kitchen doors 2 questions

[tombo]

Today i had the biggest delivery of wood so far stacks of steamed beech for a kitchen project. I was going to jump straight in with the tools but a little bit of doubt has set in :?, as i am only off work this week I must get cracking tomorrow.

The big piece is 12 feet long 10 inches wide and nearly 2 inches thick its one hell os a slab of wood. I'm not exactly sure how my supplier has related this to my cutting list, but if its what i think it is my thicknesser will be making a lot of chips, such a waste .....note to self "good excuse to buy a re-saw "

Q1 The doors i am making are nothing fancy just a flat panel, beech veneer mdf in the center. ideally i would like use haunch tenons but i don't have a mortiser would a short tenon fitting into the grooves for the mdf be good enough?

Q2 I plan to cut the grooves on my router table would it be better to use a slot cutting bit stock held flat on the table or a straight cutting bit stock held against the fence?

all advice gratefully received.

Tom

 

[johnelliott]

1, yes, a short tenon fitting into the panel grooves will be fine as long as the groove is 10mm or so deep. Wealden do a very good 6mm pair of tongue and groove cutters which will cut up to 12.7mm deep, which kind of answers the second question too

John

 

[SlimShavings]

When I make flat panel doors I lay the stock flat. Cut my grooves and then reset the bit deeper and cut the mortises. It can be done either way but to me its easier to control when the stock is flat.

On that nice piece of beech. If your up to it you can rip it to the thickness you want on both edges (as deep as your saw goes) and finish with a handsaw. a little at a time. Done that before too. At least you don't waste it. and its a good stress test. Figure if I don't have a heart attack I'm OK