Overview
Shaker-style fronts are a very common design element in modern cabinetry. While most shaker cabinet fronts are manufactured with the traditional 5-panel construction, the initial implementation of shaker cabinet fronts in Easel Cabinetmaker will take a simplified approach.
Shaker fronts in Easel Cabinetmaker will be manufactured by milling out the pocket for the “center panel”. Users can adjust the size and depth of the pocket for custom dimensions. We recommend using engineered materials for these shaker-style fronts. Holes on the inside face of door fronts for hinge cups and hinge mounting will be “turned off” when shaker fronts are selected. This is done so users don’t have to worry about flip-milling.
Shaker Fronts in Easel Cabinetmaker
Users can change the style of fronts from flat/panel fronts to shaker fronts for all cabinets in the project through the project-wide settings in the “all cabinets” view. Once shaker fronts are selected, users can adjust the depth of the center pocket, as well as the offset distance from the edge of the recessed pocket to the edge of the front panel (this is essentially setting the width of the “rails” and “stiles” in a traditional 5-piece shaker front construction).
Carving/Milling Shaker Fronts
Once the panels have been nested, users will find the door and drawer fronts in the appropriate workpieces. Keep in mind that the inside corners of the rectangular pocket will have radiused corners that match the radius of the bit being used to mill out the pocket. For sharper corners, smaller bit diameters are recommended.
Additional Recommendations
Users may prefer to carve the shaker fronts with a two-stage carve workflow. Users can use a larger bit to mill out the pocket more quickly, and can then use a smaller bit to clean up the corners. Users can also use a v-bit as the secondary bit, which would result in chamfered edges of the “rail” and “stile” edges closest to the center panel/pocket. We have more information on Two-Stage Carves (Roughing and Detail Carves) in our Support Center.
To avoid the challenges of flip-milling, Easel Cabinetmaker will remove any hinge mounting holes on the inside faces of door fronts when shaker fronts are selected. We recommend using a manual setup or another secondary workflow to drill the necessary holes for mounting door hinges.
Please let us know if you have any feedback after trying this new feature!