slot for biscuits to attach face frame

[keith ouellette]

I just saw new yankee and Norm used a router to put a slot it the front edge of a cabinet carcase to receive biscuits. That way the spacing on the face frame is not critical.

I thought that was a good idea. Thought I would pass it along to anyone who didn't watch the show.

[Carl Eyman]

Yeah, looks good, Keith. I wonder what size cutter you need and how accurately you have to be in getting the groove in the right place.

[Lee Koepke]

Yeah, looks good, Keith. I wonder what size cutter you need and how accurately you have to be in getting the groove in the right place.
I saw him do it on several carcasses .. and I guess I would have to experiment with set up. The face frame biscuits would have to line up with the grooves, but once you get that set the first time, you are golden ...

[Doug Shepard]

I saw that episode and couldn't help thinking - you've got the router set up to slot the edge. Why not just slot the face frame too and use splines instead? I dunno:confused: Something about removing wood and leaving a void there just feels wrong to me though I'm sure I have no good reason for feeling that.

[keith ouellette]

I would think if the grove was centered in the case edge and the inside edge of the face frame was flush you would set the biscuit jointer fence to cut 1/2 the thickness of the case material at the center of the blade and cut slots from the inside edge of the face frame. You could test it by putting the plate joiner up against the the carcase edge and see if the blade slides into the slot. If the face frame hung over the inside of the case you would add that much.

[Lee Koepke]

I would think if the grove was centered in the case edge and the inside edge of the face frame was flush you would set the biscuit jointer fence to cut 1/2 the thickness of the case material at the center of the blade and cut slots from the inside edge of the face frame. You could test it by putting the plate joiner up against the the carcase edge and see if the blade slides into the slot. If the face frame hung over the inside of the case you would add that much.
That sounds logical. You posted it as I was thinking it !!!

[Brian Gumpper]

That's a pretty popular application and I sell a fair amount of the Whiteside kits. I always wondered about alignment but I guess people are doing it.

http://www.whitesiderouterbits.com/catimages07/biscuitjoining.gif

[Rod Sheridan]

Not owning a plate joiner or router, I use a 5/32" inch slotting cutter in the shaper for face frame applications.

regards, Rod.

[Curt Harms]

I saw that episode and couldn't help thinking - you've got the router set up to slot the edge. Why not just slot the face frame too and use splines instead? I dunno:confused: Something about removing wood and leaving a void there just feels wrong to me though I'm sure I have no good reason for feeling that.

To cut a slot and leave it empty just removes gluing surface. I'd think this is a pretty weak way to attach a face frame. Either doing biscuits in the conventional way(perhaps elongate the slot a little with a second plunge for less fussy alignment or use splines as Doug says.

[Mitchell Andrus]

Slot on the carcass, slot on the face, who needs biscuits? Just cut and insert a spline - for free.

[Jim Becker]

Yes, this can be a great technique, not just for the flexible alignment in the "classic" sense, but also if you need to scribe one side. It makes clamping the face frame on much easier and with the convenient lateral movement with vertical alignment, you come up a winner.

[Matt Purtill]

If anybody has been watching the current season on PBS, they'll have see in episode 1 where he visited a cabinet factory that does puts slots all the way around the cabinets so the builders don't have to worry about lining up all of the biscuits. Norm has adopted this method since that first episode.

[Dave Bureau]

I like sommerfeld's method. t&g the sides to the front, glue and pocket screw. no clamping and waiting to dry. nice flush fit every time.