face frames

Doug Sinjem

Member
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400
Location
La Habra Hts. CA
What's everybody using for face frame assembly? Are you guys using a slanted assembly tables with the air clamps or just a flat bench?

Doug
 
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Flat bench with deep jaw 10" visegrips. Grips with the swivel pads.
A C-clamp will also work.

My bench top overhangs the structure by 3", so I pull the two adjoining pieces over to the overhang, and clamp.
 
If I understand your question correctly, I've switched to using a funky little Krieg jig that consists of a 12" square piece of steel with a one-armed vice clamp that swings around for convenient placement. I much prefer this setup to the old "c" style vice clamp that came with the origninal Krieg jig my dad purchased 10 or so years back.

Of course (obviously) I don't do this for a living either...;)
 
If I understand your question correctly, I've switched to using a funky little Krieg jig that consists of a 12" square piece of steel with a one-armed vice clamp that swings around for convenient placement. I much prefer this setup to the old "c" style vice clamp that came with the origninal Krieg jig my dad purchased 10 or so years back.

Of course (obviously) I don't do this for a living either...;)


Looking for input on how the whole frame is put together. I'm assuming most people are using pocket screw construction. I've seen slanted assembly tables with air clamps to hold in place and keep everything square. Looks like they start at $2,500.

I would like to hear input if anyone has one of these tables and if not what process is being used to say assemble all the frames for a complete kitchen. My guess would be a flat bench/torsion box and bar/pipe clamps to hold everything square while the pocket screws are installed.

Doug
 
Are you doing this (or planning to) commercially? I ask this because if so, then I'm sure its a whole 'nother ballgame. My experience is limited to doing two kitchens and numerous bathroom vaniety's.

As far as "squareness" goes, any simple flat surface should work just fine. If you've made your cuts square or 90 degrees, the screw will pull the two surfaces together perfectly. The challange, in my experience, is getting the two surfaces "flat". That's what I assumed you were alluding to in your post.

One of the advantages to pocket screw joinery in my opinion is that if you're unsatisfied with the results, it's easy enough to simply redo it.
 
Heres my pocket cutter.

Trying to find pics of my clamping system. They seemed to have evaporated:huh:
 
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Hi Doug, I have the Kreg Framing Table, and it works perfectly, it is expensive but if you do alot of face frames, it is the fastest and most accurate way to join face frames, thanks
 
doug, for production work the tables are just about manditory......they are worth the money! just as a 2500rpm air drill with an adjustable clutch is for driving the screws....much lighter and more compact than any electric driver. but...........for a one man band it`s really hard to justify the cash outlay....if you`re going to have somebody assembling faceframes 8hr. per day then by all means cut a check......if you`re going to be doing it yourself for a while just use a flat surface and the long reach vice grips.......tod
 
Can you give me a little feedback on how it actually works. What I've seen is only in pictures.

Doug

Hi Doug, basically you lay out the face frame upside down on the table, I have different lengths of wood spacers to speed up the layout, each clamp has a switch, and there is a master switch that will throw the ones you want at the same time. The clamp pressure align the front face and the screws pull the joint tight. Once you get used to it, the assembly goes very fast. I thing there is a short video on Kreg's website, thanks

Kreg table 001 (600 x 451).jpg
Kreg table 002 (600 x 451).jpg
 
Face frames, I don't get them, I don't like them and I don't build them. ;)

I tend to agree with you Ed, but they are still the preferred method by customers around here, and until I can get an edgebander ( hopefully by spring, a new Mini Max ) im stuck with them
 
doug, for production work the tables are just about manditory......they are worth the money! just as a 2500rpm air drill with an adjustable clutch is for driving the screws....much lighter and more compact than any electric driver. but...........for a one man band it`s really hard to justify the cash outlay....if you`re going to have somebody assembling faceframes 8hr. per day then by all means cut a check......if you`re going to be doing it yourself for a while just use a flat surface and the long reach vice grips.......tod

That sounds about right Tod..I'll probably hold off on the production table for now. I can get by with my torsion box and clamps.

Doug
 
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