Attaching face frame

[Porter Bassett]

Which would be better for attaching a 3/4" oak face frame -- 18 gauge brads or 16 gauge brads?

[Ryan Griffey]

I use bisquits and clamps for most applications. Or pocket screws in non-visible areas. In other words I never use nails.

[Jamie Buxton]

Smaller nails would leave smaller holes to fill. In nail gauges, larger numbers are smaller nails. That said, I don't want to see nail holes, so I depend on glue to fasten the face frame to the box.

[Joe Chritz]

Neither will really add any significant strength assuming you also use glue so smaller is better if you are going to use any fasteners at all.

Joe

[Mike Heidrick]

Hidden pocket screws is the way I am being taught

Other ways that I have not tried but have read about:
Biscuits to help with alignment
Dominos
Just glue

[Frank Drew]

I like glue and clamp, without any fasteners. A biggish box can take just about every clamp in the shop, of course.

Some friends turning out good work inb a shop nearby add biscuits for alignment.

[Joe Scharle]

Which would be better for attaching a 3/4" oak face frame -- 18 gauge brads or 16 gauge brads?

Actually neither, unless you're talking about a cutoff 18 gage alignment brad in each of the 4 corners. Oak and steel will react in time causing black stain.
My procedure is to tap in 4 alignment pins, cutoff the excess leaving 1/8 or less exposed. Glue the box edges & lay the FF down with the bottom aligned flush. (bottom is hard to trim flush). Draw the FF down tight thru previously drilled pocket holes. If for some reason pocket holes would visibly ruin the appearance, then I clamp like crazy. Set aside till dry. Flush trim the outside perimeter for a standalone box. If the box is to connect with another (i.e. kitchen set), I leave the FF on the connecting side proud of the box side. Apologizes in advance if I've been preaching to the choir.

[Chip Lindley]

I vote for NEITHER EITHER! When I got serious about making nice kitchen cabinets in the '80s, I was *incensed* to see some of the workmanship in the kitchens I was replacing. Birch plywood faceframes attached with *Finishing Nails* seemed to be the Norm! (no pun intended) Puttied nail holes Do really turn me off. That was the *standard* of the day, but from a bygone era now. I demand *furniture quality* in the FF cabs I build.

Biscuits for alignment, clamped with adequate yellow glue makes a strongly attached FF! As has been noted in previous threads on this subject, glue gives more holding power to FFs than mechanical fasteners. The new pin nailers are really useful, holding parts in alignment while the glue dries, and barely noticeable. Both are far superior in *LOOKS* to 16 or 18ga. nails! (IMO)

[Brent Ring]

+1 for glue and biscuits, or dowels even - but not nails, except for a pin or two for alignment

[Porter Bassett]

So, the alignment pins some of you are advocating -- those are the 23 ga. variety?

[Jim Becker]

I use glue and clamps (or some 23 gage pin nails in lieu of clamps if it's being put on a built-in in-place)...generally with a few biscuits along the top to help hold the frame in place during assembly. (Alignment only)

[Rod Sheridan]

I use glue and clamps........That's it, no fancy stuff like biscuits or pocket screws, and definitely no nails.

Why make more work for yourself?


(Of course, I'm also they guy that makes face frames with mortise and tenon joints. You know the old joke, "If the only tool you own is a mortiser........).

Regards, Rod.

[Jack Wilson50]

+1 for the biscuits and clamps

[Larry Edgerton]

I spline all of mine. I make a run of cabinets with seperate boxes, but one face frame, even around corners. When I get to the site all the boxes are assembled, and the face frame is slipped on the splines and glued in place.

I take great pride in the fact that there are never any fasteners showing in my cases, inside or out.

[Matt Meiser]

I've been using pocket screws where I can, just glue where I can't.

[Karl Brogger]

You don't have to nail anything, but you will have to clamp everything if you don't. I use a 15ga finish gun for most things. The bigger nail slams the two pieces together a bit harder. I don't like pin nails because of the tendancy to curl out of the partition or side for no apparent reason. The larger hole sucks, but if putty'd well it won't matter anyhow, and they disappear.

The nails are just there to hold it till the glue tacks.

My cousin does alot of furniture. He dado's all his faceframes on. He's got a gun that drives a diamond shaped piece onto the back of the face frame into the dado. Then he just taps it on with a mallet. Time consuming, but no holes.

[Clifford Mescher]

I always dado my face frames. Clifford.

[Bob Genovesi]

I use bisquits and clamps for most applications. Or pocket screws in non-visible areas. In other words I never use nails.

For the most part all I ever use now is biscuits and glue...

If the face was to be painted then I might use nails, fill, prime, and paint..

[Steve Clardy]

Glue, clamp up, then nail from the inside at an angle with a 18ga. nailer.

No nail holes to fill, and clamps can be pulled off almost immediately.