On 12/12/2012 7:38 PM, DerbyDad03 wrote:
On 12/12/12 4:18 PM, dpb wrote:
2 - What's the trick to ensure a perfectly square cope on the end
grain of the rails?
2) As said before, use stock wide enough for several rails and cut them
in one pass, then rip to width. Crosscut them square w/ the sled on the
TS first, then run them along the fence on the shaper/router table.
Well, I gotta admit that not one site I've visited, and I just went
through about 6, all from different sources, offers that advice. Every
thing I've read says to use a sled or a push block to keep the rails
square with the fence.
He didn't say not to use a push block or a miter gauge/sled. He said
use wide stock, cut it square to begin with, and rip the wide stock to
size after coping. The push block is to cut down on end chipping, but
it's not really needed if ripping to size after coping.
I'm not saying that your suggestion doesn't have merit, I'm just saying
that I haven't come across a cabinet door building site - video, text or
PDF - that suggests that method.
What he said not only has merit, it's how it is done unless you've never
made cabinet doors.
Cut the slot w/ TS instead of router or if going to use a router get a
slotting cutter, not a standard 1/4' bit. You have to be sure it
matches your ply thickness correctly though; the undersized/metric stuff
is a royal pita...
If I'm using a rail and stile bit, why do I need to cut the slot on a
table saw or slot cutter? I only used the 1/4" bit because, as I said, I
don't have a rail and stile bit yet.
If you are using plywood, you need a slot cutter that suits the plywood,
and none of it is 1/4" anymore. If you are doing solid panels, you cut
the panels to suit the slot so it's a non-issue.
If you go to all the trouble of buying expensive cutters and making the
effort to cut cope and sticking, then plywood is pretty lame, and looks
like jr. high school shop, and raised panels are the way to go. Plywood
panels are OK for workshop/laundry cabinets but then coping is also not
a biggie. If you insist though, you can buy undersized slot cutters for
your cabinet set.
Again, make your sizes consistent to have only a couple or maybe three
different sizes overall and make the pieces in bulk.
That ain't gonna happen. I'm making doors for stick built cabinets so I
have to match what is already there. There's at least 5 different widths
and 6 different heights.
Doesn't matter, each door has at least two rails and two stiles. If you
cut one board that's wide enough for two the correct length, you are
guaranteed to have two perfectly matching pieces. If your doors are not
all the same because the openings are a bit off, then you would be best
off making overlay doors and still cutting all the doors the same.
Trying to install panels into a bunch of doors all different sizes would
suck. Even with inset doors, I think I would make them all to the
largest size opening, and trim each door to fit. I think it would be
easier to build new face frames that *are* the same size than custom fit
a slew of doors individually. Think overlay doors.
BTW, when building face frames, it is also wise to rip the stiles and
rails from correct length boards just as when building doors. This
helps insure all the door and drawer openings are the same, then making
doors and drawers is less traumatic.
BTW...just ran across this free router e-book. Lots of tip and techniques.
http://torbwine.com/ww/routerbook.htm
That's a good book, but seemed strange to have a router book on a wine
site? Here's a link to MCLS that sells cheap bits, and this is a good
reference and the bits available for rail and stile:
http://www.mlcswoodworking.com/shops...lstile0911.pdf
or more concisely:
http://tinyurl.com/b62x5s9
I never used any of their bits though, so I'm not saying they are good
or bad, but it's a nice reference anyway.
--
Jack
Add Life to your Days not Days to your Life.
http://jbstein.com