Shopsmith Forums

For all you cabinet builders out there. Is glue alone good enough for a face frame that will not have a door hung on it?

If not, epoxy would!(according to the master ship builder).

I would reinforce the joints with a biscuit or some other mechanical device. A butt joint relies on end grain and a half lap has a cross grain glue joint problem. Both are possible compromises. But the width of the stiles and rails would offset some of that. Pocket screws are another method of securing the joints.
Bill V

I would reinforce the joints with a biscuit or some other mechanical device. A butt joint relies on end grain and a half lap has a cross grain glue joint problem. Both are possible compromises. But the width of the stiles and rails would offset some of that. Pocket screws are another method of securing the joints.
Bill V
PS My kitchen cabinets have the joints reinforced with pocket screws. The stiles are secured to the cabinet sides with shallow dado joints.

moggymatt wrote:For all you cabinet builders out there. Is glue alone good enough for a face frame that will not have a door hung on it?

Your question got me to thinking back to the first face frames I ever made. Didn't know what to do, or how to go about it.

I doweled the rails to the stiles and glued the frames to the cabinets. To hold the frames while the glue cured, I nailed through the frames. Later removing the nails and filling the small holes.

I attached doors to the frames and the result was - success! The frames and doors held up for 5 years, until we moved.

moggymatt wrote:For all you cabinet builders out there. Is glue alone good enough for a face frame that will not have a door hung on it?

Probably, however with the temperature and humidity extremes of Spokane would it not be more prudent to use "as Bill V suggested" a mechanical backup system like pocket screws or biscuits? Or dowels via Charlese.
Questions might be
Where is the project going to call home?
If the butt seam does come apart, what is the significance if any?
What is YOUR time allocated to do this project and is there time to do more than just glue it?

My guess is you have already answered these questions.

Be well,
Ben