Looking for suggestions and guidance

[Al Rodecap]

I have a couple of projects under way that I'm looking for suggestions on.

Project 1 - I have to create/modify a set of 24" louvered oak bi-fold doors to fit a 56" opening. My plan is to trim the door sides and then glue oak to the sides to make those 28" (56" overall). My question is do I use biscuits, do I spend the funds on a Domino system, or what? I've looked at the biscuit system and have concerns on accuracy of cut and stability. The domino system looks to be more accurate and repeatable as what I want to have in the end is not to have to veneer or do any unnatural acts to get the door surface smooth. Cabinet scraper to remove glue is good but I still need to figure out what kind of glue to use that won't preclude staining.

Project 2 - I need to join boards to create an 18.5' piece to go over a set of windows and have the joint or joints look decent. Do I use biscuits to reinforce, domino's or what kind of a joint would you suggest to do this? The boards will be 3/4" x 4 1/2" x 18.5' when completed. I have tried to find a single piece that long and no mills cut to that length. This is trim but fortunately doesn't have to be moulded.

Suggestions are welcome.

Thanks

[Aaron Inami]

Project 2 - I need to join boards to create an 18.5' piece to go over a set of windows and have the joint or joints look decent. Do I use biscuits to reinforce, domino's or what kind of a joint would you suggest to do this? The boards will be 3/4" x 4 1/2" x 18.5' when completed. I have tried to find a single piece that long and no mills cut to that length. This is trim but fortunately doesn't have to be moulded.

Is this trim going to be painted? If so, it sounds like a crown molding type of job. I would just tack on individual pieces of trim (typically 8-10 feet) onto the wall. Then get some acrylic latex caulk and rub it into the small gaps between the pieces. It will look like a single solid piece once painted. If you need to stain the wood, then you are looking at domino, biscuit or even a couple dowels if you can get the holes drilled accurately. You're not looking for extreme strength, just enough to hold the pieces together. You'll have finishing nails tacked in every so often anyways.

[Greg Quenneville]

If in paint grade you can cut the board ends at an angle. the resulting join will be easier to conceal. I think that If stained you will always see the join line and it will always look…poor.

On the door question, any PVA should be strong enough for what sounds like a standard laminating chore. I wouldn’t worry about reinforcement unless you want an excuse to buy a domino. If you are careful with aligning the two pieces and clamp well you should be ok. Attention must be paid that the joint doesn’t slip a bit while the glue is wet. You are going to have to sand before afterward and then stain the complete door.

[Scott Clausen]

Biscuits are more of an alignment aid than a strength builder but can come in handy while the glue is sliding things around. You may need to get down to some fresh unsealed wood first, the edges are probably rounded too. If they lay flat you may be able to do on a track saw or TS. Me, I would probably reach for a hand plane because I am geeking out over hand tools at the moment and actually getting good at it. You will lose some width so factor that in to your added pieces. May also want to over size and plane to final match but that is getting back to hand plane work or a sander if you can control it. Buying a Domino rig ain't cheap and is more geared to adding strength.

[Jim Becker]

For project one where you make each 24" door wider by adding material to the stiles, you really don't need biscuits, Dominos, etc., Just glue is fine. You'll want to add material on both sides of each door to maintain proportion and symmetry. Unless I'm misunderstanding the scope of work.