What is the best way to cut a 1/4" panel mortise in 3/4" quartersawn oak rails and stiles? I've used the table saw and a router table for rougher work in the past but both have drawbacks. In the requested design the rails are easy since the cut goes all the way through. But the stiles need the mortise to be stopped. Is this a case where the plexiglass routing aid (or equivalent) is best or ???
Best way to cut mortise in rail and stile
- Thread starter RonMiller
- Start date
I am going to describe what I think you are asking about.
I am assuming you are talking about the grooves that the panel fits into as shown in the diagram below.
If you are making Shaker style doors, a table saw works fine. I do my doors that way. You will need either a rip blade that leaves a flat bottom to the cut or a dado head. You can use an alternating tooth blade, but I find that the end views look wrong.
It is a little trial and error to get the groove to the correct width.
Adjust the depth of cut to what you want for the board.
To perfectly center the groove in the board, you will want to make the cut in two passes. One pass in each direction. You will have to move the fence fore or aft to adjust the width of the groove.
I’ll see if there is a good video online to show how this is done.
I am assuming you are talking about the grooves that the panel fits into as shown in the diagram below.
If you are making Shaker style doors, a table saw works fine. I do my doors that way. You will need either a rip blade that leaves a flat bottom to the cut or a dado head. You can use an alternating tooth blade, but I find that the end views look wrong.
It is a little trial and error to get the groove to the correct width.
Adjust the depth of cut to what you want for the board.
To perfectly center the groove in the board, you will want to make the cut in two passes. One pass in each direction. You will have to move the fence fore or aft to adjust the width of the groove.
I’ll see if there is a good video online to show how this is done.
I did find a video. I would caution not to do as in the video at the 2:10 (approx.) location. He uses his fingers to adjust the blade to the highest position without mentioning to unplug the saw beforehand.
You could go through your entire life doing that and never have a problem. But still, I recommend you unplug the saw just like you would when changing blades.
He makes the rails and stiles as I described. He uses stub tenons to join the rails to the stiles and that is the most common way to do that. It makes clamping easy, and it is a strong joint.
I prefer mitered corners as all you see is the face grain. On painted doors I feel it makes a better look.
Also, I prefer a 1/2” thick center panel, with the thickness around the perimeter cut down to 1/4” using a dado blade. That so the doors feel more substantial and so I can screw various organization devices to the panels with short screws. You cannot do that with 1/4” thick panels.
I don’t use Space Balls in my doors, instead I adjust the grooves to make a snug fit on the center panels. That is all I have ever needed to prevent rattling.
One time the center panel shifted slightly and there was a narrow line of unpainted panel exposed. I had two options. I could paint out the line (easy enough) or I could re-center the panel and drive in a couple of very small brads to keep it from shifting again. The wire brads won out.
Note: The two cut method perfectly centers the groove in the rails and stiles. Which means you don’t have to pay too much attention to which side is “out” and which side is to face in.
As mentioned, I use mitered corners and two 3/8” diameter dowels per corner.
The router table method is going to be faster as you only need to make one pass. With the stock. But you setup has to be more careful and you have to pay attention to which side is facing out.
You could go through your entire life doing that and never have a problem. But still, I recommend you unplug the saw just like you would when changing blades.
He makes the rails and stiles as I described. He uses stub tenons to join the rails to the stiles and that is the most common way to do that. It makes clamping easy, and it is a strong joint.
I prefer mitered corners as all you see is the face grain. On painted doors I feel it makes a better look.
Also, I prefer a 1/2” thick center panel, with the thickness around the perimeter cut down to 1/4” using a dado blade. That so the doors feel more substantial and so I can screw various organization devices to the panels with short screws. You cannot do that with 1/4” thick panels.
I don’t use Space Balls in my doors, instead I adjust the grooves to make a snug fit on the center panels. That is all I have ever needed to prevent rattling.
One time the center panel shifted slightly and there was a narrow line of unpainted panel exposed. I had two options. I could paint out the line (easy enough) or I could re-center the panel and drive in a couple of very small brads to keep it from shifting again. The wire brads won out.
Note: The two cut method perfectly centers the groove in the rails and stiles. Which means you don’t have to pay too much attention to which side is “out” and which side is to face in.
As mentioned, I use mitered corners and two 3/8” diameter dowels per corner.
The router table method is going to be faster as you only need to make one pass. With the stock. But you setup has to be more careful and you have to pay attention to which side is facing out.
Crazyraceguy
Member
- Joined
- Oct 16, 2015
- Messages
- 4,887
There are so many ways to go about this, that it really depends on you, your tooling, and level of comfort with it.
There are literally matched sets, designed specifically for doing exactly that, with your parts lying flat on a router table.
It can also be done with a more common straight bit, with the parts standing on edge, upside-down on a router table.....or right side up with the routing aid (or similar)
It can also be done with a 3-wing slot cutting router bit too, and of course, the table saw method.
I'm equipped to do any of these methods, though generally preferring the bit set.
If you are completely stuck with having a stopped groove, either of the vertical orientations, so the router can stop them.
Sometimes on bigger doors, I add Dominos to reinforce the stub tenons. (If the door needs 3 hinges, I do the Dominos too)
There are literally matched sets, designed specifically for doing exactly that, with your parts lying flat on a router table.
It can also be done with a more common straight bit, with the parts standing on edge, upside-down on a router table.....or right side up with the routing aid (or similar)
It can also be done with a 3-wing slot cutting router bit too, and of course, the table saw method.
I'm equipped to do any of these methods, though generally preferring the bit set.
If you are completely stuck with having a stopped groove, either of the vertical orientations, so the router can stop them.
Sometimes on bigger doors, I add Dominos to reinforce the stub tenons. (If the door needs 3 hinges, I do the Dominos too)
