Carpentry and Woodworking - Kitchen Cabinet Door Panels
Doityourself.com community forum was created to provide answers to all questions related to home improvement and home repair. Doityourself community can help you find information about how-to topics on small fixes to large remodeling projects. With comprehensive how-to content and expertly moderated community forums DoItYourself.com makes it easy to tackle even the most complex home improvement projects.View Full Version : Kitchen Cabinet Door Panels
Dragon77
08-16-05, 11:53 AM
Well, par for the course, I'm having a heck of a time finding replacements for the center panels of my kitchen cabinets.
It seems that this style of cabinet door was popular in the late 80s (when the house was built) and the cabinet doors are basically a mitered frame with a thin wood panel in the center. Well, some of the panels have become chipped and split, but I'm unable to find any local vendors that carry anything I can replace these panels with. It appears to be a finished plywood of some type, about 3/32" or so (just under 1/8") thick. It is not an applique veneer, as it appears to have been varnished or stained. I've been told it's called a luon (lewon?), but can't find any references to it (though my wife says that she's seen Christopher Lowell talk about it a few times).
Any help on this would be GREATLY appreciated :wall:
--- Dragon77
It seems that this style of cabinet door was popular in the late 80s (when the house was built) and the cabinet doors are basically a mitered frame with a thin wood panel in the center. Well, some of the panels have become chipped and split, but I'm unable to find any local vendors that carry anything I can replace these panels with. It appears to be a finished plywood of some type, about 3/32" or so (just under 1/8") thick. It is not an applique veneer, as it appears to have been varnished or stained. I've been told it's called a luon (lewon?), but can't find any references to it (though my wife says that she's seen Christopher Lowell talk about it a few times).
Any help on this would be GREATLY appreciated :wall:
--- Dragon77
Lugnut
08-16-05, 02:52 PM
Probably not Luan, because luan is a floor product, but your panel is very much like Luan except that it is better. Your flat panel is a high grade plywood. High grade (no knots, etc) so that it can be stained.
Normally, these flat panels are not replaced because the door frame that surrounds them, is glued together. If by some miracle, you are able to replace this flat panel, then by all means, buy some thin high grade plywood and replace it.
Normally, these flat panels are not replaced because the door frame that surrounds them, is glued together. If by some miracle, you are able to replace this flat panel, then by all means, buy some thin high grade plywood and replace it.
Dragon77
08-16-05, 02:57 PM
Well, that's kind of what I thought, but I'm unable to find anyplace that seems to sell plywood (or any wood!) that thin.
--- Dragon77
--- Dragon77
Lugnut
08-16-05, 03:16 PM
You won't find it at Home Depot. Look for lumber suppliers in the phone book.
Dragon77
08-16-05, 03:18 PM
Been there, done that - they don't have anything that thin either :wall:
--- Dragon77
--- Dragon77
Herm
08-16-05, 07:46 PM
You won't find it at a regular Lumber yard. You need to go to a place that specializes in hardwoods, and exotic woods. Usually a place like that has many thicknesses of plywood in a variety of wood species.
In the Chicago area, a good place to go is OWL Hardwoods, or Woodworld, but not knowing where you're located, I couldn't help you.
Have you done an internet search?
In the Chicago area, a good place to go is OWL Hardwoods, or Woodworld, but not knowing where you're located, I couldn't help you.
Have you done an internet search?
Dragon77
08-17-05, 02:51 PM
Well, Stock Lumber here has what they call Bending Plywood in full sheets (4x8) at 1/8". I'm going to check on that this weekend, but even the custom moulding stores and cabinetmakers don't seem to know where to get this stuff.
--- Dragon77
--- Dragon77