Over the years I have learned that using structural lumber can have its pit falls and most of them are associated with retained moisture. Modern lumber seldom if ever is placed in a log pond which would cause the logs to displace much of the trees sap replacing it with water. Lumber milled from these logs was far more stable than what you are able to buy today. When I built the door I doweled glued every other joint and the others I doweled but did not glue. This allows for some movement between the individual board and reduces overall warping. A second and perhaps better solution is to use "poor man's tongue and groove" or slip joints. Using a router and 1/4 inch rabbit cutter cut grooves length wise in the edges all of the boards to be assembled into a panel. You don't need to be concerned about getting the grooves exactly centered as long as you route from only the one surface that will be common to all of the pieces. Next cut strips from 1/4 inch plywood and miter the ends so that pieces do hot have open butt joints. put the strips in the groves as you assemble the boards and you can glue or not as you prefer. On units that are for exterior use I prefer to glue one side only, if I glue at all. This will seal the seams and still allow for contraction and expansion as the lumber cures. This process is also far simpler than matching up the holes for doweling.
If you find that the groves are just a little tight for 1/4 inch plywood, after you have cut all the groves, change the depth setting of the router by about 1/32 inch as necessary and make a second pass so that the plywood is a good slip fit. This works well for all manner of quick glue up jobs and very nice cutting boards can be made from scrap in this way, but then I would definitely use a good water proof glue and clamp. It is also a slick way to make solid butt splices. If you don't grove to the end you can make your joints blind as well.
Dale in the Flatlands.
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