Cruciform joint 18mm MDF

[cantseeitfrommyhouse]

Evening all

I have been pondering today whether there is a good method for joining sheet materials together into cabinets, without the need for two vertical pieces where the two "cabinets" (or bays of shelves) meet.

eg:
|____________|____________|


Rather than
|____________||____________|

The problem being that the next / previous shelf fouls where you would screw from or biscuit joints would collide. (which ordinarily could be staggered, but not on 100mm deep stretchers and would still require clamping while the glue dries).

How does everybody else build built in furniture?

 

[dzj]

Screw or biscuit or dowel one shelf and affix the next with shelf pins.
Or use housings for both if material allows.

 

[petermillard]

Dominos, for preference. Alternating dominos and screws will also work, as would any of dzj's suggestions - housings, pins etc...

 

[RobinBHM]

The easiest solution is a mid divider that is through drilled and then have all loose shelves.

Where 2 shelves are on the same level, use long shelf pins (42mm from memory).

 

[Boatfixer]

I did several hundred MDF pidgeon hole shelves for a warehouse a year or so ago using pocket hole screws to put the shelves in. No problems so far and they are heavily used.

 

[cantseeitfrommyhouse]

Thanks chaps

I've thrown my own thread off track a bit by mentioning shelves. I mean shelves and drawer stretchers (or horizontal elements generally) within a built in wardrobe type scenario. Typically melamine faced mdf with edge banding.

I need to be able to install prefabricated parts together quickly on site without the need for huge sash clamps (which wouldn't always fit in gaps anyway) and glue drying time.

I've never liked the idea of pocket hole screws, largely because of the exorbitant cost of the jig and also because joint making woodworkers (the ol' man) would sneer at it as not being a "proper" joint. That said it does look to be the only concealed dry joint method that work in tension and perhaps it's time for me to pursue this option.

I have a dewalt biscuit jointer. Not a massive fan of it. The domino looks a far superior option. Shame it's mortgage money.