# Furniture Edge...why?



## sausagefingers (Oct 1, 2008)

I worked with a guy a while back to figured out this "amazing" way of putting the face frames on cabinets by putting a furniture edge on it. I personally think it looks bad, almost like the person can't line up his face frames and bulkheads where they meet. And unless you are using solid material for your bulkheads, you can see the plys. So my question is, what benefits of putting a furniture edge on your cabinets are there?


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## GeorgeC (Jul 30, 2008)

What is a furniture edge?

g


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## firehawkmph (Apr 26, 2008)

Ditto on what George said, Saus.fingers. I have seen the term used before, but not for what you are describing. Do you have a picture or drawing you can post?
Mike Hawkins:huh:


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## Tony B (Jul 30, 2008)

*What is a furniture edge?*

I can't figure out what you are talking about.


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## cabinetman (Jul 5, 2007)

It might be a reference to just profiling the plywood edge.


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## sausagefingers (Oct 1, 2008)

Yeah, it's where you run like a 1/8" chamfer on the two edges where the face frame and bulkhead meet. The only people I've seen do it call it furniture edge. Let me see if I can find a pic.


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## sausagefingers (Oct 1, 2008)

On the sides of the island...the groove that runs along the bulkhead and stiles.


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## firehawkmph (Apr 26, 2008)

I understand what you are saying, but I can't really see it in the picture. If it's as you say, I don't think I like that idea, and it's not what I think of as a furniture edge.
Mike Hawkins:smile:


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## johnep (Apr 12, 2007)

Love your kitchen.
johnep


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## GeorgeC (Jul 30, 2008)

The problem that I see with it is that it provides less bearing surface. You would need to use some type of mechanical (dowels, screws, biscuits, spplines, etc) to assist is holding the two surfaces together.

G


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## sausagefingers (Oct 1, 2008)

Hmm...kinda weird nobody really know about this. It's basically a V groove on the sides. The production builder I work for uses a cabinet shop here in Oklahoma and they run this "furniture" edge along all the bulkhead and stiles. It's really annoying. I've even seen some manufactured furniture with this edging.


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## GeorgeC (Jul 30, 2008)

sausagefingers said:


> Hmm...kinda weird nobody really know about this. It's basically a V groove on the sides. The production builder I work for uses a cabinet shop here in Oklahoma and they run this "furniture" edge along all the bulkhead and stiles. It's really annoying. I've even seen some manufactured furniture with this edging.


Previously you said "Yeah, it's where you run like a 1/8" chamfer on the two edges where the face frame and bulkhead meet. The only people I've seen do it call it furniture edge. Let me see if I can find a pic."

Now you say it is a V groove.

Which is it?

G


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## bradnailer (Nov 11, 2008)

For me, it would depend on how the sheet goods on the side looked after the chamfer since the outside layer of veneer is less than 1/8". I might do it, depending on the look I was trying to get with the piece, but to do it as a rule, I'm thinking not.


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## mics_54 (Oct 28, 2008)

It's just easing the edges. It adds some geometry. I wouldn't call it "an amazing way to join" and it isnt new. Calling something a "furniture edge" is rather ambiguous. It probably came about when some one had to hide some splintered corners.


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## sausagefingers (Oct 1, 2008)

GeorgeC said:


> Previously you said "Yeah, it's where you run like a 1/8" chamfer on the two edges where the face frame and bulkhead meet. The only people I've seen do it call it furniture edge. Let me see if I can find a pic."
> 
> Now you say it is a V groove.
> 
> ...



It makes a V groove. When you put a chamfer on both edges then put them together it's a 90 degree V groove. Sorry to mix it up.


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## sausagefingers (Oct 1, 2008)

mics_54 said:


> It's just easing the edges. It adds some geometry. I wouldn't call it "an amazing way to join" and it isnt new. Calling something a "furniture edge" is rather ambiguous. It probably came about when some one had to hide some splintered corners.


Yeah, kinda what I thought. The person who showed it to me said it made it easier because you didn't have to get your stiles and bulkheads lined up perfectly. And basically gave some wiggle room. But I've never had problems getting mine to look good.


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## Gus Dering (Oct 14, 2008)

You guys are talking about using a v-groove flush trimming bit to shave the frame flush with the finished ends. 
I use this method with great success. I tried for years to just trim them flush with no v-groove and no matter how hard I tried I always felt a bit disappointed with the results. A painted joint will inevitably crack along the joint at some point. The stain jobs will seem to have some small defect visible after the finishing process.
The beauty of the v-groove is that it adds a detail to a joint that will show itself off more times than not anyway.

The bits straight out of the box have too deep of a V for my liking. My sharpening service cuts the V profile down a bit for me. It looks way better when it,s only about 1/8" across.
The last thing is that we don,t center the v-groove on the joint. we don't like exposing the core of the finished end. By offsetting it to the frame side a bit it looks so much better.

I used to think it was cheating , I got myself turned around on that. You can try to convince me I sold out some how but I don't think so


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## firehawkmph (Apr 26, 2008)

Gus,
Thanks for that explanation. I understand what sausage is talking about now. I don't recall ever seeing this on any cabinets I have come into contact with.
Mike Hawkins


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## sausagefingers (Oct 1, 2008)

Gus Dering said:


> You guys are talking about using a v-groove flush trimming bit to shave the frame flush with the finished ends.
> I use this method with great success. I tried for years to just trim them flush with no v-groove and no matter how hard I tried I always felt a bit disappointed with the results. A painted joint will inevitably crack along the joint at some point. The stain jobs will seem to have some small defect visible after the finishing process.
> The beauty of the v-groove is that it adds a detail to a joint that will show itself off more times than not anyway.
> 
> ...



OH ok...well the way I had seen it done was using a very small chamfer on the outside edge of the bulkhead and the face frame before either are attached. But the ones I saw also showed the plys in the bulkheads and looked horrible when stained. But thanks for clearing that up. :thumbsup:


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## Tony B (Jul 30, 2008)

*I have done this often.*

I just never referred to it by any particular name. I just called it 'easeing the joints'. It's a lot better looking than just a broad flat side. I also have done this where the stiles and rails join on the carcase and on the doors.


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## Al Killian (Aug 14, 2007)

Most of the time it is used to hide a less then perfect fit. I have heard called a shadow line. It is supposed to hide a where the ff and carcase come together and have some gaps.


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## sausagefingers (Oct 1, 2008)

Al Killian said:


> Most of the time it is used to hide a less then perfect fit. I have heard called a shadow line. It is supposed to hide a where the ff and carcase come together and have some gaps.


That's why I always thought it was wierd. I don't usually have too much of a problem making them fit without gaps. And what little ones there might be, a small amount of woodfiller, I thought, looked a lot better. To each his own I guess. :laughing:


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## clampman (Oct 20, 2006)

I haven't installed pre-built cabinets in years, but I used to chamfer the outside edges of face frame stiles with a swipe of a hand plane before screwing them together.


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