Cabinet doors

[coach]

I have always made my wood doors with cope and stick type joinery.
I have been asked (ordered) to use mitered corners. I used a biscuit on the miters. Seems strong but o so slow.
How do you guys join mitered corners? I use 2" wide stile and rails.
Thanks for any help.
David

[gc3]

Biscuits will hold....for a while. Mitered doors are notorious for opening up at the joint. At the very least try the Festool domino. Take at look at www.woodweb.com (http://www.woodweb.com) cabinetmaking forum for some good info on this type of door, also search their archives on mitered door construction. W e have made these in the past with a floating tenon which seems to work ok...but is also very slowwww.




Gene Crain
www.plantasymaderas.com (http://www.plantasymaderas.com)

[srwtlc]

I've seen and done them myself with what is called a "half lap miter". Strong, but still tedious and slow. Can be done on a table saw or a good shaper setup. I have done them on the Bot too. Google "Half lap miter".

[myxpykalix]

try using a pocket hole jig and screw them together
http://www.kregtool.com/products/pht/product.php?PRODUCT_ID=30
http://www.kregtool.com/products/pht/product.php?PRODUCT_ID=107 90 degree clamp

[joe_dusel]

Just outsource the doors and save yourself the headache. I just received an order for some mitered doors from Decorative Specialties. They look great and they only took about a week to get. If you are doing this as a business it does not make sense to make your own doors unless you are setup as a door factory. If you are just doing this for fun it's a whole different situation.

Joe

[Gary Campbell]

David...
Joe is right. I surely cant argue why the customer would want the mitered molding profile for a door frame. Unfortunately, when coupled with wood panels, and the expansion of them, the weaker miter joint in the corners leads to many hard lessons for the cabinet maker.

A side note: many of the outsourced doors I have purchased in the past have had a couple headless pins shot into the "biscuit" or "tenon" from the back.

Short answer, I get them from Pete at Artistry!
Gary

[GlenP]

I agree with Joe. If you are going to offer and sell these on a continuous basis then you will have to tool up for them to make them worth your while. If you got time and not busy then do them yourself but as a business decision, outsource and markup slightly. I have made my own doors many times thinking is was cheaper and when all the sawdust had fall and shavings collected I was actually behind and made little for doing it, except pride of course. Kreg jig works great to fasten stuff but on doors seeing the screws or even filling the pocket cut is not a professional door. Good luck, you-tube it and watch some videos of guys and business doing them fun to watch.

[myxpykalix]

How bout a splined miter joint?


8606

http://www.woodworkingtips.com/etips/etip010511sn.html

[bleeth]

David:
Mitered doors can be a real challenge in Florida's humid environment. I have seen "biscuit and pin" type, dowelled and Hoffman jointed doors end up with separation at the outside corners.
The commercial version I like the best uses a combination of a finger join with dowels.
To be safe if doing them myself I would use full mortise and tenon and pin them.

If you used biscuits already I would add a spline as Jack shows on the outside corner.

[gabepari]

How about a "faux miter". I've done them in the past, sorry no pics. But it is basically a standard cope and stick, but you hog the face away on the long stick and overlap the miter. It gives a HUGE glue surface and once you get setup, they are just as fast as normal doors. Depending on the species of wood, the grain on the edges of the doors might show the technique.

Gabe

[ron brown]

I agree with David,

It is very hard to beat the strength and durability of a mortise and tenon frame or door. There is a reason it was the traditional and preferred joint.

Ron

[bill_moore]

As Joe said outsource. I have all my doors done by a door company. They have the right tools and that's all they do. I can't build them for what I pay them.


Bill

[wberminio]

David

I have to with the rest.I've been outsourcing all my cabinet doors and drawers for over 15 years.
I have never looked backed.

Erminio