Help with tongue and grooving planks please

[gasman]

I am making a heavy duty garden gate in idigbo - it is about 6' x 3' and needs to be 'solid' - i.e. no gaps that you can see through
The frame is 4"x2" or thereabouts - with big rabbeted corner joints which will be doweled as well
I want to use 6" x 1/2" planks to make up the 'middle' of the gate - set into a half inch groove all round the frame
The slightly controversial bit is that the planks need to be horizontal not vertical - and I will obviously not glue the planks to allow for expansion - plus I want there to be a soft v-groove on both sides of the gate at each joint between 2 planks
Also the fact that the planks are only 1/2" thick means that a 6mm (or 1/4") tongue and groove set will not leave enough wood on either side (3 mm or so).
So does anyone know if I get a 5 - or even 4 mm grooving bit for a router and then get a bit which will cut the tongue as well - plus soften the edges of both to create the v-groove
THanks
Mark

 

[jasonB]

4 or 5mm slotters are easy enough to come by, try Wealden. for the small number of boards you will want a rebate cutter and two passes will make the tongue and a couple of swipes with a block blane will chamfer the edges quicker than you could set up a 25deg bit.

http://www.wealdentool.com/acatalog/Sta ... ge_63.html

Are you having any diagonal bracing, its going to need it.

J

 

[Mcluma]

I would do a half lap joint. the boards are already set in a groove, so there is harly any structural value to the tongue and groove

 

[gasman]

Thanks both of you for your comments
I like the idea of half lap joints - hadn't thought of that
Cheers
Mark