View Full Version : Can a rail rise?
Robert Engel
02-28-2022, 9:17 AM
I know this is a knit picking exercise in semantics, but I'm curious what others think.
Commonly accepted that stiles are vertical & rails horizontal.
I call the rails the pieces that fit between the stiles and are always are coped. So in my world stiles can be horizontal and rails can be vertical.
For example, a wide face frame, a drawer front, or wainscotting. In describing it to someone I would say "vertical rails" or "horizontal stiles" and confuse people.
What say you all?
Kevin Jenness
02-28-2022, 9:24 AM
I go with horizontal rails and vertical stiles. Why do you want to confuse people?
Ron Citerone
02-28-2022, 9:26 AM
I would stick to horizontal = rails. In discussions it would mean less confusion I think, but I am interested in other thoughts.
Stan Calow
02-28-2022, 9:36 AM
If you have to explain it, its not worth having a general term for it. I always think of fences when I hear the terms rails and stiles, so it immediately orients things.
Jared Sankovich
02-28-2022, 10:00 AM
Rails are always horizontal, stiles are always vertical
You can have mid rails and mid stiles.
474844
474845
Then there are mulions
474846
Bill Dufour
02-28-2022, 12:25 PM
To further confuse the issue when I make a tongue and groove fence. I make half the boards with two tongues and half with two grooves. Reducing the handling time at the shaper by a lot. More then making up for the slight increase in time spent at the job site sorting boards from two piles.
I also put a chalk mark on the up face of the board on the shaper and keep that chalk mark showing when installing. That helps reduce any issues from thickness differences.
Bill D
Brian Tymchak
02-28-2022, 1:04 PM
I generally agree with you Robert but since the other perspective is so much more readily accepted I go with the flow. I mean if you build a frame oriented with traditional rail & stile definition, then turn it 90°, do the parts names change?
I call the rails the pieces that fit between the stiles and are always are coped.
Do you consider mortise & tenon joinery, or doweled or pocket screws to be "coped"?
Edward Weber
02-28-2022, 1:33 PM
I generally agree with you Robert but since the other perspective is so much more readily accepted I go with the flow. I mean if you build a frame oriented with traditional rail & stile definition, then turn it 90°, do the parts names change?
Do you consider mortise & tenon joinery, or doweled or pocket screws to be "coped"?
Yes, the names of the parts change.
If it's horizontal, it's a rail. It it's vertical it's a stile.
The parts are designated not by how you made them but how they are oriented when used.
Powered by vBulletin® Version 4.2.5 Copyright © 2024 vBulletin Solutions Inc. All rights reserved.