Craftsman Bungalow Restoration #28: Making Window Sashes with Loose Tenons (dominos) 1

Have not been here much in the last year or so. I got a new position at work which has taken up more time in a good way. I have actually built a bunch more of the kitchen cabinets which I will post later.

I am finally building some removable sliding windows for the porch. I put some fixed windows in a few years ago, but it was long enough that I completely forgot how to do the job smoothly. So I am going to document it this time.

In this blog: How to make the frames.
Here are two of the finished frames along with the remaining doug fir stock to be used later.

My friend came over during my winter vacation and persuaded me to get started on this project though I really needed to finish some wood countertops. We went to a lumber yard where they sell and store the old fir beams that I love and I picked through them. I have a ton of blogs on how to process this stuff so I will leave that off here. I selected straight grain wood. After a day or so of planing and squaring I had the wood down to the frame parts.

I kept matching stock for the rails and stiles.

After setting up each frame marked each corner of the with a letter, marked an arrow towards the inner edge and wrote the word up on the outside face(to the world) of each piece. When tenoning and routing the stock must face up (outside face) and the inside edge must face the bit.

Here I use the domino to cut the mortises. In the background you see the finished pieces.

I have a Trend Airshield. I kept getting really bad sinus infections so I upgraded to this and I love it.

Router Joints
This took me hours to figure out, so I will save you the trouble:

The joints and profiles are cut by two bit I am using Freud Sash bits for 1 3/8” stock. The first is used on the end. My friend brought over his router table so that we could run the bits simultaneously. The trick is to set up the coping bit first. It has to many variables because each time you raise it, it also moves closer laterally, and each time you lower it it cuts deeper. So if you set that to approximate height and then adjust the other bit which is controls depth of cut with a bering. My friends router table was put together backwards so I had very little support for the stock and used my homemade coping jig and the fence to run things. Just a note: The rail stock must be sized a 1/2” longer account for the joint being cut (1/4” lost per end).

This router table has good dust collection but needs a power switch.

The next step is to run the profiles on the inside edges of all stock. The matching bit cuts the profile and the rabbet for the glass at the same time. I settled on a three pass technique.

To help prevent tear out/chipping/ massive break out, I scored the 1/4’ rabbet line with my marking gauge.

Matching the Joints
Normally these sash joints are made with a true mortise and tenon. Since I am using loose tenons, I still had material to remove.

I marked the joint:

Then set up my little Bosch trim router (love this tool) with a small flush bering bit.

After trimming up the line:

I cleaned up with a chisel:

When fitting the joints I had to undercut the edge and peel off a little strip of the profile (not pictured.)

Assembly
Here is how it goes together

After dry fitting and more adjustment I glued up. I put glue on the stiles first and then glued the tenons into the rails before assembly.

Checking for square:

Two cooking in the clamps:

and the other four

Next time
Sticking and sanding and staining oh my.

-- -John "Do I have to keep typing a smiley? Just assume it's a joke." www.flickr.com/photos/gizmodyne