Hey everyone! I need to make a cabinet door for a piece of artwork my friend created, and I'm trying to decide on the best joinery method. I've previously used haunched mortise and tenons for cabinet doors, which did a good job of concealing the groove exit. However, in this case, the artwork panel needs to be removable and fit in a rabbet. The panel is about 3/8 inch thick, and since the finished door will be on the heavier side, I want a strong joining method. Currently, I'm considering three options:
A. A simple mortise and tenon, though I'd have to plug the rabbet exit, which isn't super attractive.
B. A dovetailed half lap, as it would hide the groove but I'm worried about potential blowout from the short grain.
C. A bridle joint, which might work and could also conceal the rabbet, but I want something with more of a mechanical lock—maybe adding a pin could help?
What do you all think? Any other suggestions or thoughts on my current options? Thanks!
2 Answers
You might want to check out traditional window-making techniques, as they have specific ways to incorporate removable panels into frames. As for your concerns about racking forces, I recommend a drawbored bridle joint, which would be incredibly sturdy if done right. Just make sure you drill those drawbores correctly—it can get a bit tricky! Or you could just peg it without the drawboring for a strong connection as well!
I say go for the mortise and tenon with stopped rabbets instead of plugging the exit hole. It’s cleaner in my opinion! Also, if you’re okay with sharing, I’d love to see that artwork your friend made.
I’m actually trying to keep the artwork private since it has some personal info. But thanks for understanding!