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An old framer told me my face frames were too tight
This guy had been building cabinets since the 70s. Watched me struggle fitting a door into a face frame I cut too precise. He said 'wood moves, you gotta give it room to breathe.' I was so proud of those tight miters. But he was right. After a humid summer three of those doors started binding. Now I leave a 1/16 gap on the reveal side. No one notices the gap. But they sure notice when a door sticks. Has anyone else had to unlearn some perfectionist habit to make cabinets last?
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rowanhernandez9d ago
Honestly, is that really about perfectionism or just bad luck with materials? I see it different. If you cut your face frames to account for seasonal movement from the start you don't have to leave ugly gaps on the reveal side. That 1/16 gap you leave now is just a bandaid. The real trick is using the right wood and prepping it right before you even cut. Kiln dried stock that's been acclimated to the shop for a week won't swell that bad. Ngl, three doors binding sounds like you picked bad lumber or didn't let it sit long enough.
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price.ben9d ago
Three doors binding after a humid summer? Man, that stings.
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Oh man, THREE doors? That's wild. I've had one sticking door after a wet season and it drove me up the wall. Must be something about that humidity swelling up the wood or the frame just not breathing right. I bet you tried everything short of taking the whole thing apart, too.
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