Tongue and Groove

[Keaten Housel]

Lately I've been practicing with tongue and groove. Would this be a good way to make larger panels? I usually use a bicuit joiner, but I've been reading about how they don't really add any strength and thats what I'm going for. Would tongue and groove be a good alternative or would I be wasting my time?

[Don Morris]

Keaten

I saw the tongue and Groove demo the Sommerfeld gave at one of the woodworking shows years ago and bought on of their sets. I've used it and it does what they said it does. Great way to build larger panels. Takes a little learning curve, (make or buy the preformed set up blocks) but it's a decent system. Strong joint and keeps everything pretty even. Nice system if all the joints are exposed. When they aren't exposed I don't use it exclusively, then I frequently use pocket screws along with it a lot. The only time I use biscuits is to help me keep the parts together when gluing if it's a long joint.

[Josiah Bartlett]

My main complaint about TNG is that it tends to use up a lot of wood compared to a butt or biscuit joint. You can get around this by using spline-and-groove.

[Greg Hawthorne]

The advantage that glue bits have (e.g. http://www.cmtutensili.com/show_items.asp?pars=RB~8/955.501~2 for router tables or http://www.cmtutensili.com/show_items.asp?pars=HK~694.009~2 for spindle moulders) is twofold - alignment of the pieces in the panel, and significantly increased gluing area. While biscuits don't add strength, they aid alignment, and although the advertisements for glue bits show perfect alignment, there's some testing required to get it right, so I cut cut oversize and plane to the finished size.

[Roger Bullock]

When looking for strength I got with the spline-and groove. It adds more glue surface, does not remove extra stock, and helps in alignment. If it is thick and in an area that will not be seen, I have been known to add pocket screws for over kill on joint strength.

[Bill Huber]

The problem I have had with glue type router joints is the fact that if the board is not really flat they still will come out bad. If the board as a little bow to it and you do not get it out when you run it across the router table then when you make the panel you will still have a high spot on one side and a low spot on the other.

I have had the best luck with my Jessem dowel jig and dowels about every 8". Some times it is a little hard to get the boards together if one was bowed but once done they are flush to each other.

[Lee Schierer]

The problem I have had with glue type router joints is the fact that if the board is not really flat they still will come out bad. If the board as a little bow to it and you do not get it out when you run it across the router table then when you make the panel you will still have a high spot on one side and a low spot on the other.

I've had the same experience. I usually just edge join my boards and work on the alignment piece to piece as I do the clamping by working from one end to the other making sure all boards are even as I tighten the clamp in that area. I glue up panels slightly over size so I can true up the ends after glue up to get them perfectly square. If your joint is properly smooth and tight, the wood will fail before the glue joint does. Adding dowels, splines or T&G is added work that really isn't necessary for adding stength to a edge grain joint if the joint is properly prepared and the proper amoun of glue is used.

[Rod Sheridan]

I've had the same experience. I usually just edge join my boards and work on the alignment piece to piece as I do the clamping by working from one end to the other making sure all boards are even as I tighten the clamp in that area. I glue up panels slightly over size so I can true up the ends after glue up to get them perfectly square. If your joint is properly smooth and tight, the wood will fail before the glue joint does. Adding dowels, splines or T&G is added work that really isn't necessary for adding stength to a edge grain joint if the joint is properly prepared and the proper amoun of glue is used.

I agree completely with Lee regarding proper jointing and preparation for glueing, as well as the strength of a well made glue joint.

When I have used a glue joint type cutter it has been in a shaper with a power feeder and the alignment of the parts is great, because the feder puts enough pressure on the part, that any bow is bent out before it hits the cutter.

Unless you have a reason for doing this, such as a lock mitre joint, in my opinion it's a waste of time.

Regards, Rod.

[lowell holmes]

Maybe it's time to revisit putting a few grains of sharp sand in a glue joint as you clamp it. The "very" few grains of sand will keep the boards from slipping as you make the joint. This is not my tip, but I don't remember where I got it.

[Keaten Housel]

Thanks for the link Greg! I didn't know glue bits existed lol.

[frank shic]

i just glue the panels edge to edge. i've tried the edge glue bit but it was much fussier.

[John Grossi]

I agree with Don. Check out http://www.sommerfeldtools.com. I bought his tounge and groove set and use it on many of my projects.