Dowling rather then tenons?

I am making a table that has some decorative pieces put in with tenons; the consist of the decorative pieces instead of being solid. The tenons are not visable, nor are the pieces structural. It would be an aweful lot easier to use dowels, and probably more consistent as well. Am I overlooking something here?

Reply to
Toller
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Dowels sound good to me, especially if the piece isn't structural. If you're using a doweling jig, I'd recommend using it in the same orientation with each piece, because the hole might not be exactly centered. Did that make sense? Sorry - hard to describe. Do a trial run on scrap and you'll be fine. Andy

Reply to
Andy

Do what works.

I once had a woodworking instructor that used to say "If they see the tenons, and they're not through tenons, you've done something wrong."

M&T Dowels Loose tenons Biscuits

They all work in different circumstances...

Barry

Reply to
Ba r r y

I'm like that... except that I would add pocket screws to the list.

Lou

Reply to
loutent

Speaking of pocket screws...

I've never tried that method of joining but I have a question: Every single jig I've seen advertised shows the screw hole NOT being drilled into the stile. The step bit drills pocket, and the hole for the screw shank, but not deep enough for the whole screw. What happens when you try to bury a screw into a the edge of a piece of oak with no pilot hole? Am I missing something?

Joe Barta

Reply to
Joe Barta

This brings to mind another question. This whole "self-tapping screw" business. Seems to me that while the tip may cut through the wood fibers, there is no place for the excess wood to go. What happens to the bits of wood that the tapping screw cuts? The screw displaces the bits of wood and the bits of wood go where? The screws have a bit of a recess in them, but is that enough?

And even if things don't actually split, is it fair to say that the joint is somewhat weak because the screw AND most the displaced wood bits are crammed in the hole?

I suppose with a soft wood everything can be compressed and all is well. But what about oak? That stuff is pretty damn hard.

Is there a reason why such jigs and drills are NOT made the whole screw length?

Joe Barta

Reply to
Joe Barta

Nope ... not fair to say. While pocket hole screws are not and overall replacement for other joinery methods, they do have their place/application where they are "strong enough" to do the required job. Fame frames is one of those applications ... pocket screws add the necessary joint strength to get the job done, without going overboard.

I use them almost exclusively in oak, and while I have had a few stiles on oak FF's split, the percentage is so small as to be not worth worrying about.

CW answered that above ...

Reply to
Swingman

I use dowels a lot on panel frames to absorb the wood movement. Loose tenon construction is nothing but an odd shaped dowel and David Marks uses it extensively for fine furniture work on DIY's Woodworks. Dowels are great with the proper application. A couple of sets of $3.00 dowel pins/ locators are very handy ffor marking locations. Bugs

Reply to
Bugs

David Marks has a serious advantage over us hobby guys - he's got a multirouter. I'd be more inclined to go the loose tenon route if I had one of those.

Reply to
George Max

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