# Untested Fascia Joinery



## Ryan Perillat (Mar 10, 2017)

Im building a bookcase and looking to use only glue up joinery. Ive come up with a way to join the fascia boards to the plywood edges but would like to know if anyone foresees any problems with this setup. -basically a 1/8" groove 1/4" deep is cut in the shelf edge and the back of the fascia board. A 1/8" spline 1/2" wide is then inserted in the grooves of the shelf and fascia with glue and clamped. Pic of scrap wood test joint below.


----------



## GeorgeC (Jul 30, 2008)

"Im building a bookcase and looking to use only glue up joinery"

What else would you do? I guess some people use nails and screws in furniture builds, just not my thing. I will use 22 gauge pins in some cases but they really are just because I am too lazy to use clamps. But they are only to hold things in place while glue dries.

George


----------



## Steve Neul (Sep 2, 2011)

Nothing wrong with a joint like that. Even without the spline the edge would stay for decades. With the spline it should stay forever.


----------



## Ryan Perillat (Mar 10, 2017)

This case will be used for a pantry. Im guessing this joinery of the fascia will either significantly strengthen the shelf and resist bowing due to excess weight on the shelf OR the plywood shelf will separate at the spline from any excess weight because the spline is halving the thickness of the plywood vs. the fascia board just popping off if it were just edge glued.


----------



## Steve Neul (Sep 2, 2011)

Whether you use the spline or not the strip of wood properly glued on isn't going to pop off. It would be like the strip of wood and the shelf became one. If the weight is really excessive the shelf and the strip will bow. That is just the nature of wood. How much weight and how much of a span are we talking about? Sometimes if I have a shelf with too much weight I will screw a piece of 3/4" angle iron to the back side of the edging and shelf. Steel is a lot more permanent than wood.


----------



## Ryan Perillat (Mar 10, 2017)

It's only a 30" span 13 1/4 deep shelf 3/4" thick birch plywood shelf and most likely canned goods will ony be put on the bottom shelf (pantry for two people). So, I'm guess using this joint is a bit overkill? Maybe, at the least, I won't have to worry about the fascia alignment with the surface of the shelf sliding around while glueing and clamping.


----------



## Steve Neul (Sep 2, 2011)

A 30" span is the limit I use for shelving without any center support. You should be alright with just can goods. That would be considered a normal load.


----------



## Jim Frye (Aug 24, 2016)

I'm building a large cabinet now with ply sides and solid wood front and rear fascia (stiles). The fascia has a 3/8" groove where you have your 1/8" groove 7/16" in from the edge. The plywood side has a 3/8" rabbit cut in on the outer edge. This is the joinery for a fastener-less glue joint. The 7/16" dimension leaves the fascia just proud of the ply side after glue up. I then run a flush trim router bit the length of the fascia to clean up the joint. 

To strengthen the shelves, I glue a solid wood front and rear trim piece on each shelf. For a 3/4" ply shelf, I would add 1 1/4" wide trim. I rout a rabbit on each to accept the ply shelf and to provide an increased glue surface joint. You can rout a decorative edge on the top and bottom of the front trim piece without sacrificing strength. I have two cabinets made this way that are over twenty years old and no shelf sagging on the 39" long shelves. One is loaded with SWMBO's books and the other has electronic equipment in it. The new cabinet will have 59" long shelves, so I am making the shelf trim 1 1/2" wide for added stiffness.

The spline & groove join will work also. If it were mine, I'd make the grooves sized to accept 1/4" plywood, following the sizing practice for tenons, and so I could use some of the 1/4" ply scrap I have. Also for maximum join strength, the predominate grain of the spline should be 90 degrees to the grain of the fascia.


----------



## Ryan Perillat (Mar 10, 2017)

finished product.


----------



## sanchez (Feb 18, 2010)

That's pretty! Nice job.


----------

