Sipo or Beech Domino for Garage Door?

[orm8426]

Would the Sipo tenons be needed for a cedar garage door as it's technically an outdoor project, or would the Beech be suitable considering the tenon would be entirely contained/sealed within a glued joint where the rails/stiles meet?

It seems to me (unless I'm missing something) that unless the domino is actually exposed, the Sipo dominos are a bit pointless...?

 

[mouppe]

Sipo. Moisture will always find a way through.

 

[Birdhunter]

Totally agree with Sipo and I'd use a 2-part epoxy after cleaning the mortises out with alcohol.

 

[orm8426]

Totally agree with Sipo and I'd use a 2-part epoxy after cleaning the mortises out with alcohol.

I will definitely be cleaning the joints out with acetone.

I had considered a two part epoxy such as PC-7 epoxy, but my concern was it's so thick that driving the tight fitting domino home would expel the majority from the joint and result in a weaker joint than using Titebond III in a moderately liberal manner.

Be interested to hear your thoughts on this!

 

[grbmds]

I used polyurethane glue (like Gorilla) on a cedar arbor where I glued the joints and it's stood up for many years. I don't know about a garage door though. Wooden garage doors are much different. They are quite maintenance intensive.

 

[mouppe]

I used sipo tenons on an outdoor cedar table with regular yellow glue and it's held up fine through a hot summer and a severe Canadian winter.

But I wouldn't rely merely on glue and would use a mechanical fastener of some sort...nails, screws, metal straps, etc.

 

[Birdhunter]

Gorilla Glue showed up at the bottom of a comparison test conducted by Fine Woodworking a few years ago. Two part epoxy and Titebond III came out high on the list.

On joints that are mission critical, I pin the tenons after glueing them in. Pinning the tenons provides a mechanical joint as well as a glue joint.

 

[Ajax]

Beech with epoxy

Or

Sipo with Titebond III

Sipo with epoxy seems overkill to me.

 

[Red Devil]

Sipo with west system marine epoxy.
Don't mess around with a door that should last 50+ yrs.
I use tb3 for Douglas Fir doors, but for cedar I recomend the epoxy because of the cedars oil content. I am a professional millworker. I make doors,gates etc to stand up to a lifetime of wear on the wet west coast. Good luck! Btw Must! Be Sipo and tb3 at least!
That's me.

 

[Cheese]

On joints that are mission critical, I pin the tenons after glueing them in. Pinning the tenons provides a mechanical joint as well as a glue joint.

That's a great idea, thanks for sharing.
What do you use for the pins and do you have a specific pin size for each domino size?

 

[orm8426]

Thanks for the replies.

I see the West System epoxy is thinner than the PC-7 and has good open time with the slow hardener, so that sounds like a better option.

I was already considering locking the dominos with a piece of 5mm dowel, but pinning with my 16g finish nailer might be an easier option...

 

[Sparktrician]

Given that it's a garage door, stainless steel pins might be the best choice. 

 

[Birdhunter]

I used screws to pin the tenons. I was building 9 outdoor benches using Ipe, a very hard oily wood. The tenons were either 10s or 12s. I cleaned the mortises with alcohol immediately after cutting them, glued the boards, clamped them and drove screws from the underside of the bench top into each end of the tenon. I centered the screws into the middle of the tenons. I could have used small dowels, but screws were a lot faster. I did predrilled and countersunk the screw holes.

If I was doing something like a gate or door, I would have pinned with a small dowel to look better.