Feeding the Edge??

[jstockman]

Guys

I am finishing some bookcases and noticed on a professional set I have in another room that on the face of the bookcase where the rails and stiles are joined to the plywood casing there exists a small very very small round over the leaves a very very small gap between the joined edges.  I asked a friend and he said he thought is was called "feeding the edge".  Anyway it looks very professonal 

If anyone knows what this is here is my question.  How can I do the same thing and what tools does it require.  Again, I don't believe this micro round over is done with a router.

Thank-you in advance.

Jim

 

[tbellemare]

Something like this image only with a round on the frame piece?
[attachimg=#]

You could do it in two steps with the MFK 700 quite easliy.

Tom

 

[jmbfestool]

Using MFS700  and a Router!  Don't see why a router cant be used okay maybe a Trimmer?!??!?!?

JMB

 

[tbellemare]

That was MFK 700 - the Festool trim router.

[attachthumb=#1]

Tom

 

[jmbfestool]

That was MFK 700 - the Festool trim router.

[attachthumb=#1]

Tom

Oops I kinda just looked at it quickly just saw 700 in my head lol sorry but still a normal trimmer or router would do the job so my statement still stands doesnt it.  Its just that jstockman said it cant be done with a router.

 

[tbellemare]

my statement still stands doesnt it

It certainly does. We were thinking the same thing.

The v-groove can be done with a router and either of these bits in one pass after assembly.

The roundover and chamfer, I think, would take a pass on each before assembly with 2 different bits.

Tom

 

[woodguy7]

That is a nice detail.  I believe it is used so if there is any movement on either those pieces, it would not be a visible as if they were flush.

Woodguy.

 

[tbellemare]

It also makes the joint sort of disappear as if it was milled out of one piece.

Tom

 

[danjames]

They are called shadow lines as they hide the joint, as said before. [smile]

Dan

 

[KorDes]

We call them V joints. Basically an arise on opposing boards that are to be joined flush. It looks more pleasing to the eye, helps hide any joints that arent perfectly flush and doesnt ruin the finish if the joint were to move with the timber. Fastest way is just to sand an even arise along the joining edge.

 

[Wood_Junkie]

For a chamfer, you can use a sharp block plane.

Sanding works also, but its hard to get a consistent angle / rounding, IMO.

For roundovers, a trim router is easy to handle, but there are also hand-held radius planes.
I like this kind of bit for a v-groove:
http://www.acetoolonline.com/CMT-853-001-11-CMT-Flush-V-Groove-Router-Bit-p/cmt-853.001.11.htm

HA!  And I see that this is the exact picture Tom posted.  There ya go.

 

[JEP]

The easiest, fastest way to do that detail is with a block plane, just before assembly.  I usually take two swipes, as the first barely takes off the corner.  I have the MFK 700 and it would be more trouble to set it up, where with the block plane I'd already be done.

The chamfer detail is very handy because it hides any discrepancies if one of the two surfaces is slighty proud of the other (which can change seasonally).

Joe

 

[Rick Christopherson]

I don't mean to be a wet blanket, but as a former cabinetmaker, I really have a hard time accepting this style of joint. The first time I saw one 15 years ago, it made me cringe, because I knew the purpose behind the profile was to conceal a mismatched joint in a production environment, as opposed to flushing the joint. It can be a nice look, but whenever I see it, it will always make me think that corners were cut (no pun intended).

If you are going to use this v-notch in the seam, they do make pattern router bits specifically for the task. You don't want to chamfer the corners before assembly, as that defeats the purpose and also leaves the possibility of glue squeeze-out in the resulting v-notch.

When I join a faceframe to a cabinet carcase, the frame extends slightly proud of the side, and then I flush it afterward. I use a belt sander and scraper to flush the joint, but most people would be more comfortable using a flush trim router bit and ROS sander. This is also one area where a lack of proper clamping pressure will result in a visible glue line.

 

[Warrior]

I agree with Rick on this one issue. JK. Rick usually sounds like he knows what he is talking about.  [big grin] You would never find this type of joinery on anything approaching fine woodworking.

 

[nickao]

I wouldn't go that far.   Some would  say plywood doesn't belong in fine woodwork  either.

I don't agree with either point. Just using a V joint would not exclude a super nice piece from being  a superb piece. I have seen far worse details on pieces that some consider museum pieces. Plus, the OP was not talking about a fine piece, but a bookcase type piece, so he should go for it if he wants to.

Actually, the V -joint is not what the Original poster has asked about anyway. He inquired about "a very, very small round over that  leaves a very, very small gap between the joined edges". He said nothing about a chamfered or angled edge at all.

For me it is a place for dust and dirt to accumulate, but that's me.

Actually, that bit was designed for the ply to wood connection to hide the seasonal changes and for beginner woodworkers to hide some small defects in initial construction. I have worked on at least one kitchen where the architect specified  that detail. Then they stained and glazed and the areas of the V line took on a dark walnut line and the rest lighter where they wiped the dark stain off, it looked really nice.

I rarely ever took off the overhang on the face frame as Rick mentioned. When putting two cabinets together it is WAY simpler to get them flush left to right if the face frames extend out from the carcass a 1/16" or even 1/8" and are not flush to the carcass. Occasionally, the exposed outer cabinet face frame would be cut flush, but not all the time, it depended on the style cabinet. Most every cabinet I ever built was specified by a client or architect so really I had to do what the plans called for, whether I liked it or not.

 

[jmbfestool]

In white looks nicer!

[attachimg=#]

 

[southern_guy]

this door appears to me to be one milled from a piece of solid mdf, with a vacuum coated veneer of some sort. The v-grooves are there for quite a different purpose, namely to give the impression that it actually is made from more than a single piece of wood.

 

[AlexThePalex]

I don't see why there need to be all these elaborate theories about the reason of the v groove. Maybe somebody just thought is looked nice.  [smile]

What's next, we can't use ovals anymore because it's a circle gone wrong?  [wink]

 

[jmbfestool]

this door appears to me to be one milled from a piece of solid mdf, with a vacuum coated veneer of some sort. The v-grooves are there for quite a different purpose, namely to give the impression that it actually is made from more than a single piece of wood.

Arnt you clever!

 

[jstockman]

Guys,

You are all so very great.  What an education!  I think the v-grove is what I see on the older cabinet.  That seems to strike a chord.

Again,  thank-you.

Jim
[smile]