Face Frame Attachment

[Mike Goetzke]

I'm a hobbyist but have built many cabinets over the years. I'm currently working on a bathroom corner vanity with storage cabinet.

I have brad nailed/glued, pocket screwed/glued, and just glued and all have been a success (ha- not failed). I have a Domino 700 but have never used it for this attachment. Always been worried about depth of cut into the frame and how to accommodate a face frame that is proud of the cabinet.

Do many use Dominos for FF attachment? If so share technique?

Thanks

 

[jt073]

Hi I have a Domino, but don’t use it for face frame attachment. My preference is a continuous spline in 6mm birch ply.

Rather than repeat what’s been said elsewhere, here is a recent discussion on the subjecthttps://www.ukworkshop.co.uk/forums/post1346902.html#p1346902

Incidentally, I have used various methods of assembling the face frame itself - now I favour (small) dominos for alignment plus pocket screws  - the latter is possibly overkill, but it is a good way of cramping the frame up (you need to plan where your groove for the spline is going).

Cheers

 

[Michael Kellough]

You have to have all your sizes buttoned up very tight to be able to use Dominos on all four sides of a face frame. And or have developed the ability to micro adjust the Domino fence height.

Sometimes I use Dominos to match the top of a face frame to the top of a cabinet carcass but biscuits or splines work just as well.

I use pocket holes mostly.

 

[ear3]

I don't do a lot of face frames, but when I do I use the domino.  Since for me it's primarily about alignment rather than strength, I just do two perpendicular sides of the frame rather than all 4, with the wider mortise setting, which relieves the worry about having to get the offsets correct on all 4 sides.  Here's a picture of the face frame I did for my hand tool cabinet, from this thread.  If there's concern about the strength of the undominoed sides of the frame, it's easy enough to add a few pocket screws at strategic points around the opposite corner.

Since the DF700 has a 15mm minimum depth, you should be good if you're working with a 3/4 frame. 

I'm a hobbyist but have built many cabinets over the years. I'm currently working on a bathroom corner vanity with storage cabinet.

I have brad nailed/glued, pocket screwed/glued, and just glued and all have been a success (ha- not failed). I have a Domino 700 but have never used it for this attachment. Always been worried about depth of cut into the frame and how to accommodate a face frame that is proud of the cabinet.

Do many use Dominos for FF attachment? If so share technique?

Thanks

 

[fshanno]

I usually have a face frame on wall my cabinets.  And I domino them.  And my face frames are proud of the case side.  And yes it's a pain because you have to adjust the fence or shim. 

I use face frame hinges so the face frame needs to be well attached. 

The good news is that once all the mortises are done assembly is a snap.  And it makes a nice job. 

You're going to need to get the Seneca small mortise kit.