# Looking for advice for rounded corner frames



## perseus7717 (Jan 31, 2016)

Hello,

I have a small shop in my garage and am struggling on building on a rounded cabinet. I am a novice woodworker and am looking for advice about building rounded corner cabinets. This is the first time I’ve tried to build a rounded cabinet. Not sure if I am doing this correctly, but am a giving it a go. If my terminology is incorrect, or if I need to post to another forum, please forgive me as a am just learning.

I have the built the carcass out of ¾” plywood. I have the pieces cut to length, and pocket holed into the face frame. The face frame is assembled, and a am trying to assemble the rounded corners. I have the bottom attached on the right and left side. The Right side is giving me problems as the rounded moldings are spitting and or cracking. 

I have am running into a few problems as the rounded molding keeps spiting and cracking. I cannot figure out to fix the issue or continue with ruining the cabinet.

If anyone has any suggestions or advice, it would be greatly appreciated.

Thank you, 
Tom


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## JOAT (Apr 9, 2010)

Not 100% sure what's going on here. You using screws, or nails, to hold those pieces, and there is splitting because of that? I don't make things like that usually, but when, I do I only use glue, no nails or screws. But not to worry, if that's not it, one of the guys who makes furniture on a regular basis will come along, and should give you a answer.


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## DesertRatTom (Jul 3, 2012)

I agree on the glue. Can't quite make out the grain on the rounded pieces, but if you have pocket holes going in with the grain, that could cause splitting. You must pre drill that kind of joint on that grain or risk splitting. Glue will hold those shapes forever, although clamping could be a challenge.


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## Stick486 (Jan 4, 2013)

Tom..
what are your fastening methods???
why are you doing this in sections.....

rip a piece ½-¾'' (or more if you can) ply the width and length of the assembled corner piece...
careful on the fit..
glue the sections to the ply.. use a 23GA pinner to pin the ply to the molding but no larger...
glue the assembly to the face frames and mechanically fasten through the back w/ screws being careful to screw into the ply only..
add blocks to add to thickness for the screws if you can...

the splits are because of the early or spring wood of the pieces... 
and it doesn't tolerate mechanical fastening w/o preventive measures...

*Early wood or Spring wood*

1. Formed during spring season.
2. Formed early in a year.
3. Consists of xylem tissues with wider vessels.
4. Produced more in amount.
5. Less dense.
6. A broad zone of wood.
7. Not as strong as late wood.

*Late wood or Autumn wood*

1. Formed during winter season.
2. Formed after the early wood.
3. Consists of xylem elements with narrow vessels.
4. Produced less in amount.
5. More dense.
6. A narrow zone of wood.
7. Stronger than early wood due to larger volume of wall materials.


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## Cherryville Chuck (Sep 28, 2010)

Tom..
what are your fastening methods???
why are you doing this in sections.....

rip a piece ½-¾'' (or more if you can) ply the width and length of the assembled corner piece...
careful on the fit..
glue the sections to the ply.. use a 23GA pinner to pin the ply to the molding but no larger...
glue the assembly to the face frames and mechanically fasten through the back w/ screws being careful to screw into the ply only..
add blocks to add to thickness for the screws if you can...

the splits are because of the early or spring wood of the pieces...
and it doesn't tolerate mechanical fastening w/o preventive measures...

Tom all of that is true. What is cracking your wood is too much stress being put on it. I fully agree with Stick when he says to bridge the corner with ply and then attach the round piece to the ply. Let the ply handle the stress. It's better suited for the job. One of the other possibilities is that the wood may have started with too much moisture content and has dried since you started. Even if that isn't the cause now, it could be the cause of a later failure. Wood cells build up from the center of a tree in layers. Each layer of cells is longer than the previous one so that the outer layers shrink more when it dries than the inner layers. This will cause cracks and breaks if not allowed to move freely.

If you do like Stick suggests I would only attach the piece at its center but it could be attached very firmly if only there. That would allow movement at either end without causing the piece to crack. I personally would try to either rabbet or mortise the ends of your corner pieces into either side at least 1/8". That way if there is shrinkage there won't be a visible gap at the ends where they meet the sides.


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## perseus7717 (Jan 31, 2016)

Thank you everyone for all the information on the post!

The wood is Alder. The fastener system is the pocket hole system (Kreg). 
The fastener system is indeed a problem here! I used the pocket hole system because I couldn't figure out how to clamp the face frame. Even with 1-2 pocket holes pre-drilled and glue, I could not get the alignment perfect (or at all). My method was to use my figures and hold the rounded pieces into the face frame... Not ideal at all, but I couldn't figure how to hold, clamp, align, glue the pieces, hence the post here  

Definitely, I need help with the system that will hold, clamp, align, glue the pieces. 
Thanks!
Tom


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## perseus7717 (Jan 31, 2016)

Hi Stick,

"why are you doing this in sections....."

The section are purely decoration. See example below.

Thanks!
Tom


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## Stick486 (Jan 4, 2013)

perseus7717 said:


> Thank you everyone for all the information on the post!
> 
> The wood is Alder. The fastener system is the pocket hole system (Kreg).
> The fastener system is indeed a problem here! I used the pocket hole system because I couldn't figure out how to clamp the face frame. Even with 1-2 pocket holes pre-drilled and glue, I could not get the alignment perfect (or at all). My method was to use my figures and hold the rounded pieces into the face frame... Not ideal at all, but I couldn't figure how to hold, clamp, align, glue the pieces, hence the post here
> ...


masking tape and a 23 gauge pinner...


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## DaninVan (Jan 1, 2012)

And GLUE, Stick, and glue.


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## Stick486 (Jan 4, 2013)

DaninVan said:


> And GLUE, Stick, and glue.


covered that already Dan...
try to keep up...


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## DesertRatTom (Jul 3, 2012)

What a great and informative discussion. Thanks to all.


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## papasombre (Sep 22, 2011)

Welcome to the forum, Tom.
I wouldn´t say you are a novice woodworker. Nice cabinets.


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