Replies

1. 
   GACC_DAllas | Mar 09, 2002 08:40pm | #1

   *
   Ron,

   I'm not sure what you mean by FF biscuts, but we use plate joining biscuts to hold the corners on mitred corner cabinet doors.

   Mortise and tenon is a good method, but it can require a lot of time if you don't have the machines.

   I saw some cabinet doors made with pocket screws once. I'm sure they held good, but man, were they ugly on the back side.

   The cope and stick joints are the best in my opinion.

   Ed.

1. 
   Jeff_J._Buck | Mar 09, 2002 09:03pm | #2

   *And don't forget half-lap. I like a half-lap that shows a miter on the front...and square butt on the back. Easy to cut with a radial arm...or table saw and chop box. Think FF means Face Frame...the smaller guys....Jeff

1. 
   Dick | Mar 09, 2002 11:31pm | #3

   *I use a 1/4" plunge router and a fixture to run floating tenon doors (or mirror frames or...). I can turn out the doors as quickly as with cope and stick bits and they are definitely stronger joints. I don't trust cope and stick for glazed doors of any size because of the weight.

1. 
   RonTeti | Mar 10, 2002 03:24am | #4

   *yea PC's biscuit jointer has a blade for face frames that you can biscuit down to 1 1/2" wide with out the biscuit showing. That was on of the options I was thinking of.

1. 
   Jim_Walters | Mar 10, 2002 02:15pm | #5

   *I use only two procedures for practically everything...mortise and tenon/dovetail. Floating tenons are really quick and easy once you've built a router jig......also you can make a mortise/tenon with just a table saw and a dado blade......Those monster router bits wirring around on a table give me the creeps. One goof and the board jambs/slamms or worse.... draws you into a bloody nitemare.

2. 
   Adrian_Wilson | Mar 10, 2002 03:56pm | #6

   *There is a big difference between cope/stick doors cut with routers, and with shapers....the shaper cut ones are much more substantial, even if they don't look like they are that much beefier. If weight is a concern, you can still beef them up with dowels (door makers do)....or add a middle rail....with m/t or loose tenons, you still have to deal with coping or mitreing the interior moulding (unless the rails and stiles are square edged)...time and/or skill required. You could check out a Hoffman machine for another way to do it; small butterfly keys, like a double dovetail, inserted from the backside.those little biscuits....useless, as far as I'm concerned. I would never ever trust a door to them.

3. 
   Jim_Hausch | Mar 12, 2002 01:32pm | #7

   *I am not sure if you are looking for another fast, effective production method, or just a different way to try for visual reasons.Is it is the latter, I have a work intensive suggestion (2, actually). I built some picture frames as follows, I am planning on trying it on cabinet doors: Cut your rails and stiles picture-frame style (mitered corners)place the mitered edge on your router table (fence is touching the outside corner of the miter, stock points off at a 45)With a straight cutting bit installed and sticking up about 1/2 inch, plow through all the corners "front to back" (Stack the stock, hold with a clamp, and add a support wedge to carry the part that is hanging out in space, and add a sacrifical block for tearout)Now cut "keys" of contrasting color, dense grain wood to hold them together. Option two:Build the door frame miter style again and assemble with glue onlyBuild a jig for the table saw that holds the door vertically, parallel with the blade, sitting on a corner. (jig looks like the corner of a box (I hope this makes sense)Cut a slice through the corner (1/8" saw kerf is enough)Cut and glue contrasting "splice" into the corner. Trim and Sand flush.