After much aggravation trying to do M&T with plantation shutters, I am looking for an easier but “strong enough” joinery method for plantation shutters (interior). Each shutter is ~ 12″ x 60″, the frames are 1-1/16″ thick.
I made one set and had nothing but trouble using a mortiser (mortises still took forever to get cleaned out and get straight edges, the mortise was off center and so were the tenons) so the shutters are not flat and don’t close all the way. It was a tremendous amount of work for 4 shutters (I have to make 16 more) and I am looking for an easier way.
In any case I am wondering about these 3 methods instead:
dowels – via a Dowel-It 100 jig
pocket screws a la kreg
stub tenons or tongue & groove
I know pocket screws have a bad rap in regards to fine woodworking so please don’t give me a lecture on they non-finery..
Cheers
Replies
I use pocket screws for all sorts of things, so you'll get no lecture from me. But with this application, you will have to fill the holes, which seems like kind of fussy work to me. Dowels would be a fine way to go. Biscuits might do the job, too. Quick and easy, although less precise than dowels. I think Domino loose tenons would be perfect here. I've never used them, but I'm tempted to get the machine, even though it costs and arm and leg. You don't need huge strength here, so you have lots of options.
Stub tenons would be OK. I've used a bridle joint for an application close to what you have. Now I make doors using a stub tenon and grooves (kind of like a cope and stick approach, using the table saw). But with that method you would have groove on the inside of the frame.
One last comment is that in getting the shutters to stay flat, good wood selection and careful cutting is probably at least as important as the joinery method. There was a good article in FW a few years back about making doors that stay flat that I've found helpful.
Good luck. I'm betting that the last four you make will be awesome.
Rockler has a "system":
https://www.rockler.com/2-1-2-movable-louver-w-front-control-arm-shutter-jig-and-hardware
Thanks Jimbo, I hadn’t considered biscuits, wasn’t sure if they would work here; I already have a biscuit joiner.. I would have to buy and wait in delivery of a doweling jig.
MJ, that is the system I used to build these! But it doesn’t include anything for frame joinery, though Rockler recommends dowel joinery.
You don't need a biscuit joiner if you have slot cutters & glue
Mikaol
These shutters need to resist racking forces, so that they stay square.
This is favoured by the nice broad and short rails, which are relatively wide for their length.
Racking will occur if you can either compress one side of the joint or distract the other.
Wide rails limit this by increasing area, thus reducing compression forces (unlikely to be that relevant) and making smaller forces more effective at preventing distraction.
Biscuits will be more than sufficient to prevent racking in this case.
Where the domino has an advantage is in flexing.
Whilst racking forces are well managed by the design, the doors are necessarily thin, and so are biscuits. A single, centrally located biscuit joint would be almost certain to fail over time due to flexing.
A twin biscuit, however, would be almost indestructible.
Options then:
1. Loose tenons. Either rout them or domino them.
2. TWIN biscuits - use 2 pairs if they will fit.
If you use twin biscuits, reference both slots off the same face of both pieces. Don't be tempted to leave the jointer settings fixed and flip the piece - that only works if you have been very accurate with your milling.
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