First, let me say hello to all here. A reader of FHB and FWW. I’m new here, but not new to wood and tools. I’ve been building furniture (and my last three houses) for the past 20 years, but not professionally. When I retired, I started a second career as a cabinet maker, and remodeler. I’m not a novice, but not an expert like most here.
I have a job to produce a large number of cabinets. They are for a warehouse not a kitchen, so I would call them construction grade not furniture grade. I need to make them sturdy, but make them fast as well. Now, my question…
I’ve built many M&T cabinet doors, and many biscuit doors. Could I use a spline instead? My thought is this..run the rails and stiles through the table saw to cut the groove for the panel (1/4in MDF), raise the saw blade and cut a deeper groove in the ends of the stiles and partially into the rails (ie..cutting the panel groove deeper and stopping the cut after a couple inches for example)? I would then cut some splines, glue everything up, sand, paint, and be done. I hope I explained that correctly. I could use the router to cut the deeper groove in the rails, but wanted to use as few setups (and tools) as possible.
Similar to a loose tenon, but a spline instead.
Thank you in advance, if I entered this in the wrong place, I will do better next time. I look forward to spending time here, meeting and learning.
Replies
flatness may be an issue.....
Sure you can build doors that way.
My first thought is that they will be a time consuming challenge to glue up flat unless you have an industrial type clamp setup.