Cored panel joinery

[Willallison]

Not the most riveting of subjects I'll grant you....;)
Just interested to hear from other's as to how you treat the joints in cored panel joinery. Manufactuers tend to suggest that all joints need to be taped. Builders that I've spoken to use a variety of approaches, ranging from simply gluing them together, to coring one or both panels prior to gluing, to making a sort of 'biscuit' joint, to the afforementioned taped joint.
Obviously, taping would be superior in terms of strength, but it is regarded by many as overkill and requires a great deal of fairing.
Thoughts...?

[PAR]

On a couple of occasions I've made a "reversed" flange fillet, inside the joined panels to hide the fillet.

These instances were hardwood faced cored panels and the owner didn't want to see fillets, even if I taped them off nicely or covered them with a bit of trim. The sectional view of the joint would look like two butted fillets against the centerline of the joined panel. The edges of the panels were taped and remained clean.

I doubt That I'd trust them for bulkhead or other heavy structural load situations, but for furniture it worked.

[Willallison]

Thanks Paul. In this instance, the panels are all FRP skin / Foam core, which will be painted and with no fiddles or anything: somewhat like the simplified pic below.
The manufacturer recommends this approach, but as I said before, would require a great deal of fairing.....

[PAR]

Okay, I'll bite, what picture . . .

[Willallison]

Oops...

[PAR]

If it's a structural panel, then you'll have to attach tabbing to the panel skin. I'd do it a little differently (solid laminate corners), but you'll still have considerable fairing.

If it's not a loaded panel, then I'd under cut the core, bond to the back side of the skin with minimal tabbing, trying to be as neat as possible, then smash them together until cured. Maybe sacrifice one side for a good tabbing job, butt joining the more difficult to fair side, in a bed of thickened goo.