"Mike in Arkansas" wrote in message
oups.com...
I want to do something a little different with my kitchen cabinet
doors. Rather than a cope/stick or mortise/tenon I want to join the
rails to the stiles using dovetail joints. I visualize two dovetails
at each rail to stile junction. The rail/stiles will be about 2 1/4
inch wide. So there would be 4 female parts (pardon my ignorance,
don't know the proper terminology) on the long edge of each stile, 2
near each end. The corresponding rail would have the 2 matching male
parts on each end. Hope thats clear. What would be a good way to make
these joints. I've never used a dovetail jig and it seems to me that
such wouldn't work because of the length of the stiles. Some will be
40 inches long for the upper cabinets. Am I correct about that? Will
any brand of dovetail jig support doing what I want? If not, what kind
of jig would you recommend for doing it? I do enjoy building jigs if
there are plans or ideas for a shopbuilt solution. Open to a purchase
as well. Finally, is this idea even feasible? Some of the uppers will
have glass panels and the rest would probably be a simple flat panel
type door.

Making the joints is not a huge problem. Most any dovetail jig system will
work or you can hand cut them. The only issue I see is how would you put
the panels/glass in other than a rabbet on the backside? (Like a picture
frame) This type of frame does not make a very good cabinet door. Imagine
the door being slammed and the glass flying out the back into the cupboard!

If you do make it, post some pictures.
Dave