A wooden sliding door is a beautiful addition to any cabinet installation. You can create your own hardwood sliding cabinet door track instead of purchasing a plastic or metal one.
The wooden track will bring the whole project together. Furthermore, it will improve the entire piece’s quality and beauty. A wooden door track is just a board with a slit in the top through which the door slides.
Sliding cabinet doors aren’t as standard in current cabinetry as they once were, but they were a key feature of mid-century furniture and cabinetry. Knowing how to build cabinets with sliding doors is advantageous, especially with the comeback of popularity in that style among the younger generation.
But the benefits don’t end there. Sliding cabinet doors are simpler and less expensive to construct than swinging cabinet doors. Sliding cabinet doors are great for individuals who need to be budget-friendly about their woodworking hobby because they are entirely devoid of hardware except for a handle.
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Steps To Make Sliding Cabinet Doors
Sliding-door cabinets take more planning than hinged-door cabinets because the tracks for the doors to glide in must be cut into the cabinet’s pieces before construction. The usage of sliding doors may impact the cabinet’s design, as it may be hard to have a cabinet face and slide cabinet doors simultaneously.
You may make sliding doors in various ways, all of which revolve around your track. While considering cost and how simple the doors are to construct, you want to ensure you obtain the finest performance possible.
1) Measure The Hardware
Using a tape measure, determine the size of the cabinet door opening. The sliding cabinet door track must be this length. Determine the sliding door’s thickness. The slot in the track will require a more comprehensive router than this measurement.
Sliding doors in cabinets have several benefits, one of which is that they make cabinet assembly easier. Instead of constructing a face frame around the cabinet’s entrance, the top, bottom, and sideboards serve as the face frame.
The cabinet is composed of hardwood plywood in most situations, though if the cabinet is to be painted, sanded softwood plywood will suffice.
2) Use Hardware Kits
Sliding cabinet door hardware kits are available in a range of styles. While some are designed to operate with specific materials, such as glass, most will work with any plywood product. Before constructing the cabinet, you must acquire the hardware kit to ensure a correct fit.
Surface-mounted or inset-into-the-wood tracks are both options. While a few kits can also use in one direction and some in both directions. When ordering the hardware kit, look for particular mounting instructions.
The slot should be routed rather than cut on the table saw for tracks inset into the cabinet. Routing with an edge guide can result in a cleaner cut, as the saw blade is less likely to enlarge the slot in one location if the board in case of fed board through the saw.
The hardware rail should be able to fit snuggly into the slot without pounding.
3) Place The Hardware Board On The Table Saw
On the miter saw’s table, place the hardware board. Slide the board across the table until the pencil mark corresponds to the saw blade’s outside edge. Pull the saw’s trigger and steadily move it down the board until the cut is complete. Release the trigger and raise the saw back to the start position.
Place the cut board on the router table, flat on the 2-inch side. Place the router bit in the router chuck, tighten it, and secure it. To create a deep slot in the board, adjust the height of the router bit. Adjust the router table’s fence to cut a slot through the center of the board’s width and lock it in place.
4) Cut The Board
Move the board through the router table steadily, only moving quickly enough for the bit to cut the wood. Once the cut is complete, remove the board from the router table. Place the slotted side of the board upon a work surface. With a fine-grit sanding pad, sand the entire board until it is smooth—sand with the grain of the wood at all times.
5) Apply The Finishing Coat Of Stain
Using a paintbrush, apply an even coat of wood finish to the board. Allow at least 4 hours for the finish to dry before applying the final layer. Allow 24 hours for the last coat to dry. Using a cloth rag, rub paste wax into the sliding cabinet door track slot. The door will slide smoothly inside the slotted track thanks to the paste wax.
6) The Drawbacks Of Sliding Doors Of Cabinets
The disadvantage of sliding closet doors is that they cannot be opened to reveal the entire closet width at once without removing the doors. The door will always obscure a portion of the closet. The doors must be moved to see what is in that closet section.
On the other hand, Sliding closet doors save space by eliminating the requirement to leave room open in front of the closet or wardrobe for the doors to open into. While it may be uncomfortable, a piece of furniture like a sofa can be positioned directly in front of the closet without obstructing access to the items hanging within.
Frequently Asked Questions
What Are Track Cabinet Doors?
On a ball-bearing track, these cabinet doors swivel from side to side. To gain access to each cabinet’s interior, slide one door in front of the other. However, unlike conventional side-hinged doors, this mechanism does not allow all of the doors to open simultaneously.
What are the drawbacks of sliding cabinet doors?
Sliding door panels may become stuck if there is a buildup of dirt and debris in the track. Like trains, sliding doors need to have their wheels properly seated on the track to run smoothly.
What are the common types of sliding cabinet doors?
Interior sliding doors are available for usage as room separators, pantry doors, and closet doors. There are also sliding external doors. Patio doors frequently feature sliding glass doors. They are the perfect solution for providing closure while allowing light to enter the interior spaces.
Final Words
No doubt, sliding doors, even for the cabinets, look sleek. Moreover, it’s super easy to maintain these doors compared to others. However, you must install these doors to your cabinets carefully and professionally. You can get the complete guidelines from the discussed steps and instructions.
This way, you don’t need to hire professionals for installation. That’s all from our side. Now, it’s your turn to consider the mentioned points and install the sliding cabinet doors yourself!
