Replies

1. 
   Frank Vucolo | Jul 23, 2009 05:03am | #1

   Hat,

   Personally, I would not trust the cope and stick joint without a tenon. That's fine for a cabinet door, but entry and passage doors get subject to a lot more force.

   Here's my set up

    

   
1. 
   Hat | Jul 23, 2009 07:01pm | #3

   Great job! That is what I was thinking of how to build my door. What size of tenon? And what did you use to make the mortise? And did you use the freud bits also? Hat

1. 
   Frank Vucolo | Jul 26, 2009 04:49pm | #4

   Hat,

   I can't get at that sample right now for measurements, but I made the door with a regular cabinet door stile and rale set, doing one face at a time.

   I cut the mortise using a straight spiral bit in a plunge router and a homemade jig to center it.

   The tenon stock was milled from oak and rounded over to fit the mortises (easier to do that than square up all those mortises. I made one long piece of tenon stock then just chopped off the tenons needed.

   Good luck with the door and let us know how you make out.

   Frank

2. 
   doorboy | Jul 23, 2009 05:01pm | #2

   I'm assuming by 'passage' door, you mean an interior stile-and-rail door. If that's the case, then you SHOULD use the mortise and tenon or at least a dowell at the rails. You don't want to take a chance on rebuilding it later. Even at 27" wide, you are going to have a significant amount of weight. The problem wouldn't be the glue joint failing, but likely the wood breaking on the stile at the top rail--hinge side
3. 
   Artex | Jul 27, 2009 04:29pm | #5

   Hi Hat, I build custom doors using Freud bits among other ones, don´t even think on building a door without tenons, minimum 2 in, haunched and split in two sections at the lower rail (smaller tenons tend to be more stable) although stub tenons may seem to hold quite nice at the beginning the expansion and contraction cycles of wood will eventually  make your joints fail at the stress points. Even a 27in door bears considerable weight on the hinge side and consider how many times the door will be open, closed, slammed, kid hanging from the door handle, etc.

   Good luck