# Frame and panel casework, want to dry assemble entire project before glueup and staining



## itikwid (4 mo ago)

I'm just starting on frame and panel casework for my next project. Since the panels will be floating, they will need to be stained and finished prior to final glue up, otherwise bare wood will show when the panels shrink in the dry season.

Problem is, I don't have a stain color picked out yet. I want to be able to get the whole thing put together to show the wife, then have her pick out the stain she wants. But I don't want to have clamps everywhere for the initial reveal (nor do I own that many large enough clamps). What I was thinking was to use clear packing tape on the joints, should keep them in place enough to have the furniture piece stand on its own. Only unknown is if the packing tape will leave glue residue behind that will cause the stain to not take. I guess I'll have to try it on some scrap first. Has anyone used this dry assembly technique before?

Second, for the frame and panel itself. I want to use a cope and stick router bit set to get the fancy edging on the rails and stiles. But that doesn't look like it will leave that strong of a joint, seeing as it won't stand on its own like a deep tenon would do. And I can't think of a way of using the cope bit that will permit a longer tenon (it normally leaves a 3/8 inch stub tenon). Only thing I can think of is to take the bit apart, and cut the top and bottom sections separately.

The other option is to use my dowel template to pre-drill dowel holes, then run the pieces through the cope and stick router bits. I figure dowels will be better than nothing, and will help the whole piece be self supported when I initially dry assemble (see above).

Any thoughts?


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## BigMig (Mar 31, 2011)

*RE: Finish*
Maybe make one (or just clamp up) one row of rail, stile and panels to help envision what the whole case would look like. I imagine that you will also have spare parts that you will use to test finishes…. that will help.
*RE: Joint strength:*
I've used a set of Freud Rail and Stile bits AND also used a plunge router to make loose tenons that would augment the R&S joinery. I was making exterior shutters … but this should / could also work for you. Loose tenons can make for super robust joinery. 
Freud makes it possible to make extra long tenons with their R&S bits…but I made thicker loose tenons and feel very confident in them.


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## therealSteveN (Oct 29, 2016)

Sounds like "Mr. Test Panel" ought to make a showing at your house. Stick with whatever joinery you planned for, and just make a simple, possibly smaller trial door.


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## BigMig (Mar 31, 2011)

Clarifying my joinery response:

I made mortises with a plunge router in each rail and stile BEFORE using the Freud rail and stile bits…thus getting the strength of deep M&T and the beautiful fit of the Freud router but set.


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## itikwid (4 mo ago)

> *RE: Finish*
> Maybe make one (or just clamp up) one row of rail, stile and panels to help envision what the whole case would look like.


It isn't so much that I'm trying to see what a given panel will look like (although I do plan on some practice runs first). The problem is that if I get the wife involved earlier in the project to pick out a stain color, before I have the furniture piece mostly done, then I'll hear back things like "Well, is this going to be yet another project you start and don't finish for another 5 years? I could just go to Ikea and get what I want a lot quicker". And then that demotivates me, where it really will take 5 years. Whereas if I finish it before the project reveal, then that ends up setting a deadline for me that gives additional motivation to just "get it done". (Ok, her "motivation" speeches aren't really that bad, but it is mostly the way my head interprets it, and she means well).

So my goal is to have a presentable finished piece, then have her pick out the stain color, then take it apart to stain & finish & wax (to get the panel edges properly treated), then glue up. Of course I need to make sure to avoid getting any finish on the parts where the glue will hit, so will need to mask those off with tape.

My most successful project was when a couple of the grandkids needed home school desks a couple years ago at the beginning of Covid, and you couldn't find any in the store. I ended up framing out a 3-drawer desk in 3 hours (that one used pocket hole joinery), then did the show-and-tell, then picked out the stain that weekend and finished making the drawers a couple days later. I tend to work a lot faster when I work in secret for some reason.


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## splintergroup (Jan 20, 2015)

My method is to always pre-finish dry assemble the project to make sure I didn't forget anything and typically will use clamps.

However, packing tape will work well as long as the project is not overly large ro puts the joints into substantial tension. 
The tape may leave residue, but a wipe down with mineral spirits easily takes care of that in my experience.

You can also use ratchet cargo straps to effectively clamp everything without all the big clamp clutter.

If you are familiar with image processing software, you can photo the bare project, then color the images to get finish ideas.


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## controlfreak (Jun 29, 2019)

Find a scrap test piece put two colors on it and tell her "pick one"


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## ibewjon (Oct 2, 2010)

Cope and stick joints going strong in the first cabinets I built 30 years ago. Modern glues hold fine with 3/8 deep joints.


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## shipwright (Sep 27, 2010)

> Cope and stick joints going strong in the first cabinets I built 30 years ago. Modern glues hold fine with 3/8 deep joints.
> 
> - ibewjon


…and so do traditional animal protein glues.


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## rwe2156 (May 7, 2014)

What exactly is the project? If the panels are the sides of a piece of furniture like a dresser or blanket chest, then I might be inclined to do stronger joinery.

A way to handle it is remove the tongue from the rail, make a mortise, deepen thr mortise in the stile, and do a floating tenon. If the panels are between legs, I wouldn't worry about it.

That said, having recently dismantled quite a few doors to salvage lumber, c/s is a lot stronger than I thought it would be!

I can't help with marital issues over furniture!


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