Replies

1. 
   joinerswork | Oct 29, 2004 04:33pm | #1

   SJADDIS1,

   Typically the pins are located fairly close to the stile/rail intersection.  For cabinet doors (7/8" thick stock, say, with a 1" long tenon) the pin will usually be around 1/8" -1/4" from the tenon shoulder, or edge of the stile.

   Too close to the edge of the stile risks splitting the stile if the pin is a bit oversize.

   Through tenons are often pinned with two pins, one near the intersection of stile and rail, the other catty-cornered and nearer the outside of the stile, maybe 1/4 of the width of the stile away from the outside edge.  Diagonally opposite on the width of the tenon, in other words. Although you will see this on old work, it seems to me that shrinkage would pull the joint open when the pins are further away from the shoulder of the tenon.

   Your 2" thick doors will need large pins.  The passage doors in my 1850 ish house are pinned with 1/2" square pins. The 6" wide top rails are pinned with two pins, both near the shoulder of the tenon, but the pin nearest the top of the door is further away from the joint. About 5/16" and 3/4" from the tenon shoulder. The ends of the through tenons are wedged.

   Make the pins exactly the same size as the diameter of the hole you are boring--1/2" hole, 1/2" square pins.  Chamfer the corners of the pins so that they are octagonal for about 2/3 of the depth they will be driven. The square section will deform the hole, but won't split the stile, as it is driven home.

   Regards,

   Ray

1. 
   Boylan | Oct 31, 2004 12:38am | #2

   Thanks very much Ray. I shall bookmark this post and try to attach a photo when the job is complete. The doors were delivered, complete with pins, actually 3/8" round pins this time, to Chicago yesterday. Thus far they have been nicely received but still need to be finished and installed. I just kind of thought, visually and structurally, that a 3/8" pin would do fairly well. We shall see in a hundred years if I was correct I suppose.

   Mike

1. 
   yotonyb | Oct 31, 2004 07:07am | #3

   3/8" dowel pins with the center 9/16" back from the edge of the joint.  That's the rule of thumb I've used for furniture based on measurements I've taken on a fair number of arts-and-crafts style originals where a pinned mortise-and-tenon joint is most likely to be found.  Haven't built a door, and the larger proportions might call for something different, but the 3/8"-9/16" standard is what I've observed.

   Hope to see the completed door posted here soon!

   tony b.