Dowels across miter joints?

[tetsuwan]

Hi all, I'm building a low audio/video component console out of some furniture grade plywood that I was going to face/edge with solid lumber so I can do some router work on the outside edges and corners of the cabinet and put the cabinet together with miter joints. The obvious way to reinforce the joint is with biscuits, but due to the wife's needs (contact lenses trump biscuits), I don't have the budget for a plate joiner. I was figuring that dowels across the miter joint (outside edge to outside edge)would work pretty well and look stylish too. Does anyone know of a jig that allows you to do this? I haven't seen any commercially available ones that allow you to drill across a miter, just edge to edge and butt/T joints. I guess I could build some kind of jig for this purpose. Any thoughts, hints or advice would be greatly appreciated.
thanks,
john barrick
cincinnati

[Russianwolf]

I'd say you'll have to make your own jig.

As a side note, I think they pffer a bit for your router that will allow you to use biscuits if you want.

You could also spline the joint, or make dovetail keys. You have a lot of options.

[pelligrini]

Do you have a drill press? Freehanding them might be difficult. I wonder if adding a 45 degree block to the backside of a dowling jig might work.

Another good look is doing straight or dovetailed keys across the miter corners.

[shoottx]

From Cabinetman on another thread

You could do a splined miter (boards would be flat to the table):

.

[Uncle Cracker]

Ditto the suggestion for the spline joint... You could also get a lock miter bit for your router, although the quality of the cut will depend a lot on the makeup of your plywood.

[cabinetman]

You might be able to get enough exposure at the miter, with this type of clamp. For drilling dowels through the miter, you could use a guide for sightlining the direction of the bit.

http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/...500_AA280_.jpg
.
Or, you could make up your own corner clamp and allow as much exposure as you want with ordinary bar clamps that you may already have.

http://www.woodworkingtips.com/etips...ws-closer2.gif
.

[tetsuwan]

Thanks for the thoughtful replies. I think you'll get me to an affordable solution.
Cheers,
john

[poolhound]

I would also add my vote for the splined miter. I have done this many times.

If you want something more decorative then you can also do splined miters using a contrasting wood across the corner.

Something like this.

http://www.woodworkingtips.com/etips/etip010511sn.html

[Bill in Buena Park]

I would also add my vote for the splined miter. I have done this many times.

If you want something more decorative then you can also do splined miters using a contrasting wood across the corner.

Something like this.

http://www.woodworkingtips.com/etips/etip010511sn.html

Jon,
I've seen something similar for use on a router table, lets you use a dovetail bit to cut a notch for a dovetail-shaped spline - pseudo-dovetail joinery. I've only seen it used on boxes, but...?

For the OP's application (which I was guessing was on the carcase) I would think you could do the (hidden) spline joinery or lock-joint, do the glue up, then make a similar jig to clamp over the corners of the carcase that would allow the router to cut the dovetail notches. Not sure if this adds any more strength, but might add an interesting detail.

[Len]

If you have a decent dovetail saw and some sharp chisels, you could always hand cut mitre dovetails, aka 'secret dovetails'. Info can be found in several woodworking joint books, and a quick description can be found at:

http://www.pbs.org/wws/howto/dovetailbox.html

Len

[Thalermade]

John if the above ideas don't work for you, let me know. I have a Ryobi biscuit jointer you are more than welcome to borrow (plus I probably have the size of biscuits that you need and you can have them).

from just North of Cincinnati
Russ

[tetsuwan]

Thanks, Russ

Russ - that's very kind of you. I'll let you know if I can't work something out.

Thanks much,
john

[dbhost]

Hi all, I'm building a low audio/video component console out of some furniture grade plywood that I was going to face/edge with solid lumber so I can do some router work on the outside edges and corners of the cabinet and put the cabinet together with miter joints. The obvious way to reinforce the joint is with biscuits, but due to the wife's needs (contact lenses trump biscuits), I don't have the budget for a plate joiner. I was figuring that dowels across the miter joint (outside edge to outside edge)would work pretty well and look stylish too. Does anyone know of a jig that allows you to do this? I haven't seen any commercially available ones that allow you to drill across a miter, just edge to edge and butt/T joints. I guess I could build some kind of jig for this purpose. Any thoughts, hints or advice would be greatly appreciated.
thanks,
john barrick
cincinnati

Not sure about where you live, but a quick search for "biscuit" on my local Craigslist pops up with a couple of sub $100.00 examples. One that appears to be a Ryobi JM82K (the model I have) for $60.00.

[tetsuwan]

What I ended up doing

So, I broke down and bought the Rockler 45 locking miter bit. I think noticed when I got home that it was too big for the hole in the bt3 router table. I happened to have some old ripped out laminate counter top that I'd been hoarding. I went back to rockler, bought the mounting plate for my Makita, routed out and leveled the top, bought a set of legs from harbor freight and had the router table I've needed for some time. Then I built a TALL fence out of excess plywood I had from the project (1/2" glued back to back to make 1"), added a dust port for the shop vac (this bit makes lots of sawdust) and was ready to go. I routed in about three or four passes as we're talking 1" of ply here and the material just tore to pieces.

I used what appeared to be a nicer grade birch plywood from lowes at about $28 a sheet. I thought it would hold up ok, but the detail that creates the locking joint just tore out half the time. I've gotten the piece together (49"x18"x15) with some help from some serious clamping, but I'm going to need to do quite a bit of sanding and filling around the outside edges.

Maybe I need to used a better grade ply next time, or maybe gluing up the ply back to back didn't straighten it much as I thought it would, but this was just a little more than frustrating.

At the end of the day, the piece will look nice when finished, and I have a real router table now.