Hi All,
I’m making a custom vanity for neighbors. For ease and time I’m joining the frames of the doors with biscuits.
The design is like this. Imagine Craftsman/Mission style. Each door will be @ 15 1/2″ x 12 3/4. I have designed it to be 3 equally spaced stiles. 3 stiles @ 2 9/16″ spaced 2 9/16″ apart. In between will be panels. I need to create a 1/4″ groove along the inside edge to accept the panels.
I’m guessing the best way to do this since the will be enclosed (ie I can’t go from end to end) is on the router table. What I’m planning on doing is making a stop about 10″ from the router bit that will allow me to pivot the board into the bit. I’ll then feed the bit along and have another stop so I don’t go too far. I’ll be using a 1/4″ bit and taking a 1/4″ bite, probably 2 or 3 passes.
I’d love to make spend more time on the project but I have 6 of these panels to make in the next week along with the rest of the cabinet and I’m not getting paid all that much. I want to finished product to be quality and last.
Any suggestions glady accepted,
Notrix
Replies
Notrix
I'm not sure that I understand you 100% but I dont think biscuited doors are that great an idea.
You have to route out the dado for the panel why not make cope and stick doors while your at it.
You should be able to make all the doors in a few hrs. How many doors you got? Sounds like just a few.
Am I missing something here?
Doug
I was thinking about that..but I'm not convined it would be stronger. Less side grain gluing that with even a #0 biscuit. If I went to a 3/8"....... Back to biscuits. I never trusted them but have been using them recently and am starting to beleive in them. I'm a bit on the fence about how they will hold up under daily slamming as you are.I've been shopping for some T&G router bit set ups. Anyone use the Amana version? They're available locally. Or recommend anything else? I want to do this fast and clean.Thanks,
N
The Amana adjustable is a groover only. We offer the 99-036 T&G set which is ideal for your application in that it will make both cuts, it is adjustable in .002" increments from 7/32" (for 1/4" plywood) up to 3/8", it will work in stock from 1/2" to 1-1/4" and it has opposing shear angles on the tongue cutter for clean cuts on the rail ends.Charles M
Freud America, Inc.
You can make a door on the tablesaw which is kinda cope-and-stick, and get as much gluing area as you want on the rail-to-stile joint. It is also real fast to build.
Let's say your stiles go full height -- no mitered corners. With a tablesaw, make the dados to hold the panels, except that the dados run the full length of the stiles. While you're dadoing, cut dados on the inside faces of all the rails. Again on the tablesaw, cut tenons on the ends of all the rails. These tenons fit into the dados on the inside faces of the stiles. You can make the dados as deep as you like, to get as much gluing area as you like. You can certainly get lots more gluing area than the typical cope-and-stick router bits.
If you're using plywood panels, glue them into the dados. They form great big gussets on the corner joints, and assure that the doors will never come apart.
Notrix ,
I agree with Jamie B. Use the table saw to create the frame and panel door frames. I use this method quite often when running square edged door frames . IMHO you should run the rail ends first then cut all the slots or grooves. Also I personally do not glue any panels to the frames , rather let them float .This allows for natural occurring seasonal movement of the solid frame stock . I have several table saws and set a dado blade on one to create the rail ends , works for me , and is quite fast once set up . I cut the panels 1/8" shy total in width and height .
good luck dusty
Notrix,
I like Jamie's thoughts too. You can also set up your tennon jig and make through cut in the stiles and pin with dowels if you want.
Using the biscuits method for your joinery, I'd put a rabbit bit with a bearing in my router and run that around the inside perimeter of the rails and stiles after glue-up...square up the corners with a chisel and drop in the panel.
I've considered this approach but in my experience it's pretty time consuming to get a perfect fit. That's why I've considered a matched router bit set. But since I'm still drawing plans I can adjust to accomidate any joinery techniques.Thanks for the opinions and I'm still open to more.N
Notrix
The router bit set is as good as an idea as any. You will always have them if needed again.
Get a good set and they will work great for you.
Doug
I do paneled doors quite often and always use cope and stick construction. You can get matched cutters in several styles (including Mission) from MLCS, Rockler, and others.
It usually only takes a couple of minutes to make the switch from cope to stick cutting and I've run off as many as six doors in a few hours.
Make sure you allow enough "slop" for some panel expansion. Some of the joints failed on my early doors because I made the solid wood panels a little too wide. I've never had a problem with plywood flat panels.
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