Calling all woodworkers

[Hawkmoon]

I need some advice.

My house was built in 1950. The kitchen cabinets were carpenter-built on the site, so nothing is a modular unit that can be taken out intact as a box. I can't afford to rip everything out and install all new cabinets and countertops, but I would like to freshen up the look a bit. The cabinet doors are plain 3/4" plywood, painted white inside and out.

After considering a variety of options, it occurred to me that I can create a picture frame door appearance by adding a border of 3/8" door stop stock around the perimeter as found here: https://www.brosco.com/uploads/Literature/BroscoBOD/2018BOD.html#page=702&zoom=z

The one I'm looking at is on the right side, under "Stops." Probably the #8090 or the #8098.

My question is how to install the mouldings to the doors. Choices are to nail from the front (with the smallest brads I can find), screw through from the back, or sand the door faces down to bare wood and glue and clamp the mouldings in place. Any suggestions?

[charby]

Sand and glue.

You may want to see what just replacing all the doors would cost. This is fairly common to freshen up a kitchen.

[MillCreek]

I would think that sanding and gluing with clamps would be a real pain in the tuchis.  Without seeing your project, I would probably nail them with brads, countersink the heads and putty and paint the holes as necessary.

[230RN]

Seems simpler to flathead-screw them on from the back side.  Maybe a little glue for insurance, right over the old finish on the doors themselves, but I don't think that would be necessary.

[makattak]

Sand and glue.

You may want to see what just replacing all the doors would cost. This is fairly common to freshen up a kitchen.

If the doors are just plywood, I'm with charby here- why not just replace the entire doors? Unless you have a LOT of cabinets, that can't be all that much more costly than the door stop stock.

BUT, if that's the way you want to go, sand, clamp, glue, and brads.

[K Frame]

Det cord.


Get an air or electric brad nailer and use that. Lowes sells a Bostic electric for $30.

https://www.lowes.com/pd/bostitch-3-8-in-corded-tool-free-electric-staple-gun/3682814?cm_mmc=shp-_-c-_-prd-_-tah-_-google-_-lia-_-126-_-staplerspatandriveters-_-3682814-_-0&kpid&store_code=715&k_clickID=go_625706834_34613750830_111132559270_pla-258465399966_c_1027236&gclid=CjwKCAiAqt7jBRAcEiwAof2uKx47mPvPFOeyY7f9iIPU_TKFTGDvFnKJFsQokygvQ93OVe0_N2Ga7hoCK9sQAvD_BwE

That will shoot 5/8" brads at the smallest.

Given the thickness of the stop and the door material, a 5/8" brad is about perfect.

To attach the stock to the cabinet doors use a construction adhesive like Liquid Nails. You don't need a lot, just a bit to get a nice bond. Dab some on the back of the stop and then use a spreader to spread it out across the piece.

Wipe the doors down with Simple Green or Purple power before hand as you'll probably want to paint the doors after you install the molding, and given that they're in the kitchen they're going to have airborn grease all over them.

Also, glue the corners of the stops.

[lupinus]

I would go first with the replace the doors option. That to me would be the best option, and shouldn't be to bad cost wise.

Otherwise all are viable options, just depends on the tools available and your inclinations. Best IMO would be to clear the paint, adhesive (I like Mike am a liquid nails or similar fan for this type of project), and brad or clamp. If the paints in good shape and you aren't wanting to repaint the entire face, you could just edge sand an inch or so down to bare wood. That'll give you bare wood contact for the adhesive and the transition from bare wood to paint will be hidden under the stop.

If you don't want to go through the hassle of getting down to bare wood, which I can full appreciate, I'd still opt for the liquid nails but I'd drop the brads in favor of screws from the back to give a little more mechanical hold.

Sent from my Pixel XL using Tapatalk

[K Frame]

Using a combination of construction adhesive and brads really negates the necessity to sand down to bare wood, as long as there isn't any oil or dirt on the paint.

[charby]

Don't discount using a chemical stripper and plastic putty knife to remove the paint, really easy if it latex.