A rail and stile is the same component in cabinet construction, while their length may vary depending on the intended width and height of the wall they are the same profile.  The rail is the horizontal piece and the stile is the vertical piece that forms a wall or door.  The two views on the left and right illustrate the two opposite sides of the rail and stile.  On the left you can see two grooves.  These grooves are used to insert up to two panels to form the wall.  There are advantages to a double wall panel which we will discuss later.  The view on the right shows a large notch that is instrumental in the plug and play assembly of the UBS system.  You may click on the pictures for a larger view.

The rails and stiles are assembled together using dovetail joinery.   Two rails (horizontal) and two stiles (vertical) form the frame for the wall.  The rendering on the left illustrates the front of the frame in which you can see the two inner grooves which will be used for up to two panels. The picture on the right shows the back of the frame and how the notches form a nice plug for assembly.  You may click on the pictures for a larger view.

The rail and stiles are molded when produced and make a very attractive cabinet grade frame that will be a beautiful addition to any home or garden.  The panels are inserted during assembly to form a wall.  Up to two panels can be inserted which has several benefits which will be discussed later on this page.  The picture on the right shows a completed wall with panels inserted.  You may click on the pictures for a larger view.

The walls are plugged together to form a box, the picture on the left shows three sides and bottom assembled and the rendering on the right shows a completed box.  You may click on the pictures for a larger view.

It is easy to make a top that simply plugs into the box.  Now it is a storage box, or table top.  Several different pluggable tops can be made depending on the application.

Applications

As an example of a specific application the picture on the right adds a door in one side and we have the beginning of a pet house.  We have many applications in mind and have pictures of the some of those that are in production below.  The picture on the left is a visual representation of the double wall panel.

The rails and stiles are produced so we can insert two panels for double wall construction.  We wanted to do this to be sure we had the best platform for all the applications we are considering.  As one example the double wall offers insulation and excellent protection from the wind.  This protection from the elements is important in many applications.  One example is pet homes another is  planters that are used in extreme climates, the added insulation protects the root balls from the cold and extreme heat when the plants are above the ground.  We will also add a glass top so one can use the box to start plants early on a deck or porch.

A double wall also allows us to protect the outside wall from what is happening on the inside of the box.  We can use a high end panel on the outside for example.   We can also use a different material on the inside or outside which is appropriate.

When a double wall is not desired it is easy to not insert the second wall.

Materials

While we can use a variety of materials in the USB system we have chosen to use two specific materials.  One is Western Red Cedar (WRC) because of its excellent durability in the outdoors and light weight and new material that is a plastic resin that uses recycled wood fiber as a substrate.  The rails and stiles use Western Red Cedar exclusively and the panels use either tongue and groove Western Red Cedar Panels or the new recycled plastic.  The WRC panels are natural and very beautiful, the plastic material allows us to use a recycled material that has the benefits of color and higher level of toughness and water resistance when it is called for.