Face Frames

[TCOTTLE]

Has anyone ever used a saw blade instead of a slot cutter to get the groove around a cabinet carcase to use biscuits for mounting a face frame?
Up here in the middle of nowhere, I cannot find a slot cutter in any of my local stores, and I don't really have the time to wait for it to get here in the mail or the money for expedited shipping.
I was thinking I could use either a regular or dado blade to get the 5/16 groove.
Thanks
-Tim

[Eric]

I haven't done it myself, but I've seen Norm do a similiar thing. Use it to put a groove into the face frame and then use a biscuit cutter to cut the slot in the carcass.

That way you don't have to worry about lining up the slot on the frame with the carcass. Think that's pretty slick.

[Mr__Bill]

I was thinking I could use either a regular or dado blade to get the 5/16 groove.
Thanks
-Tim

Boy them are some big biscuits! I expect that you can get the 5/32" slot with two passes with a saw blade. Or you could just do a dado and set the sides into the face frame. If you haven't already cut to size this is fast and strong.

For what it's worth I have ordered from MLCS and their regular mail service is rather fast, even faster for you on the east coast.

Good luck

Bill, over here on the big ocean

[LarryG]

If the carcase panels are reasonably small, you could use a high fence and cut the grooves on a table saw. But large-ish panels stood up on edge and fed across a narrow blade would be unwieldy to handle at best, and downright unsafe at worst.

Otherwise, I think Eric has the right idea. On the custom kitchen project, Norm put the continuous groove in the carcase edges and the biscuits in individual slots in the face frame, but I can think of no reason the two could not be reversed. You'd probably want to use stopped grooves, however, so that their ends would not show at the corners of the face frames.

[TCOTTLE]

Boy them are some big biscuits! I expect that you can get the 5/32" slot with two passes with a saw blade.

Doh!

Yeah, I have an old 7 inch craftsman wobble dado of death, but I think i can only set it to 3/16 at the smallest.

[TCOTTLE]

If the carcase panels are reasonably small, you could use a high fence and cut the grooves on a table saw. But large-ish panels stood up on edge and fed across a narrow blade would be unwieldy to handle at best, and downright unsafe at worst.

Otherwise, I think Eric has the right idea. On the custom kitchen project, Norm put the continuous groove in the carcase edges and the biscuits in individual slots in the face frame, but I can think of no reason the two could not be reversed. You'd probably want to use stopped grooves, however, so that their ends would not show at the corners of the face frames.

I was thinking that as well, I did not know if there was a reason I could not reverse it, I would much rather do it that way. I am sure he put them in the carcases so he would not have to do the stopped grooves.
I was thinking if i put my saw on an ice chest, it might be easier to run those dados in the carcase edges.

[phi1l]

remember dowels? using dowels might be easier than setting up do do it on a table saw, or maybe even a straight cut bit in a router with an appropriate jig the bit straight & stopped right.

[TCOTTLE]

IMHO, dowels are a PITA to get lined up, and not very forgiving.
by making the long grooves, the biscuits can go anywhere, within reason, and line up.

[cgallery]

Are you sold on using biscuits?

There are alternatives.

For attaching face frames you can use pocket screws from the sides of the cabinet into the face frame.

Of course, this only works if you don't have a finished (exposed) side. But even in those cases, I've seen commercial shops that use a piece of 1/4" plywood as their finished side and they glue/pin nail it into place when the cabinets are done being installed. They scribe it to the wall and when properly executed it looks great.

Speaking of pin nails, that is another alternative. Just some glue and some pin nails to hold the frame while the glue dries.

[cgallery]

That way you don't have to worry about lining up the slot on the frame with the carcass. Think that's pretty slick.

As long as the face frame is flush with the inside of the cabinet, I guess that method would be pretty easy. If not, then you have to worry about getting the biscuit cutter's fence set correctly to accommodate any overlap.

[phi1l]

IMHO, dowels are a PITA to get lined up, and not very forgiving.
by making the long grooves, the biscuits can go anywhere, within reason, and line up.

actually if you get or make the little metal inserts it is very easy. .. Drill holes in on piece, put inserts in the holes put the other piece in place, give it a gentle whack over each dowel location, & you have perfect drill center locations for each hole in the second piece.

[cabinetman]

Speaking of pin nails, that is another alternative. Just some glue and some pin nails to hold the frame while the glue dries.

You could just use glue and clamps.

Pin nails would work. Or, use small finish nails and drive them into the front edge of the cabinet. Leave them proud about 1/4", and snip off the heads at an angle. Then add glue and tap down the FF.
.

[JR]

I've been using a micro-adjuster on my table saw when making grooves. Make a pass with your rip blade, adjust as necessary, and make another pass.

You can get perfect results, assuming you follow LarryG's warning about using a tall fence.

JR

[TCOTTLE]

I think paying careful attention to the location of the face frame edges(inside/outside) will allow me to do it "like norm"

[LarryG]

As long as the face frame is flush with the inside of the cabinet, I guess that method would be pretty easy. If not, then you have to worry about getting the biscuit cutter's fence set correctly to accommodate any overlap.

Not sure I'm following you. That need exists whether the continuous slot is on the carcass, or on the face frame. Or am I missing your meaning?