Kreg Beaded Face Frame jig

[charlie kapper]

I am building a kitchen full of cabinets with the Beaded Face Frame jig.  After building a mockup of a face frame with 1 1/2" stiles and rails they appear too narrow.   I decided on using 2" stiles and rails.   After reading the Kreg forum, I understand that to determine the rail width for a given size cabinet, you add the stile width times 2 plus the rabbit depth on the stile times 2    minus the finished width of the cabinet (I hope I explained myself well).  Anyway, what is confusing me is the math used in cutting the stiles for the rails  for the different size openings.  In other words, how do you calculate the settings on the jig for 2" rails and a given opening?  I don't plan on any doors for the lower cabinets so I  will be adding multiple rails on each cabinet.    

[Jay Boutwell]

Hi Charlie, I hope that you received the information that I sent you on beading face frames.  I see that no one has replied to your post requesting help, so I will take a stab at it.  In building cabinets with beaded face frames they are intended to have inset doors and drawers in them and that is  the reason for the narrow rails and stiles.  Because of the inset doors and drawers a wide rail or stile makes the face of the cabinet appear flat.  The use of narrow rails and stiles make the cabinet appear better in appearance.  You also gain more useable space inside of the cabinet as it puts the drawers and doors closer together and does not waste the space due to the width of face frame members.

I often change the sizes depending on what the cabinet is going to be and of course the size of it in height and width and adjust the rail and stile width to fit the occasion.  It is not uncommon to use a 2" wide stile on the edge of the cabinets and then 1 and 1/2" for rails and inter stile members. 

The math may seem complicated but is actually straight forward.  Once you know the cabinet width and height and have determined the width of the rails and stiles it is time to cut them to width.  The easy method is to measure height of the cabinet and cut stiles for this  height and the width that you want to use.  Then lay these on a table and spread them apart  so that the outside of the stiles will be the distance you wish them to be on the cabinet being sure that you allow about 1/8 of an inch to lay past the width the cabinet.  This gives you a method  of which to use to determine the length of the upper and lower rail.  Measure the distance from inside to inside and write this figure on a piece of paper.  Rip your rail stock to width ( usually use a wide rail at the top and a narrow rail on the bottom)  and cut to length remembering to add 5/16'' to the length on both ends.

Example the distance you have measured is 44 inches inside to inside of the two stiles. You would cut the rail to be 44 and 5/8 inches long.  The reason for the added 5/8 inch is that you will be cutting a 5/16 inch deep notch in the stiles on both sides.   

Another method:  Example you have a cabinet box that is 48 inches wide:   If you do not want to lay out the two stiles and measure between them is to measure the cabinet width and add 1/4 inch to this measurement.  The 1/4 inch allows you to have a 1/8"  overlay of the stile on the cabinet edges.  ( You will appreciate this 1/8" overlay as when you install the face frame it allows you some room to position the face frame onto the cabinet box and not have a cabinet box extend beyond the face frame)  Then deduct 4 inches from the cabinet width.  Next add back in the 5/8" to the length.  Example with a 48 inch width cabinet and you allow another 1/4 inch for a 1/8" overlay on each side of the cabinet.  This makes the overall width of the cabinet to be 48 and 1/4 inches.  Deducting the four inches of stile width ( 2 inches on each side) your length is now 44 & 1/4 inches.   Now because you are going to cut a 5/16" notch on both side stiles you now must add in the 5/8 inch to the overall length of the rail.  So you should be cutting the top and bottom rail to a length of   44" plus 1/4" plus 5/8 inch for a total length of 44 and 7/8 inches.

Knowing the inside of the face frame you should be able to lay out the remainder of the inter rails and  inter stiles and mark these using a pencil.  Place the marks at where the  center of each stile and rail will go and lay out all of then mark the outer edges of where a notch will go.  I find it easier to cut a short piece and mark the center and then lay the piece on the stile or upper and lower rails and mark the edges of where the joint will be cut.

Next set up the notching bit in the router and set it to 5/16 ( this is a number that I have found to work well with different widths of rails and stiles.  If you cut a different depth then you will have to adjust you figures to allow for this cut.  Simple rule if you cut out a notch you add this 5/16 " amount to the  stile or rail that will go in the notch.  In reality because you will cut two notches on each member you add, you will add 5/8 inch to each inter rail and or inter stile to the length of the distance between a given point.

One thing to remember is when cutting the upper and lower rail notches to start the cut at the point where the stile edge will meet with the lower edge of the rail.  Then make the cut into the stile and continue the cut all the way to the end of the stile.  Do this on both the top and bottom rails.  The on the rails you will only notch one edge

On the remainder of the rails and inter stiles you will cut a notch ( also called a point) on each edge to allow the joinery to take place. 

I think if you viewed the slide show on the dresser build I sent you, it is shows the method of making he notches.  The only difference in what you saw in building the dresser is that build the face frame first and  then build the dresser behind the frame.  The math and method of arriving at point so cuts are the same.    So the key to this is the depth of the notching bit,  if you cut a notch you must add 5/16 to the rail or stile member that is going to fit into the notch.   The link to the you tube video demonstrated the method pretty well and is a good video to learn from.

Let me know if you need anymore help.   I wish you a great holiday .