Raised panel box lid

[Richard Bishow]

I am making a maple and walnut box that has a raised panel lid (unglued lid photo attached). I’d like to rout a cove on the inside edge of the lid frame similar to the one pictured, and am unsure as to how to precisely stop the cut at the 90 degree inside corners of the frame. What do I need to accomplish that aspect of my project? Can this be done of a router table? Any help is appreciated. Thanks in advance. Rick
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[Jerry Miner]

There are a few ways to approach this.

1. Cope-and stick: The door in your picture (on left) is built with a cope-and-stick set-up in which two mating cutters are used to make matching male and female cuts. Most frame-and panel doors are made this way. You can do this on a router table.

2. Jack-mitering: You can run the "sticking" --the molded edge--- on all the parts, then cut miters in the sticking where the parts intersect. (A sharp chisel with a guide can help--see below)

3. Rout and carve: with the frame assembled dry (no glue) you can run a router around the inside edge, creating the sticking with radiused inside corners. These
rounded corners can be carved square as desired.

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[Wayne Lomman]

Yes, Jerry has it covered. Cheers

[Richard Bishow]

Thank you! Cope and Stile certainly makes sense rather than the current plan to use tongue and groove. It is relatively easy and quicker (for me) as compared to the other two options (jack mitering or rout and carve). HOWEVER, on second thought, with cope and stile, will I be able to rabbet the bottom of the lid so that it insets into the box? Certainly not as much room for routing the rabbet as with tongue and groove. Right? Any thoughts on this potential issue? Thanks again and HappyThanksgiving! Rick348074

[Ken Fitzgerald]

Sure you will be able to rabbet the bottom edge of the lid. It will only be rabbeted at the outer edge? Shouldn't be a problem.

[Jerry Miner]

If you want to use the cope-and-stick method, you will have to replace your existing stiles and rails (or change the size of the lid). But as Ken said, rabbeting the lid should not be a problem--as long as the box sides are not extremely thick.

Option 4: applied molding. You could make a separate molding (mill it onto a larger piece, then cut off the molding. Don't try to run a tiny piece through the router table) and attach it to the assembled frame. You will have to alter the panel to accommodate the molding.

[Richard Bishow]

I’ve got extra wood already cut and ready. I’ll give it a go with the cope and stile option. The box has ½” walls. The lid’s rails and stiles are ¾”. With tongue and groove I had about 3/16” clearance for an inset rabbet without violating the tongue. I think that with cope and stile there will be less clearance than that (Is that right?), but perhaps I don’t need that much. We’ll see! Many thanks for your help. Rick

[Jim Becker]

You can add the chamfer after the fact. The short-side rails are easy because the chamfer goes end to end. The stiles, however, you'll have to rout short of the mark and then finish by hand with a sharp chisel. You're essentially mimicking cope and stick in this manner while retaining the simpler T&G you started with.