Mike Allen1010
06-28-2013, 11:51 PM
I do 98% of my woodworking with hand tools (I use a bandsaw for re-sawing).
One of the things I struggle most with is frame and panel doors, like this one I'm building for a Pennsylvania spice box modeled after one in an article in FWW by Steve Latta.
265349
I am certainly no expert, but after consistently screwing these up badly I now use 3 Rules (on an index card taped up in the shop!) that help me execute F&P doors more consistently. I'm sure these ideas are not original and much better expressed in an article or book somewhere, but I thought these might be interesting/helpful to share with my fellow Neander's here on SMC:
#1) The shoulder to shoulder length of door rails is: desired door width minus width of the stiles without the inner moldings applied to the frame, which will be ripped off.
I always fail to allow for this, which means I end up with the door that is too narrow by 2X the width of any interior frame moldings, which I consistently fail to allow for - I hate when that happens!.
#2) Once the door frame members are correctly dimensioned, the first thing I do is create any molding for the interior of the door frame.
I used to plow the grooves in the frame members for the panel first, but I always ended up cracking/chipping off/breaking the molding I was trying to apply to the narrow width of the door frame left after plowing the groove.
In addition, I used to automatically plow the groove in the middle of frame members for the panel. Now to allow more width/support for interior frame moldings, I usually offset the groove and mortises toward the inside of the door.
#3) I always put the triangle cabinetmakers mark on the face side of the frame members in big black marker.
This reminds me to always reference the Mortise gauge off the face side when laying out M&T’s.
It's also a visible reminder to make sure I reassembled the frame in the correct configuration when I'm trimming tennon shoulders for a tight fit. In the "shave a little -- test the fit" process I can't tell you how many times I have reassembled the frame with some components reversed/backwards etc. and wondered "Gee this sure seem to fit a lot better a minute ago?”, and as a consequence ended up trimming the wrong shoulders etc. -- which of course just makes the fit worse -- I also hate when that happens!
Here's some pictures of the spice chest in process (with the end grain suitably covered for Zack and David's benefit!). I still need to rub out the shellac and build drawers.
265350265352265354265351265353
I think I include a picture of the hidden compartments in the back…
265355
I'm currently working on the string inlay for the door (I'm thinking wedding date and my wife and my initials for our 26th anniversary?).
265348
Anyway, I hope some of my fellow Neanders here on SMC can benefit from my mistakes.
All the best, Mike
One of the things I struggle most with is frame and panel doors, like this one I'm building for a Pennsylvania spice box modeled after one in an article in FWW by Steve Latta.
265349
I am certainly no expert, but after consistently screwing these up badly I now use 3 Rules (on an index card taped up in the shop!) that help me execute F&P doors more consistently. I'm sure these ideas are not original and much better expressed in an article or book somewhere, but I thought these might be interesting/helpful to share with my fellow Neander's here on SMC:
#1) The shoulder to shoulder length of door rails is: desired door width minus width of the stiles without the inner moldings applied to the frame, which will be ripped off.
I always fail to allow for this, which means I end up with the door that is too narrow by 2X the width of any interior frame moldings, which I consistently fail to allow for - I hate when that happens!.
#2) Once the door frame members are correctly dimensioned, the first thing I do is create any molding for the interior of the door frame.
I used to plow the grooves in the frame members for the panel first, but I always ended up cracking/chipping off/breaking the molding I was trying to apply to the narrow width of the door frame left after plowing the groove.
In addition, I used to automatically plow the groove in the middle of frame members for the panel. Now to allow more width/support for interior frame moldings, I usually offset the groove and mortises toward the inside of the door.
#3) I always put the triangle cabinetmakers mark on the face side of the frame members in big black marker.
This reminds me to always reference the Mortise gauge off the face side when laying out M&T’s.
It's also a visible reminder to make sure I reassembled the frame in the correct configuration when I'm trimming tennon shoulders for a tight fit. In the "shave a little -- test the fit" process I can't tell you how many times I have reassembled the frame with some components reversed/backwards etc. and wondered "Gee this sure seem to fit a lot better a minute ago?”, and as a consequence ended up trimming the wrong shoulders etc. -- which of course just makes the fit worse -- I also hate when that happens!
Here's some pictures of the spice chest in process (with the end grain suitably covered for Zack and David's benefit!). I still need to rub out the shellac and build drawers.
265350265352265354265351265353
I think I include a picture of the hidden compartments in the back…
265355
I'm currently working on the string inlay for the door (I'm thinking wedding date and my wife and my initials for our 26th anniversary?).
265348
Anyway, I hope some of my fellow Neanders here on SMC can benefit from my mistakes.
All the best, Mike