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What size door for Cope and Stick Router bits - Printable Version

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What size door for Cope and Stick Router bits - petertay15 - 01-16-2017

I'm making a walnut armoire. The two doors are 64.5 x 14.75"  The doors have 3" rails, top and bottom, also a 4.5" rail in the middle: so each door has two panels. 

The question is: With hardwood doors this size, will cope & stick glue joints be strong enough, or should I use M&T joints?

THANKS


RE: What size door for Cope and Stick Router bits - JGrout - 01-16-2017

IME cope ans stick it is plenty strong enough even for a door that large.

If you are truly concerned cut mortises in both rails and stiles then cope and stick them them after.

They will last for a very long time 

either way 

JME

Joe


RE: What size door for Cope and Stick Router bits - rwe2156 - 01-16-2017

On doors that size, I would go the extra mile and use mortise and tenon.  

The deeper mortise is definitely stronger and also helps if there's a bit of twist anywhere.

But C&S will most likely be OK, too.


RE: What size door for Cope and Stick Router bits - Steve N - 01-16-2017

You have 2 good things going for you. A center rail will ad a lot of strength, and added glue surface, and you have ample size of your parts to work with. You don't say TS, router, or Shaper, so my only question is what size stub will you have? Many routers limit you to 1/4" = PUNY. Shapers can go 3/8, or 1/2" Mucho better. TS you can go Grande, and for that reason I do. How do you plan to make the joint, and what size stub will your method leave you?

I'm tripping on my tongue again, call mine rail, stile, vs cope stick. I grew up with them being pretty much interchangeable, mine are all about going together with square edges, yours are pretty, but it's actually the detail that you see, and you can still do that off the TS made joint. But with sufficient stock width, I can always make my stub plenty big enough to have strength.


RE: What size door for Cope and Stick Router bits - JGrout - 01-16-2017

Steve 

Nearly all cope and stick cutters make a minimum 3/8" tongue now 

I am not aware of any that do 1/4" any more 

Joe


RE: What size door for Cope and Stick Router bits - petertay15 - 01-16-2017

Your replies are appreciated. Nobody said DON'T do it, so I'll go the router method. I'm not opposed to T&G, just like getting a job done quickly.
--Peter


RE: What size door for Cope and Stick Router bits - trainwreck - 01-16-2017

The Freud #97 xxx series raised panel bit sets have a cope cutter that can be configured to cut longer tenons on the rails and you can deepen the mortises in the stiles.


RE: What size door for Cope and Stick Router bits - Steve N - 01-17-2017

Joe, been a long time since I looked at a door set of router bits, just because they used to be too short. Did that butt u me thing
Big Grin