Hello colleagues,
I have an inset faceframe job coming up, Shaker style doors, to be painted in white conversion varnish. We had the conversation about whether to caulk or not to caulk the cabinet doors. We advocate for not caulking the doors because I have had several experiences in the past where the caulking cracked beneath the conversion varnish. Granted, the most recent version of this was on a dark green paint and an applied molding door. The joint between the molding and the panel developed multiple cracks exposing the white caulking in contrast to the dark paint. These were outsourced doors, so it's possible the moldings were not adequately glued or fastened. In this case, we will not have that issue. The frames will be poplar, the panels will be MDF. Part of that conversation centered around wood movement. It is a fact that a given percentage of frame and panel doors within a job will develop hairline cracks at the joint between the stile and the rail. This does not mean that the joint has failed, it just means that the conversion varnish did not have the elasticity to withstand the seasonal or functional movement of the door. These hairline cracks are almost imperceptible, and the only reason someone might notice them at all is because of the perfectly smooth nature of a spray applied finish on a wood door without any grain. In my office is a set of quartersawn white oak cabinets. I can feel, but cannot see, tiny little ridges in the finish at some of the joints where the varnish has sustained this same hairline crack over the years, yet the door integrity is fine and it remains stable.
Unfortunately, the customer has now fixated on this conversation and is raising quite the concern over these cracking issues and is demanding that we warranty against all future cracking - at the door joints, between the frame and the panel, and at all faceframe joints. Adding to the problem is that these faceframes were designed by their architect to have 1" stiles and rails, which means we have room for only 1 pocket screw and will have limited gluing area. Even after having been glued to the case, I foresee that some of these faceframe joints might develop these same hairline cracks over time.
So, I'm interested in the opinions of fellow cabinetmakers. Please provide your comments regarding wood movement, wood species, conversion varnish, caulking vs. no caulking, expectations, etc. I will probably end up sharing your opinions with my customer.
Thanks,
Derek