Cabinet Door Corner Joint>> Mortise and Tenon???

[cc4digital]

Cabinet door with .75 panel>>>

1st Question Would kind of corner joint would you recommend?

2nd Quesiton What Mortising machine would you recommend or have?

 

[DaveO]

A ¾" panel in a cab. door seems a little thick. Unless you are going to use a panel cutter to to raise it and leave a smaller edge. M&T jointery is traditonal and very effective, but you could just go with a cope and stick door R&S router bit. I have used a groove and stub tenon assembly before with great success.
I have a Delta mortiser with the cast iron table (can't remember the model # right now), but it has done well for me and generally runs around $260.
My $.032, Dave

 

[cc4digital]

DaveO I was going to use a backcutter and raise it a bit.

I was going to go with cope and stick. But I have been reading a lot about it strength qualities. From what I read it works fine if you use plywood as the panel because you can then glue it in.

My plan is to glue up boards for the panels. The problem I read about was you can't glue the panel in and the weight will stress the corner causing them to fail.

So my current thinking is to use either M & T or Biscuit. What do you think? Am I creating a horror story?

 

[rhett]

Cope and Stick are the traditioanal method if you want a decorative edge on the inside of the rails and stiles. You can always reinforce the joint with a dowel but I do not think that it is needed. If you are going for more of a shaker/contemporary look with a square edge, you can use a haunched tenon, this would be the stronger of the two doors. As far as the center panel goes, solid wood is an excellent choice. You must leave room though for expansion/contraction. There is a product product called space balls (little rubber pellets) that you put in the groove to keep the panel tight. It also centers helps to center your panel in the frame. They are good even if you do not use a solid wood center panel to keep the door from rattling. Just my .01 cents.

Just because you know the tricks, does not mean you know the trade.
Wendell Castle

 

[DaveO]

So my current thinking is to use either M & T or Biscuit. What do you think? Am I creating a horror story?

I would consider M&T before using biscuits, or possible half lap or bridal joints. Cope and stick joints have a lot of glue surface and are most commonly used, they should hold just fine.
Dave

 

[NZAPP1]

I have built a lot of solid raised panel doors and used the cope and stick method with no problem even with a MDF panels. The little rubber balls IMO work great and keep the panel centered.

 

[cc4digital]

Wow, these are not the responses I expected.:roll: I have three cabinet books and they all stress a strong joint in the corners. But the reality appears that cope and stick is not a problem. C & S sure would be easier.

Thanks for the suggestions.

Does anyone out there use M & T for kitchen cabinet doors. I would love to hear your side.

 

[cc4digital]

Still learning. :crybaby2: This is probably way over my head, but I just am curious.

Can a kitchen door be made by using the Stick and Panel cutter and use a M & T to join rail to stile?

If so, which do you do first M & T or the Stick and Panel Cutter?

 

[erasmussen]

For what its worth
When I built my kitchen doors I didnt have a stile and rail bit so I just used a 1/4 dado and a trim bit then in order for the corners to look right I had to make mitered corners, I used 2 dowels in each corner and they are holding just fine.
The panels are .75 rised and flooting with space balls installed, panels I cut the rise with a vertical panel riser bit then put a back cut so when mounted they are flush on both sides:lol:

 

[cc4digital]

erasmussen::: Nice JOB :eusa_clap:icon_thum

Dowels would be an idea.

 

[Monty]

I would bet that using simple cope & stick joinery is very common practice. Best I can tell all the cabinets I have paid attention to lately seem to be made that way, including the ones in my own house. They seem to be quite solid, and are holding up just fine even with solid wood raised panels. Of course, it's not nearly as strong as a mortise & tenon joint.

If you want to do M&T, then you just use the "stick" part of the C&S set. Cut an offset shoulder on the tenon (rails) on your table saw, and also chisel away the front part of the inner decorative profile on the stile part. Pare a 45° miter on the inner profiled part of both the rail and stile.

Alternatively, it's much simpler if you don't want an inner decorative profile on your rails & stiles. Just a plain square profile on the rails & stiles looks nice IMHO. In fact, you could do it all (except the mortising) on your table saw -- you just have to use a haunched tenon to fit the mortise properly.

 

[woodguy1975]

OK,

The answer is really pretty simple. As long as the door isn't too heavy due to size cope and stick joints will be just fine by themselves. There is a lot of glue surface in that joint, that is the basis for the strength of the joint. Now on larger doors I do tend to reinforce my c&s joint, not by M&T, but my loose M&T. Beadlock actually works really well in this situation to. If I were doing a joint for a pantry door that is 48" tall that is when I woudl consider reinforcemnt. At least with a 3/8" groove. I have cutters for my big shaper that use 1/2" grooves. With that additional glue surface you gain strength that would push up the max door size. That also pushes up your raised panel size.

Rule of thumb for 3/8" groove never make a raised panel over 18" and never use air dried wood due to wood movement of the panel.

Good Luck,

John

 

[cc4digital]

Thanks for the response. I just was researching and came across the loose M&T. This might work for me. Funny you brought up Pantry Doors because 4 of my doors are Pantry Doors that are 60" Tall by 20".