Raised or flat-panel doors
Cope-and-stick
The cope is the joint. A matching profile on rail and stile, plus a panel groove.
Use when
- You are running door stock with a matched cutter set.
Don’t use when
- Do not forget the panel needs room to float.
- Keep
- Waste, hatched on the drawing
- Dimension
- Long parts are broken. The 1 in bar is true scale.
Stock
Thickness steppers move by 1/16 in, or 0.5 mm. You can type 3/4 or 1-1/8.
Sizes
| Mark | Size | Rule |
|---|---|---|
| Stick depth | 3/8 in | The molded edge is about 3/8 in deep. The cope is the reverse of that stick |
| Panel groove | 1/4 in | 1/4 in groove for the panel, in the stick |
| Panel clearance | 1/16 in | Leave the panel shy of the groove bottom so it can move |
| Stub tenon | 3/8 in | About 3/8 in left after the cope, if you want more than the mold to hold the corner |
Cut sequence
1Stick the inside edge
Profile about 3/8 in deep, with a 1/4 in panel groove.
2Cope the rail ends
The cope is the reverse of the stick. It has to match, or the shoulder gaps.
Setup: Leave a stub tenon 3/8 in.
3Fit the panel shy
Clearance 1/16 in at the groove bottom. Finish the panel before assembly.
4Dry-fit, then glue
Close the joint dry. Check that shoulders and faces meet, then glue. If this is a frame or a box, check both diagonals before the glue grabs.
Stop when: Dry-fit is tight with hand pressure, square, and the diagonals match.
Glue
Long grain to long grain
Strength
furniture
Movement
The cope is the joint. A stub tenon behind it is extra. The panel is not glued across its width.