I need to make some 14 x 14 x 8 inch cubes (no front
or back). Material is 3/4 inch melamine coated MDF.
I was going to use simple lap joints with biscuits to
hold. Experimenting with some smaller pieces shows
biscuit placement can easily be a little off in either
direction and the sides aren't square or flush at the
front and back.
I'm wondering if a Kreg jig would make it easier to
join these as it is a sort-of clamp that should make it
easier to align the pieces before drilling?
Any opinions? These cubes don't need to bear a
lot of weight so I'm guessing a few pocket screws
at each joint will do. (I don't have a Kreg but, hey,
if you can't buy a new tool for a project what use is
there doing it?) Will the Kreg jig really help hold
these pieces (with some extra support, I'm sure) so
I can get them square and aligned?
Dennis Vogel
I've had great luck with the Kreg jig, after a little trial and error
practice. The joints are extremely strong when you use glue and screws. I
got the little one with a single bit guide for just under $20 at Lowes. (Add
another $3.50 for the screw drivers and another $3.50 for screws) There are
more expensive options and I'll probably spring for the full kit when I need
that level of sophistication. The key to a square joint is making a simple
square jig that you can clamp the pieces to when you do the drilling as well
as the assembly.
Jim
"Dennis [email protected]" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> I need to make some 14 x 14 x 8 inch cubes (no front
> or back). Material is 3/4 inch melamine coated MDF.
> I was going to use simple lap joints with biscuits to
> hold. Experimenting with some smaller pieces shows
> biscuit placement can easily be a little off in either
> direction and the sides aren't square or flush at the
> front and back.
>
> I'm wondering if a Kreg jig would make it easier to
> join these as it is a sort-of clamp that should make it
> easier to align the pieces before drilling?
>
> Any opinions? These cubes don't need to bear a
> lot of weight so I'm guessing a few pocket screws
> at each joint will do. (I don't have a Kreg but, hey,
> if you can't buy a new tool for a project what use is
> there doing it?) Will the Kreg jig really help hold
> these pieces (with some extra support, I'm sure) so
> I can get them square and aligned?
>
> Dennis Vogel
>
>
>
>
Lock miters are expensive bits and fussy to set. I'd go with a combination
joint, formed by a 3/8 straight bit. Rabbet one, groove the other if open
MDF won't offend. Strong and self-aligning joint made with a relatively
cheap bit.
This assumes that your "lap joint" is really a butt joint at the corners.
"Doug Bell" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> In article <[email protected]>,
> [email protected] says...
> > I need to make some 14 x 14 x 8 inch cubes (no front
> > or back). Material is 3/4 inch melamine coated MDF.
> > I was going to use simple lap joints with biscuits to
> > hold. Experimenting with some smaller pieces shows
> > biscuit placement can easily be a little off in either
> > direction and the sides aren't square or flush at the
> > front and back.
> >
> >
> I've seen some pretty nice joints made in melamine using a lock miter
> bit in a (table mounted) router. Makes a strong joint, pretty much self
> aligning to make it all come out square and mitered corners all in one
> pass.
In article <[email protected]>,
[email protected] says...
> Experimenting with some smaller pieces shows
> > > biscuit placement can easily be a little off in either
> > > direction
>
If you always use the same (flat) reference surface to rest the biscuit
joiner and stock on, you should have no problems.
Kim
In article <[email protected]>,
[email protected] says...
> I need to make some 14 x 14 x 8 inch cubes (no front
> or back). Material is 3/4 inch melamine coated MDF.
> I was going to use simple lap joints with biscuits to
> hold. Experimenting with some smaller pieces shows
> biscuit placement can easily be a little off in either
> direction and the sides aren't square or flush at the
> front and back.
>
> I'm wondering if a Kreg jig would make it easier to
> join these as it is a sort-of clamp that should make it
> easier to align the pieces before drilling?
>
> Any opinions? These cubes don't need to bear a
> lot of weight so I'm guessing a few pocket screws
> at each joint will do. (I don't have a Kreg but, hey,
> if you can't buy a new tool for a project what use is
> there doing it?) Will the Kreg jig really help hold
> these pieces (with some extra support, I'm sure) so
> I can get them square and aligned?
>
> Dennis Vogel
>
>
>
>
>
I've seen some pretty nice joints made in melamine using a lock miter
bit in a (table mounted) router. Makes a strong joint, pretty much self
aligning to make it all come out square and mitered corners all in one
pass.
Doug
--
use att.net as isp for functional addrress
"Dennis [email protected]" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> I need to make some 14 x 14 x 8 inch cubes (no front
> or back).
I thought cubes had six sides and length width and height are equal.
> Material is 3/4 inch melamine coated MDF.
> I was going to use simple lap joints with biscuits to
> hold. Experimenting with some smaller pieces shows
> biscuit placement can easily be a little off in either
> direction and the sides aren't square or flush at the
> front and back.
This is a glue up problem, not inherent to biscuits.
Build them face down on a flat surface (that way the fronts will be
aligned).
Use spare piece of the mdf (cut perfectly square at 12 1/2" x 12 1/2") as a
jig to keep the pieces square.
There are countless other jigs/clamps you can dream up to do this.
I'd use glue and biscuits myself.
-Jack
"Kim Whitmyre" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> In article <[email protected]>,
> [email protected] says...
> > Experimenting with some smaller pieces shows
> > > > biscuit placement can easily be a little off in either
> > > > direction
> >
>
> If you always use the same (flat) reference surface to rest the biscuit
> joiner and stock on, you should have no problems.
That's part of the problem. Bench top isn't as flat as
I'd like. Holding 12" long pieces on end is tricky.
That's why I'm considering the Kreg since it holds
both pieces.
Dennis Vogel