Paneling... tongue in groove?

I was thinking of a couple uses for some of the finish lumber I will be making from my home made boards. Cedar paneling in some limited areas, e.g. above the sun room windows might be doable as the area is not too large what with windows taking up most of the area. I will be triming out the windows in cedar so I figure why not do the small area of wall in cedar as well. It was suggested to me that I should use random or randomized lengths for a better look. Seems OK to me but...

What sort of carpenter stuff do you use to join the pieces together? Tongue and groove? I could run the pieces through the jointer and then "router" tongues and grooves and maybe get a real good flat seamless-except-for-variation-in-grain fit.

Is a "perfect fit" a smart goal? Should I "V" the edges a mite to hide any itsy bitsy variations?

I suppose if I do this, I will want all pieces of the same width. Do you tongue and groove the ends as well?

Any suggestions as to bits to use, size compared to board thickness, recommendaton for board thickness, whatwever I should ask if only I knew what I was doing?

Any astute guesses as to linear feet of tongue and or groove in cedar with bits (HSS or carbide or...)

[img]/forums/images/icons/smile.gif[/img] Pat [img]/forums/images/icons/smile.gif[/img]

I have installed some tongue and groove cedar in a bathroom. The thickness of material was about 3/8 inch. The sides were tongue and groove, the ends were not. There might have been a slight taper on the edges. All seams are quite visible and part of the appeal.

Purchased mine at Menards, a local box store, anyone of the box stores should have them that you could examine for ideas.

This type is not a seamless looking product when installed.

For panelling its usually tonge and groove with a slight v where the sides meet. The ends may/may not have tong and groove meeting flat. Thickness may vary according to cost. The exposed side may have decorative beading of some sort.

For solid look take a look at hardwood flooring. Finger joints are used to join short pieces into one long board. These boards then have tongue and groove joints on all four sides to make a continous even floor. The tongue and groove joints may have different shapes than the tradition square type.

Look at router-shaper-moulding head bits or blades and the varity is almost endless. There is a special bit for finger joints but they also vary in style.

Maybe choose a style that will fit the equipment available. Others on this site and TBN have told me Whiteside bits are the best.

I have an assortment of very inexpesive carbide bit sets and a few selected bits one of which will cost more than the bit sets.

In The Alberta house I put up many square feet of cedar panelling. It was mostly 6 x 3/4 in. tonge and groove with butt ends. I used a sander to edge the ends so they were visible and used screws to attach to the walls and ceilings. The screw heads were left exposed.

Egon

DD, Thanks for suggestion. I have actually been in a Menards in Dubuque, Iowa (sorry for 4 letter word) I have seen a cedar installation where the individual pieces were "seamless", i.e. you couldn't feel where one board stopped and another started but you could see all the random lengths and variations in grain. I didn't know how they did that. It is just one possibility.

I will look at what the big boxes sell for ideas like you suggest. I also like the look of some T&G I have seen where the area adjacent to the T&G is beveled significantly, like some horizontal fence slats.

Maybe I'll end up sith some synthesis between commercial styles. One consideration is "dust catching" as it will be well above my reach.

Thanks for your thoughts.

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