WOOD Magazine – October 01, 2019

woodmagazine.com 57

The chase is on

Another way to create an eye-catching frame without miters is to

assemble it with a chasing or pinwheel pattern, rather than

capturing the rails between the stiles. Use or adapt any of the

joinery methods described in this article.

With this joint, a tongue on one piece fits a

centered groove on the mating piece [Photos

P, Q]. After gluing up the frame, rout around

the frame, removing the back of the groove

to form the rabbet for the artwork.

If you have a cope-and-stick router-bit set

[Photo R], it cuts a similar joint with an attrac-

tive molded edge that appears mitered

around the interior.

Set up cope-and-

stick bits.

woodmagazine.com/

copeandstick

Produced by Craig Ruegsegger

With a rip blade set between^1 ∕ 4 " and^3 ∕ 8 " above the table, make a pass on
the inside edge of each stile, roughly centered. Center the groove by making a
second pass with the opposite face against the fence.

Measuring to the far side of the blade, position the rip fence to match the

groove depth. Cut tongues by making passes on each face of the rails only.

Sneak up on the blade height to get a tongue that fits snug in the groove.

A cope-and-stick router-bit set contains two matched bits. One bit, right, creates
the groove and molded edge on all four pieces; the other, left, copes the ends of
two pieces, making a mating tongue and profile.

P Q

R

Stub tenon and groove

Often used for doors, but great for frames.

Note: To accept the

artwork, rout a^3 ∕ 8 "

rabbet after assembling

a frame. Rout the same

depth as the combined

thickness of your glass,

artwork, and backer

board. Square up the

corners with a chisel.