Raised-panel doors typically consist of three different components; stiles, rails and panels. Stiles are the vertical boards in an exterior door. Rails are the horizontal boards. The stiles and rails join together at a 90-degree angle, forming a rectangle. Raised-panels fit into the rectangle. Factory-produced raised-panel doors use mortise and tenon joints to join parts together, but dowels work equally well. The everyday woodworker can actually build doors more efficiently using dowels. All that's needed is solid, square-cut stiles and rails to assemble the framework for a raised panel door. You can order and install the panels using molding.
Copy or draw out a door pattern that includes at least two separate raised-panel openings. For an example, draw a door pattern that's 30-by-80 inches, with two equal panels, one on top, and one on the bottom. It will have two vertical stiles, with three horizontal rails.
Raise the blade on a table saw to 2 1/4 inches in height. Set the fence on the table saw to 5 1/2-inches.
Place a tri-square on the table. Push it up to the blade with the arm of the tri-square vertical against the side of the blade. Check the blade for squareness. This is critical for good joints when you assemble the door. If the blade is not square, adjust the tilt control on the saw as needed until the blade is at a perfect 90 degrees, straight up.
Place one of the oak boards on the table saw with the straightedge against the fence. Turn on the saw. Hold the board tight against the fence with your left hand, while you push it through the saw with your right hand. Keep continuous pressure on the board with your left hand as you watch the fence, keeping the board tight against it. Push it through the saw with your right hand in a continuous motion. Don't stop. Be consistent so that the cut is smooth. Push it past the blade onto a sawhorse table, or have an assistant pull it off and away from the saw for you. Cut all three boards the same way.
Place two of the boards on a radial arm saw. Check the blade for squareness using the tri-square. Adjust if needed until the blade is perfectly square to the table at 90 degrees.
Trim 1/2-inch off one end of both boards with the arm saw. Measure from that end and make a mark at 80 inches. Cut both boards at the measurement. These are the stiles, they are ready for doweling and assembly.
Place the third board on the arm saw. Trim 1/2-inch off of one end. Measure from that end and make a mark at 19 inches. Cut the board at the mark. Measure and cut two more pieces from the board the same way to produce three identical rails. These are ready for doweling and assembly.
Lay the three boards out flat on a table. Place the three rails between the two stiles. Two of the rails should be flush with the top and bottom. with one rail centered between the top and bottom. The door is ready to be marked for dowels.
Things You Will Need
- Table saw
- 3 straightedge oak boards, 2-by-6-by-84-inches
- Radial arm saw
- The measurements here are for a typical 30-by-80-inch interior door. Your door size and pattern may differ. You can use a miter saw -- if it is big enough -- to cut the boards if you want.
- Don't trust the angle indicator on any saw. Always check the blade for squareness with a square. Failure to do so can result in bad joints because the boards may have an almost imperceptible angle on them. Always wear safety glasses when operating a saw.
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