So I don’t have much experience with garbage compactor panels, not a lot with cabinet panels in my area. The installation appears to be gimmicky as it is, there is so much play in the way the drawer moves in and out.
The owner wants the panel to look like a door and a drawer front. There is no support for the drawer front part, I am looking for some ideas on how to attach the drawer front to the top pf the door with a 3 mm gap in between them. I need something that provides a clean look. I was thinking of routering a piece of metal or aluminum in the back of the stiles and painting the metal the same color as the door. If anyone has any ideas or experience it would be appreciated.

Is this panel painted or is it stained? If wood that is stained does grain direction matter? If possible I would build as 1 piece and route the groove you mentioned to make it appear that it is 2 pieces.

I have routed two 2" wide grooves in the back of door drawers and glued in 3/8" thick hardwood leaving a gap between the doors. It works well to make a stiff structure. Good for stained or natural doors if you prefinish the doors, not so good for white doors because the bridging material shows if you paint it white or black.
I have also tried dominoes and they aren't strong enough to stiffen the door combo.

Thanks for the info, the doors are white, regardless of what I use you will see something in the crack.
I was thinking of using dominos and also thinking of using dowels. Thanks for the information Tom, I only have the small domino so that definitely would'nt be strong enough. I do like the idea of the hardwood, that would finish up nicer than the metal or aluminum I was thinking of using, also easier to install as glue would be used instead of screws.

Depending on the style of the door and drawer front I've made them as a single unit and then did a shallow saw kerf in place of the gap between them.

Or route a 1/4" deep section out of the back of the top of the door and bottom of the drawer front and glue a 1/4" pc of plywood in it.

Leo,

I built the door and drawer front separate, I do like your idea and others about building one panel with a saw cut. In hind sight I would do that.

The piece of plywood sounds Like a good idea as well.

Thanks for the suggestions.

Take a 3mm pc of wood and glue them together using it as a spacer. Maybe using a domino or two to provide a little extra strength.

Really depends on the stresses the two separate door/drawer fronts will be receiving. If they are secured nicely to the appliance door you don't have to worry much. If not, and you suspect they will use the drawer handle to open up the appliance then you might need a little more strength.

But we all know how strong glue is and a 3mm pc of wood is going to have almost zero flex.

Here's a good example.

The far left opening at the bottom is a trash roll out made to look like two paneled drawer fronts.

The next opening to the right, the top two are one unit for a dishwasher.

It does work better with paint obviously.

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