Between the Bees, Coop Outfitting

[jthornton]

Yes, well, hmph. So it turns out that if you have a dado (?) like that in your wood, Kreg screws/joints don’t work so well. No matter how many clamps I used I could NOT get those dados (I really feel like I’m using the wrong word here, rabbet?) to line up. Had to scrap two days worth of work to start over again. Sigh.

Hopefully plan B will work better with the windows. In other news I found that a plywood blade on a circular saw (as per manufacturer’s directions) is HUGE overkill for the Lexan. In the future I shall use a box knife (which was my first instinct).

That is looking pretty nice, some lucky chickens.

What kind of windows are you trying to make? A Dado is a square groove across the grain not on the edge, a rabbet is a square cut on the edge and a groove is a square cut with the grain not on the edge.

I always use a table saw to cut Lexan... let us know if your successful in cutting it with a box knife as it's some pretty tough material. I bend it in a box and pan brake to 90° and it does not break.

JT

 

[aart]

I always use a table saw to cut Lexan

What blade do you use?

 

[we3ernes]

Arrrghhh!! Tricky business!
Got a sketch of window plan?
Not sure of term...slot, groove??
Is the piece shown above with grooves on both edges, for a center muntin?
Grooves look a bit off, slightly different widths, which might be the prob?
I know you're probably not making double hung windows,
but some of these terms may still apply....rail, stile, muntin, pane.

That is looking pretty nice, some lucky chickens.

What kind of windows are you trying to make? A Dado is a square groove across the grain not on the edge, a rabbet is a square cut on the edge and a groove is a square cut with the grain not on the edge.

You guys are so helpful! So the plan was to cut ¼” grooves in the rail, stile, and muntins. Assemble top rail, both stiles, and all the muntins; insert lexan; attach bottom rail. I was able to cut grooves in everything, but when I went to attach the rails and muntins to the top stile using Kreg joints the angle of the screw hitting the groove in the rail made the whole thing go wonky.

Napkin sketch:

So what would happen is I would line everything up, clamp the heck out of it (I’ve used Kreg connections a ton in the past, I know how they can slip) and then put in the screw. What I didn’t account for was the fact that the Kreg screw was emerging very close to the groove. What ended up happening was the leading edge of the groove would break off as the screw went through it then the path of least resistance would take over and the stile would end up shifting.

So the Lexan multi-wall is not a single piece of Lexan, but two pieces held apart by walls. Picture corrugated cardboard but made with very thin lexan sheets. Overall it is ¼” thick, but the individual pieces of lexan are very thin, less than a millimeter would be my guess. The box blade works like butter as long as you are going in the direction of the channels. Cross-cutting the channels is more difficult, but still doable.

The goal was to try and use up this stockpile of 2x6s and 2x8s that are left over from the construction of the house (they were used as scaffolding and formwork for the driveway). I don’t have a bandsaw, so no way to rip the 2x material narrower so I needed to find a way to use the thickness of the material to my advantage. But it ended up being one of those “spending a dime to save a nickel” kind of moments.

 

[we3ernes]

Arrrghhh!! Tricky business!

Grooves look a bit off, slightly different widths, which might be the prob?

This was the scrap wood I was testing fence settings on. Trying to figure the most efficient way to cut the groove. So yes, on this one the top and bottom groove were different thickness.

 

[aart]

So what would happen is I would line everything up, clamp the heck out of it (I’ve used Kreg connections a ton in the past, I know how they can slip) and then put in the screw. What I didn’t account for was the fact that the Kreg screw was emerging very close to the groove. What ended up happening was the leading edge of the groove would break off as the screw went through it then the path of least resistance would take over and the stile would end up shifting.

Excellent sketch and description.
Not sure what to suggest except maybe drilling a pilot hole thru the kreg before driving screw?

 

[we3ernes]

Excellent sketch and description.
Not sure what to suggest except maybe drilling a pilot hole thru the kreg before driving screw?

I’m going to abandon the idea of using 2x material, that is what was driving a lot of the more complicated assembly. If I make a basic frame out of 1x material it will be simpler construction and lighter weight. As my grandfather used to say, “we’re not building the Taj Majal here!”

 

[aart]

I’m going to abandon the idea of using 2x material, that is what was driving a lot of the more complicated assembly. If I make a basic frame out of 1x material it will be simpler construction and lighter weight. As my grandfather used to say, “we’re not building the Taj Majal here!”

Ehhhh...1x may warp...maybe just change your pane setting base to a rabbet with trim to hold pane...easier to assemble and change panes if needed.

 

[jthornton]

Instead of putting the kreg screws on the face side can you put them on the outside?

JT

 

[aart]

Ehhhh...1x may warp...maybe just change your pane setting base to a rabbet with trim to hold pane...easier to assemble and change panes if needed.

Gross, quick, and not to scale 'sketch'.
Red-rabbet
Blue-pane
Green-trim to hold pane.

 

[Mosey2003]

I'm really enjoying this thread