Anyone using Dados on Face Frames?

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Gary Campbell
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Joined: Sat, Apr 04 2009, 6:27PM
Company Name: ShopBot Tools Inc
Country: UNITED STATES
Location: Durham NC

Anyone using Dados on Face Frames?

Post by Gary Campbell »

Hey Guys....
Thanks in advance for any info. Here is the setup:
Tall Armoire type bedroom furniture.
3/4" tops, sides,bottoms & shelves/stretchers. Blind dado construction. 1/2" backs slid into full dado.
3/4 by 1 1/2 solid face frames with 1/2" wide dado, 1/4" deep, 1/4" from edge. Face frames processed on non CNC equipment.

I would like to use blind dado cuts on front edges of parts, but percentage methods allow change of tenon thickness as materials vary.
I have done this previously by using a full dado so that eCabs leaves tenon material at front, then rabbeting edges with shaper to allow tight fit into dados. Cutting these rabbets and then having to flip and remove "blind" amounts on tenons on a shaper seems crazy for a CNC owner. I am either missing something, or have found an area that eCabs doesnt handle very well. I can see that if I were to cut the dados on the CNC, which is something I am not willing to do, it would work as the dado width on the face frame would match a varying tenon width.

Another problem seems to be that in order to keep face frame dados at 1/4" depth, I am forced to have that selected depth for all dados. I prefer dados in the .370-.400 range.

Any ideas?
Gary Campbell
ShopBot Tools Production Support

ShopBot (eCabinets) Link Training & Support
Kenneth Rychlik
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Location: Southwest Houston
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Re: Anyone using Dados on Face Frames?

Post by Kenneth Rychlik »

Gary, Try changing your left end construction second page it is listed at 50%. You will have to figure the percentage to get the 1/2 inch, but it will work.

Kenneth
Gary Campbell
Guru Member
Posts: 256
Joined: Sat, Apr 04 2009, 6:27PM
Company Name: ShopBot Tools Inc
Country: UNITED STATES
Location: Durham NC

Re: Anyone using Dados on Face Frames?

Post by Gary Campbell »

Kenneth...
Thanks for the reply, and correct me if I am wrong, but won't that percentage based dado parameter change when I save the TWD and adjust for exact material thickness? Nor does there seem to be a method that allows .25 deep dados for face frames and deeper (.375) for case components. I have been burned by my own ignorance on a number of these issues in the past, so I am standing by for correction.
Gary Campbell
ShopBot Tools Production Support

ShopBot (eCabinets) Link Training & Support
Gary Campbell
Guru Member
Posts: 256
Joined: Sat, Apr 04 2009, 6:27PM
Company Name: ShopBot Tools Inc
Country: UNITED STATES
Location: Durham NC

Re: Anyone using Dados on Face Frames?

Post by Gary Campbell »

It has become obvious that no one uses this method. Does anyone that cuts casework for framed cabinets had a method (general or workaround) to "get the job done"? I am set to cut a few test cabs over the weekend, am not sure what will work, and am looking for options.
Thanks for your time.
Gary Campbell
ShopBot Tools Production Support

ShopBot (eCabinets) Link Training & Support
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