Teardrops n Tiny Travel Trailers

i really like these cabinets that are either open with the opening having rounded corners, or with doors that the door has matching rounded corner shape.
i wander how are these made. i understand that easiest is probably getting cnc, but i can not see that happening right now because of my budget.
are these just freehanded with jig saw and finished with sanding or router? i saw some jigs for outside corners, which would work for doors, but nothing for openings with rounded corners.
any input appreciated

If you mean flush doors cut from a piece of plywood so the grain matches the frame, then yes, that can be cut with a jig saw. Sanding the edges of the door and frame to a uniform gap will be tedious but can be done.

A better way is to make a router template and use a pattern following bit or template baseplate for the router. Not the easiest thing to do because you are trying to save both door and frame. Practice on some cheap plywood first.

I made a base for a Paulk style work bench with a router template. The template was made using a hole saw for the rounded corners, then a track saw for most of the straight cuts. The left over sections I cut with a hand saw and then sanded the whole thing smooth. I used the template with a guide bushing in the router and made the cuts in multiple passed with a 1/4" bit. The cut-outs would have been usable for doors, but I don't think a 1/4" gap would look too good. With a smaller bit it might be feasible, especially in thinner material. For a face frame for an open cabinet, the router template method will work for sure and produce very nice results if you take some care when making the template.

If you don't care about trying to use the cutout as a door, you can use two templates. One for the face frame and another for the doors.

The face frame template has rectangular opening, so you rout on the inside of the template. The door template is a rectangle (sized to accommodate the router bit and the gap you want) and you rout on the outside of the template with a normal flush trim bit.

If you are making several identical door/openings it's worth the time to make the templates.

You could still use same plywood sheet if you do straight cuts with circular saw and guide and then to corner's radii with a jigsaw. It should look better that way. But try on a scrap piece first. Do not push hard forward on the jigsaw or the cut will not be accurate.

OP827 wrote:You could still use same plywood sheet if you do straight cuts with circular saw and guide and then to corner's radii with a jigsaw. It should look better that way. But try on a scrap piece first. Do not push hard forward on the jigsaw or the cut will not be accurate.

I did the doors on my trailer that way to save plywood even though they were painted later.

Do make a test cut with your jigsaw blade on some scrap to make sure you can make the radius with the jigsaw. My door corners were around a 4" radius so no problem but interior cabinets would be less than that I would imagine. You can get very narrow jig saw blades for tight curves but they'll break if you force them.

i wander how are these made.

If I were to do those without a CNC, I think I'd make a 1/4" template and cut them with a plunge router with a bushing.



If you use a jigsaw, they'll probably look like a kid made them.

Tony

tony.latham wrote:If you use a jigsaw, they'll probably look like a kid made them.

Tony

Good one!

Brankulo wrote:i really like these cabinets that are either open with the opening having rounded corners, or with doors that the door has matching rounded corner shape.
i wander how are these made. i understand that easiest is probably getting cnc, but i can not see that happening right now because of my budget.
are these just freehanded with jig saw and finished with sanding or router? i saw some jigs for outside corners, which would work for doors, but nothing for openings with rounded corners.
any input appreciated

That's an inset door. Not the simplest yet easy enough with some tools. Like Tony suggests, I use a template to run the router to. Using a templating bit (top bearing) is the way to go. Now thickens of door or patience of doing multiple cuts depends on 1/4" or 1/2" bit. Then according also to what size router you have..
Oh this goes on...

I'm old school but do love a CNC! Templates, patience and persistence. A router is a great purchase for a 'Maker'. As a carpenter, I have a few.

RJ Howell wrote:Using a templating bit (top bearing) is the way to go. Now thickens of door or patience of doing multiple cuts depends on 1/4" or 1/2" bit.

I would not trust myself to get a clean start with a top bearing template bit. I think you're much better off with a plunge router with a guide bushing, you just have to offset the template. It's easy to get a clean start because you can push the bushing against the template while you plunge into the material. With a top bearing bit, there is no good way to start the cut.