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Topic: Using wood dowels to hold a cabinet together - emmons endpla |
Brian Henry
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Posted 11 Oct 2011 11:17 am |
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I have some emmons endplates and am making a cabinet using 1/2" wood. Is it a good idea to attach the front apron to the front deck using 1/4" wood dowels, as well as using wood glue?
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LOOKOUT MOUNTAIN GEORGIA |
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Kevin Hatton
From:
Buffalo, N.Y.
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Posted 11 Oct 2011 1:32 pm
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| Yes. |
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Kevin Hatton
From:
Buffalo, N.Y.
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Posted 11 Oct 2011 1:33 pm
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Repeat, sorry.
Last edited by Kevin Hatton on 13 Oct 2011 4:03 pm; edited 1 time in total |
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Kevin Hatton
From:
Buffalo, N.Y.
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Posted 11 Oct 2011 1:33 pm
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Oops.
Last edited by Kevin Hatton on 13 Oct 2011 4:03 pm; edited 2 times in total |
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Richard Sinkler
From:
aka: Rusty Strings -- Missoula, Montana
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Posted 11 Oct 2011 1:41 pm
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So Kevin, what are your thoughts on this? 
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Carter D10 8p/8k, Dekley S10 3p/4k C6 setup,Regal RD40 Dobro, Recording King Professional Dobro, NV400, NV112,Ibanez Gio guitar, Epiphone SG Special (open D slide guitar) . Playing for 54 years and still counting. |
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Chris Lucker
From:
Los Angeles, California USA
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Posted 11 Oct 2011 1:48 pm
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Biscuits. Easier to locate, you have wiggle room in fitting, and you will have greater surface area.
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Chris Lucker
Red Bellies, Bigsbys and a lot of other guitars. |
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Ray McCarthy
From:
New Hampshire, USA
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Posted 12 Oct 2011 1:04 am
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True about biscuits, but if you're using wood glue and your positioning is not perfect, it will be almost impossible to re-position after just a few seconds. With the biscuits you're better off using epoxy--it will give you more time for re-positioning.
(Cabinet maker's opinion) |
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Bent Romnes
From:
London,Ontario, Canada
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Posted 12 Oct 2011 5:42 am
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Biscuits would be my first choice. Not everybody has a biscuit joiner. In that case wood screws and yellow cabinet makers glue. Counter bore for the screw heads and fill the holes with wood plugs of the same material/grain direction.
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BenRom Pedal Steel Guitars
https://www.facebook.com/groups/212050572323614/ |
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David Higginbotham
From:
Lake Charles, Louisiana, USA
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Posted 12 Oct 2011 6:22 am
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1/4 inch dowels on 1/2 wood will work but precision is the key in alignment. Biscuits have more integrity and more forgiving in alignment but not everyone has a biscuit maker.
Bent's idea is the best in my opinion. More forgiving for alignment, no special tools required, and it has better structural integrity. Only downfalls are matching the grain of the wood with the plugs and more sanding is required. |
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Jack Strayhorn
From:
Winston-Salem, NC
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Posted 12 Oct 2011 6:26 am
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| At Emmons, glue and staples. |
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Dustin Cook
From:
California
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Posted 12 Oct 2011 7:48 am From a furniture maker's perspective...
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I prefer hand cut half-blind or through dovetails. No fasteners needed.
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Brian Henry
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Posted 12 Oct 2011 8:22 am
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Thank you for your great responses and ideas. If I did use 1/4" dowels what size drill bit would be best?
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LOOKOUT MOUNTAIN GEORGIA |
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Bent Romnes
From:
London,Ontario, Canada
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Posted 12 Oct 2011 10:07 am
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Brian,
You would use a 1/4" drill bit. The important thing here would be to use the fluted dowels to make room for the glue. You can buy the fluted dowels that have been chamfered in both ends.
You might find this way to be a pain though..alignment problems, for one thing.
I still say you should go the screws/glue and wood plug route if you don't have a biscuit jointer.
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BenRom Pedal Steel Guitars
https://www.facebook.com/groups/212050572323614/ |
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Chris Lucker
From:
Los Angeles, California USA
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Posted 12 Oct 2011 10:23 am
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To make a fluted dowel you simply scrape a hacksaw blade down the length of the dowel. The teeth will make your glue channels. File or sand the ends to a slight bullet shape for ease of insertion..
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Chris Lucker
Red Bellies, Bigsbys and a lot of other guitars. |
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Bobby Bowman
From:
Cypress, Texas, USA, R.I.P.
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Posted 12 Oct 2011 10:59 am ???????
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Chris,
Kinda' reminds me of preperation H Plugs.    
BB
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If you play 'em, play 'em good!
If you build 'em, build 'em good!
http://www.bobbybowman.com |
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Jerry Roller
From:
Van Buren, Arkansas USA
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Posted 12 Oct 2011 3:44 pm
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| Go back to your room Bobby! |
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Joe Naylor
From:
Avondale, Arizona, USA
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Posted 12 Oct 2011 6:10 pm
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Biskets
not dowells of any kind
Joe Naylor
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Joe Naylor, Avondale, AZ (Phoenix) Announcer/Emcee owner www.steelseat.com *** OFFERING SEATS AND Effects cases with or without legs and other stuff ****** -Desert Rose Guitar S-10, Life Member of the Arizona Carport Pickers Assoc., Southwest Steel Guitar Assoc., Texas Steel Guitar Assoc., GA Steel Guitar Assoc., KS Steel Guitar Assoc. (Asleep at the Steel) tag line willed to me by a close late friend RIP |
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Tom Wolverton
From:
Carpinteria, CA
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Posted 12 Oct 2011 8:51 pm
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I've also thought about splines like the way a Stickley table top is joined. I wish Sho-bud had done something like this. Instead of those crappy butt bonds.
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To write with a broken pencil is pointless. |
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Chris Sattler
From:
Hunter Valley, Australia
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Posted 13 Oct 2011 12:11 am
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You will need a dowell jig or some sort or dowell centres which you probably don't have. If you are thinking of measuring and drilling holes you may be disappointed. Make a template at least and drill perfectly vertical. Not easy. Drill press ideal. Use a depth stop. I agree with fluted dowells. If you can get a biscuit jointer then use that. I would however use PVA glue. The biscuits tend to swell and make a very solid joint.
Whatever you do practice on something other than your steel. Get it right before putting a scapel near you guitar |
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John De Maille
From:
On a Mountain in Upstate Halcottsville, N.Y.
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Posted 13 Oct 2011 7:29 am
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I've been using bisquets for joinery for the last 20 yrs and love them. They come in three sizes and work perfectly for the job. I found that, Titebond II or Titebond III worked best for me, but, any carpenters glue should do. If you don't have a plate joiner, you can use a router with a slot bit. The slot bits come in different sizes, also. If I was making a cabinet and really wanted to show the joinery, I would definitely use Dovetail joints or even Finger joints. The Dovetail joints hold better mechanically, but, both joints look great. Using dowels in such thin wood can be precarious without a jig, a drillpress and or a template. A doweling jig can be had for about $30-$40, I think. I bought one years ago, but, gave up on it when I started using bisquets.
Most important is to practice on some scrap, until you become comfortable using the tools and applications. I don't know of your skill with woodworking, but, with patience you should be able to do the job. |
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John Swain
From:
Winchester, Va
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Posted 13 Oct 2011 7:46 am
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| I've been using a Dewalt plate(biscuit) joiner for 15 years and it's easy to get a good joint! I recently saw a Harbor Freight joiner for $49 that looked more than adequate!! my $.02..JS |
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Bent Romnes
From:
London,Ontario, Canada
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Jerry Jones
From:
Franklin, Tenn.
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Posted 13 Oct 2011 2:52 pm
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You can use one of these Wolfcraft jigs for locating and drilling dowels for an angle joint: http://www.amazon.com/Wolfcraft-3751405-Dowel-Pro-Doweling/dp/B0000DD1P6
You also might consider using the dowel jig to drill a single hole in the center of the apron for side-to-side registration and use the biscuit cutter after that…..I’ve used both. |
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