I'm taking on the challenge of remodeling my kitchen. I've spent scads of hours torturing my brain trying to come up with a unique door and drawer front design, that I could accomplish in a reasonable amount of time. The hard part is coming up with a design you won't tire of. I hope you enjoy this little CNC project.

Step 1: Why Hack Your Cabinet Doors?

I ordered a door sample from cliqstudios.com they seem to be of good quality at a reasonable price. But to me the design is same old boring styles and rails panel door I've seen in every kitchen since I was a child. Raised panel, flat panel, they are all the same. I have not figured out how to make the styles and rails unique yet, but give me a little more time. Once you get a rhythm going this project should go super fast.

Step 2: Design and Cut Your Panels

I spent a number of hours designing the samples with Vectric Aspire using the create vector texture tool and the texture toolbox gadget. I used a 91 degree 1.5 inch v groove cutter to cut all the textures. you can see in the screen shots the approximate settings for a successful cut with that bit. It did take quite a bit of experimenting to get the samples I wanted.

My CNC router is a CRP pro 48 x 96.

Step 3: Cut the Stock Panel Out of the Door

I used a 1/4" bottom cutting bit to cut the panel out of the door. just make a groove around the panel on the backside of the door and the panel will pop right out. The half inch or so lip will remain on the front of the door. If you do get tired of the design you can always change the panel again.

Step 4: Set the Panels in and Admire

Set the panels in the door and decide which on to use. Once you have decided you can fasten the panel to the door with wood stops. Be sure to leave 1/16" clearance around the panel for to allow for expansion. Do not glue the panels in. Sample panels were made with OSB plywood.