joint placement

[Pam Powell]

I am new to Kreg joinery. Does it matter where the joints are placed, on top/bottom or on the sides of cabinet box?

[KregCS]

Pam,
The placement of the joints do not matter in most situations. Most customers will try to put the pocket holes in a position so that they are hidden. For example. if you are putting shelves in a cabinet. you would want your pocket holes on the bottom side so that they are not visible. If you have any other questions, feel free to contact us and we will be more than happy to assist you. 

[Ken Darga]

Pam, 
If I understand your inquiry---

The following comments are offered:

a "joint" is where two surfaces meet---such as in an "L", "T" or  "H", as used in face frame construction.

Ex a face frame is commonly used in cabinet construction and shelf construction.

The verticle member are called a "stile" and the horizontal members are called "rails".

The stiles run in a top-to-bottom (up-and-down) orientation and the rails run in a side-to-side orientation.

The rails butt to the edge of the stiles.

Locate the pocket holes in the rails and fasten the rails to the stiles.

Locate pocket holes/screws on the far side, hidden, and out of view in the end product.

Shelving is affixed to the side members, and affixed with pocket hole screws on the underside of the shelf.

Face frames can be affixed to the box sides, with the pocket hole screws inserted into the cabinet sides.

There's an excellent book on the market, "The Pocket Hole Drilling Jig and Project Book"---authored by Danny Proulx.

Many photos and easy ot follow instructions.

A very good investment.

 

[Pam Powell]

Thanks for all the good info, it will help in the future.  What i really want to know is:  Does the top/bottom of say a cabinet box go inside the sides OR on top of the sides.  Do I put pocket holes in the top/bottom or the side panels.  Both would be hidden because I plan on putting plugs and painting. 

Ken Darga said:

If I understand your inquiry---

The following comments are offered:

a "joint" is where two surfaces meet---such as in an "L", "T" or  "H", as used in face frame construction.

Ex a face frame is commonly used in cabinet construction and shelf construction.

The verticle member are called a "stile" and the horizontal members are called "rails".

The stiles run in a top-to-bottom (up-and-down) orientation and the rails run in a side-to-side orientation.

The rails butt to the edge of the stiles.

Locate the pocket holes in the rails and fasten the rails to the stiles.

Locate pocket holes/screws on the far side, hidden, and out of view in the end product.

Shelving is affixed to the side members, and affixed with pocket hole screws on the underside of the shelf.

Face frames can be affixed to the box sides, with the pocket hole screws inserted into the cabinet sides.

There's an excellent book on the market, "The Pocket Hole Drilling Jig and Project Book"---authored by Danny Proulx.

Many photos and easy ot follow instructions.

A very good investment.

 

[Ken Darga]

[Dennis Baker]

When I build a cabinet I want to put the top on top of the sides. That way you can use pocket holes to attach the top to the sides and it gives you a much flatter surface to finish your cabinet top whether you are going to stain or laminate the surface. The bottom I would set inside of the sides so you can raise the bottom up for a toe kick under the cabinet. That is how I would do it.

[Keith lester]

If you put the base under the side walls and the top above the side walls that eliminates any stress on the joint fixings. The weight of the cabinets is taken on the feet, which are fixed into the base. If you fix the base in between the sides then the full weight of the cabinet and contents is carried by the fixings which is not a good design.

[Ken Kortch]

If it helps ... looking at the Basic Cabinetmaking Booklet that I received with my Kreg Jig ...

In upper cabinets the top and bottom are inset into the sides so the edges of the top & bottom cannot be seen from the sides. Pocket holes placed so they are has hidden as possible.

In lower cabinets the top is just a frame rather than a full solid piece of plywood. That frame is also inset into the sides.  Pocket holes placed so they are has hidden as possible.

Nail rails are added across the backs to fasten the case to the wall. If present, the back plywood is inset into a rabbet cut into the back side/top/bottom edges, again, so its edges cannot be seen from the side.

The face frame is added to the front to cover the side/top/bottom plywood edges. 

For the drawers, the front and back are inset into the sides. The jig holes are cut into the front of the front (later covered by the real drawer front), and the rear of the back (so you can't see the jig holes from inside the drawer). The 1/4" thick bottom is slide into grooves (cut on the sides) and dados (cut on the front and back).