Flat trim, simple butt joint where casings meet at top corners. Three methods shown here, there may be others, but of these three, which do you prefer or do?
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B
Did you know that the term Butt joint comes from the fact that they are Butt-ugly??
Mr T
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All of the above. I'm sure most everyone uses all of them, though B. less than the other two. Often I'll default to C. when the opening is not square and the pieces must be cut to fit. I like A. for preassembling on the floor and standing it up and nailing it down, but the opening has to be somewhat plumb and square.
I made some cherry corner cupboards a year ago where the doors were solid cherry with breadboard ends. I champhered the transition of ends and panels for the effect of B., which turned out very nice, kind of like a highlight detail. Since then I've incorporated that detail in more molding, but not everyone (clients) cares for it.
I would use D (none of the above). My choices would be mitered joints or plinth blocks. Yet another possibility would be to use thickened head blocks (sort of a full width plinth). If I HAD to choose one of the three you depict I would use the applied separately and then sanded system ... but the three I would recommend are above.
Clay
Bob,
A is a possibility, but I wouldn't preassemble that because the biscuit doesn't want to keep it together while I carry it around the job. It's not a look I would ever expect to install, either, much too plain.
B is better, a little more craftsman-ish, and I would prefer to assemble at the opening.
All of those details look more like faceframes to me, FWIW.
I prefer 1" x 5-1/2" head casing over 3/4 x 4-1/2" sides, maybe a biscuit if you feel like it, and the head overhangs the sides by 1/2" - 1" depending on your mood. Very typical detail in the older homes around Berkeley/Oakland/SF when using flat trim. If you want to go all out you can mortise the sides very slightly into the bottom of the head and then you look like the best carpenter around.
Edited 5/23/2004 1:49 pm ET by davidmeiland
If I'm doing economy work with plain flat stock 1x4 I still mitre the joints, but for an entablature set, I use 5/4 material for head stock and 1x4 for the legs. Then I add somethiong apporpriate to the house style at the head to cap it and add a flair
If I were to do a chamfered reveal, I would make rosette type blocks for all the corners with that chamfer on all four sides of the block and both butt ends of the pieces tieing to it. Preassemble with biscuits? Maybe. Depends on site conditions and space available.
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You forgot pocket screws. The trim in my 1920's double has that same detail but with a square edge backband as well. When I replaced the windows I also had to replace alot of the casings and window stool. I used pocket screws to hold the joint together and pre-fabbed the casing sets and applied the backband before putting the casing on the window. It is so much faster building the casing on horses plus the screws and glue really help to make a strong flush joint.
J.P.
Joint preference...hmmm...Here's another choice which lends itself to various variations<G> eg. a 3/8" accent strip running the full length of the head, profiles on the strip... or something in a nice Thai stick while I'm listening to Rainy Day Woman LOL
Don't worry, we can fix that later!
Edited 5/23/2004 9:37 pm ET by bucksnort billy
Edited 5/23/2004 9:39 pm ET by bucksnort billy
A, and only if its being painted. I dont like to see endgrain. Otherwise miter or return your ends.
My preference with flat casings is what piffin described, using 5/4 material for the head and overhanging the outer edges of the side casing, but with the addition of a 3/8" x 1 1/4" bullnosed trim piece separating the head from the sides and a crown cap around the top of the head casing. A, B and C..........in the garage.
Ron