I keep seeing folks skip the test fit on face frames and it's costing them time

Been noticing a bunch of guys in our shop and online just slapping face frames on without a dry run first. They measure the carcass, cut the rails and stiles, then glue and nail it straight on. Every single time someone does that, we end up with a gap somewhere, usually at the top or bottom corner. It happened to me about three years ago on a big kitchen job, and I had to spend an hour with a block plane and some filler to fix a 1/8 inch reveal that shouldn't have been there. The carcass is never perfectly square, even if it's just a hair off. Now I always clamp the whole frame in place, check it with a small square, and mark any high spots with a pencil before I commit. It adds maybe five minutes to the job and saves a huge headache later. Has anyone else made this a hard rule after getting burned?

3 comments

3 Comments

reeseanderson2mo ago

Yeah that's a solid move. Started doing the same thing after a drawer front sat proud on a built-in. A quick clamp-up and a shim under the low corner saved the whole piece.

faith7412mo agoMost Upvoted

My first shim was a folded pizza box, which tells you everything about my skill level.

robert_bennett2922d ago

...and I read somewhere that a lot of those issues come from people forgetting about the twist in the wood too. Even if the carcass is square, the frame pieces themselves can have a little cup or bow to them and it throws everything off once you clamp it. I heard a guy say he always lays his rails and stiles on a flat bench with a straight edge across them first, just to check for any wind or twist before he even touches the box. That stuck with me because I used to think it was all about the cabinet being off, not the wood itself acting up. Now I definitely do a quick visual on each piece before I test fit the whole thing, it's saved me from pulling my hair out on a few jobs for sure.

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