thanks both, will try your suggestions

assuming you want to remake to look the same but smaller

yep thats the plan

 

[big-all]

you will need a raised and feilded panel cutter or live with the panel back to front with a rebate and the molding sticking out the back that wont work unless the door is remote so wont look odd
other options is cut off the offcut at the point you just have full thickness or the step before and butt join onto the other panel section and live with the visible join on the taper either side