Face Frame Joinery. What Impacts It's Longevity?
The face frame joinery of cabinets are what gives the box, or carcass, it's structural integrity as well as finishing off those unsightly edges and a place to attach the doors. Face frames are the "glue" that holds everything together. What I mean by this is if the face frames fall apart the whole cabinet suffers. There are many methods of connecting the face frame pieces together. But first let's see the parts of a face frame. The image below labels all the parts of a face frame.
The Parts Of A Face Frame
The Mortise and Tenon
The strongest way to join pieces of a face frame is the mortise and tenon joint. This joint requires no mechanical fasteners and is held together with wood glue. Mortise and tenon joints are not overly complex and are easy for manufacturers to produce. More time is involved in this joint but the rewards are great. It will last for a lifetime if the glue holds. Newer glues such as polyurethane glues are stronger than the wood itself, meaning the wood will break before the joint lets go.There are many different variations of mortise and tenon joints. Which one is used is not important as long as it doesn't show. An example of this joint is below.
A Common Mortise And Tenon Joint
The Pocket Joint
New technology for the joining of face frames is a pocket joint. A pocket joint is a mechanically fastened joint where screws are driven into a pocket and then into the opposite piece.The time involved in this joint is considerably less than a mortise and tenon. It is also very strong and cost effective. Glue is also commonly used in this joint, but with the grains in opposite directions it does not increase the strength very much. With this being a mechanical joint structural issues could form. If the screws fail or pull out the face frame will fall apart, but this is highly unlikely. Below is an example of a pocket joint.
A Pocket Joint
The Biscuit Joint.
The attachment of the face frame to the carcass is also an important factor. The most common these days it the biscuit joint.A biscuit joint is where an oval shaped piece of wood is used to join the two pieces. It is strong and very stable because there is a lot of glue area. This joinery is also cost effective due to it's ease of assembly. This joint can also be used to join the rails and stiles. This is the least recommended form of face frame joinery but still a good alternative. An example of this type of face frame joinery is below.
A Biscuit Joint
Many manufacturers are substituting inferior joining techniques to lower their costs. I only recommend the joining techniques above.It's important for you to ask what joining techniques are involved so you get the best for your dollar. Just because a cabinet looks good doesn't mean it will last. The face frame joinery is a very important detail to ensure your new kitchen cabinet's longevity.
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