# Help with cope & stick joints



## Colley Cibber (Oct 26, 2010)

I'm struggling to get cope & stick joints to fit perfectly. I've got a good-quality bit set and a setup jig but I can't seem to get a consistently tight joint between the rails and stiles. I'm confident the cutter setup is correct since the surfaces of the rails and stiles are flush - it's the joint where the rail meets the stile that varies. Using the same setup, I can get tight joints or gaps - nothing huge, but up to 3/64s maybe. I suspect it's got something to do with the lateral depth of cut, but that seems fixed by the guide bearing. Typically not a problem with painted poplar doors where you can fill and forget, but I'm making the bride a cabinet out of some expensive maple and I hate the idea of wood filler. Any ideas?


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## mdntrdr (Dec 22, 2009)

Sounds to me that your stock is moving during the cope cut.

Stock must be kept from moving, possibly even clamped. :yes:


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## Colley Cibber (Oct 26, 2010)

That's definitely something to look at although I have a miter slot in the router table and make several cuts to get to the finished depth - especially with a hard wood like maple....Thanks for the idea!


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## firehawkmph (Apr 26, 2008)

Rockler sells a coping jig for router tables that isn't too expensive. Would probably eliminate your problem.
Mike Hawkins


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## sketel (Sep 15, 2010)

If you have a guide bearing on your coping bit, I would also check to see if your cuts are square and perpendicular when sizing your material to length. If you don't hold on tight enough, your piece can get sucked into the blade slightly which gives a poor cut. When trimming less than 1/16" off on the miter saw, the blade sometimes wants to flex and doesn't give you a perfect cut. Something to check, it has messed up joints for me.


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## TimPa (Jan 27, 2010)

i once found my router slanted form the lexan plate just enough to open up the joint. it was tight in my hands, but opened up when laid on a flat surface. couple shims between router and plate solved it.


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## Hammer1 (Aug 1, 2010)

My stile and rail bits come with shims so you can make the cope fit correctly. They may take a few tries to get right, instructions come with the bits. The tongue should not hit the bottom of the groove, you want a small space, 1/32", at this place so expansion of the stiles does not force the cope joint open. Since this type of joint relies on glue, you need the mating surfaces to fit. If your cope and rail joints aren't fitting like this, something is wrong with your set up or technique.


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## Colley Cibber (Oct 26, 2010)

Thanks for the suggestions Hammer1 - my bit set didn't come with shims so it might not be as good as I thought. I can produce joints that look like those in your photo, but some just don't close up tight. It must be a technique issue. I've got four doors left to make for this cabinet so there's at least 16 more chances to get it right.


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