How To Slot Wood Together
Cutting slots for Shaker doors gets problematic when 'quarter-inch' plywood is really more like 3/16' thick. In this thread, cabinetmakers discuss how they adjust to actual plywood thickness. November 12, 2005
Question
I am building shaker doors with a 15 degree bevel using a bit set that cuts a 1/4' slot. The trouble I'm having is finding true 1/4' ply. Everything seems to be about 3/16'. This must be a common problem, but no one seems to have any solutions. Does anyone have any suggestions?
Multiple sets - If the length of the slot allows, you can have two or more sets of nodes. Again will minimize any twisting that might want to happen. Have one pair near the start of the slot and one about halfway between the middle and the end of the slot. The slot together pyramid planter for the community garden getting a lick of wood preservative: However, I really enjoyed making the slot together pyramid planter, and although Lois has told me not to turn the garden into pallet wood project city, she has lost out on this one.
Forum Responses
(Cabinetmaking Forum)
From contributor R:
Here is a common fix: take your slot cutter to your sharpener and have them grind it to the right width.
From contributor L:
There are a couple of ways to get around this. If it is paint grade then use MDF that is 1/2' thick and run it through your panel shaper and put the panels in backwards. If it is a stain grade door then use 3/8' to 1/2' ply and cut a 1/4' tongue on it so the rabbet is on the rear side. This way you don't need to have your cutter re-sized and the need for you to do a re-setup of your machine. I suppose you could run your plywood through the panel cutter if it is a baltic birch or other similar multi ply plywood.
From contributor W:
Most suppliers carry veneer faced MDF that is 1/4' thick.
From contributor L:
To contributor W: I find that 1/4' MDF barely fits into my 1/4' slots as it is. Put two faces of veneer on them and I can't see it fitting.
From contributor H:
Cut A Slot In Wood
1/4' veneer with MDF core is 1/4' thick.From contributor B:
We've got straight bits that are plywood bits; they run a little closer than standard 1/4, 1/2, 3/4 and etc. Instead of plywood, I would suggest looking for bits. You might as well get used to it because plywood seems to get smaller and sloppier all the time.
From contributor L:
I didn't know that it would be 1/4' finished. I figured they took standard 1/4' MDF and applied the veneer to it making it slightly thicker than 0.250'.
From the original questioner:
Making Slots In Wood
I have 1/4' maple veneered MDF from previous jobs and it also is roughly 3/16'. I guess it can all vary.
From contributor D:
You could try one of Amana's new adjustable slot cutters so you could adjust the slot on each run to fit the panel that you have on hand. I saw them advertised for about $100 bucks in woodshop news
From contributor S:
I assume this is stain grade. I worked for a high end shop that puts the 3/16' thick panel in the 1/4 slot and pin tack the panel into the groove from the back. I think this is totally acceptable procedure. Fpr paint grade I take a 3/8' panel and 'scoop' out the back to leave a 1/4' tongue.
From contributor M:
1/4 plywood will measure anywhere from .202 to .210. Most industrial cutters are set to cut your slot at these dimensions. I would look at getting a set of cutters with inserts and end any future problems
From contributor F:
I run my flat panel door parts on a shaper. Depending on what type of panel material I have needed or which of my suppliers have had the material, I too have had to accept the fact that the panel thicknesses are all over the map.
The way I have dealt with it is to buy two additional 2 piece sets of panel groover and tongue cutters for my Freeborn cope and pattern door knives. I can now run panel grooves and matching tongues at 1/4', 5 mm and 5.5 mm.
I personally like my panels to fit the groove snugly to eliminate panel rattle and I don’t want any brad holes in the back of the panel. So, if the panel stock doesn’t fit one of my three choices for groove width properly, I set the groover that is just a little smaller (thinner) than the panel thickness on the spindle and shim it to run eccentrically to machine the correct groove width.
This of course necessitates shimming the tongue cutters so that the tongue fits properly as well.
I haven’t tried shimming router bits that are made for doors, but I just looked at some in a catalog and I think it would be possible to shim the groover to run eccentrically and also shim the tongue cutter for the right fit.
From contributor T:
To the original questioner: Contributor W is right on about the 2 sided MDF veneer. The stuff that we use is .242 thick so you can just run your normal slot cutter if you want to run regular 1/4' (somewhere around 3/16') then do as others have suggested and use a 5.5 mm slot.
From contributor W:
1/4' seems too flimsy to me and I have an aversion to MDF in cabinets so I use 3/8' ply. I cut the groove on a shaper with a 1/4' slot cutter with the cutter height adjusted so that by running the piece through twice (each side up) I get a snug fit. Two problems I encountered that I've solved are: I was tormented by chip-out - solution: I make a 1/16' or so scoring cut by climb-cutting. Then cut the full depth the normal way.
For painted doors, any gap sticks out like a sore thumb - it's usually uneven and nasty looking no matter how well the panel to frame fit is. I solve this by first running a chisel brush around the gap with primer on it. I pack it in so it seals the gap, then spray the primer. Sometimes I'll have to repeat with one of the two top coats.
From contributor A:
We go about it from the panel thickness. We use the Freud adjustable dado set to dial in the thickness of the panel and then it’s off to the router table for the profiles wanted.
Would you like to add information to this article?
Interested in writing or submitting an article?
Have a question about this article?
Have you reviewed the related Knowledge Base areas below?
Would you like to add information to this article? ... Click Here
If you have a question regarding a Knowledge Base article, your best chance at uncovering an answer is to search the entire Knowledge Base for related articles or to post your question at the appropriate WOODWEB Forum. Before posting your message, be sure to review our Forum Guidelines.
Questions entered in the Knowledge Base Article comment form will not generate responses! A list of WOODWEB Forums can be found at WOODWEB's Site Map.
When you post your question at the Forum, be sure to include references to the Knowledge Base article that inspired your question. The more information you provide with your question, the better your chances are of receiving responses.
Return to beginning of article.
Refer a Friend || Read This Important Information || Site Map || Privacy Policy || Site User Agreement Letters, questions or comments?E-Mail us and let us know what you think. Be sure to review our Frequently Asked Questions page. Contact us to discuss advertising or to report problems with this site. To report a problem, send an e-mail to our Webmaster Copyright © 1996-2020 - WOODWEB ® Inc. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced in any manner without permission of the Editor. Review WOODWEB's Copyright Policy. The editors, writers, and staff at WOODWEB try to promote safe practices. What is safe for one woodworker under certain conditions may not be safe for others in different circumstances. Readers should undertake the use of materials and methods discussed at WOODWEB after considerate evaluation, and at their own risk. WOODWEB, Inc. 335 Bedell Road Montrose, PA 18801 Contact WOODWEB |
Related Articles
- 1 Lay Hardwood Floor in a Contrasting Direction
- 2 Problems With Installing Glueless Laminate Floors
- 3 Remove Snap Lock Flooring
- 4 Lay Your Hardwood Flooring Diagonally
Laminate flooring material is a wood lookalike tailor-made for the do-it-yourself homeowner. The pieces are designed to be easily installed without the need for a lot of specialty tools, allowing anyone with basic motor skills the capability to install her own floor. The numerous different types of joining systems vary among manufacturers. They range from snap-together, tongue-and-groove, self-adhering, tap-together and those that require glue.
Manufacturer Guidelines
Always follow manufacturer guidelines above recommendations made by other installers. If you ask 100 experts how to install a laminate floor, you will get 100 different answers -- none of them wrong but not all of them specific to your laminate material. Because there is such a vast array of locking mechanisms, you should always adhere to manufacturer recommendations. This also ensures that your installation is covered by any associated warranty related to the product. Installations that fail to follow the manufacturer guidelines are not covered.
Snap-Together
Snap-together laminate flooring material operates a lot like building blocks that everyone is familiar with from childhood. The edges of each piece have tabs that are meant to be snapped together with adjacent pieces. You install the floor just as you would a normal hardwood floor, row by row and attach the pieces to each other as you go along. Most snap-together floors are installed in a floating format, but some of them are also installed in a troweled-on layer of adhesive.
Tongue-and-Groove
Similar to the snap-together laminate flooring, the tongue-and-groove system is meant to be installed so that the overall pieces interlock with other. Rather than snapping together, however, each piece has a tongue on one side and a groove on the other side. The tongues slide into the grooves and the pieces slot together. They are installed in floating or glued-down format, and some manufacturers recommend also gluing the tongue-and-groove section to further fortify the floor. A rubber mallet can be used to help lock the pieces together.
Self-Adhering
Self-adhering laminate planks and strips sometimes have a peel-and-stick self-adhering installation process. The pieces have attached glue strips that stick out beyond the edges of the planks or strips. After a piece is laid in place, the peel-away cover is removed, exposing the glue strip. The next adjacent piece is then laid on top of this glue strip alongside or up against the first piece, and you work your way row by row, piece by piece. Some formats are floating, while others have a peel-and-stick bottom layer that adheres the laminate to the subfloor.
About the Author
Tim Anderson has been freelance writing since 2007. His has been published online through GTV Magazine, Home Anatomy, TravBuddy, MMO Hub, Killer Guides and the Delegate2 group. He spent more than 15 years as a third-generation tile and stone contractor before transitioning into freelance writing.
Photo Credits
- Jupiterimages/Photos.com/Getty Images