Replies

1. 
   Danford_C._Jennings | Jan 03, 2002 08:53am | #1

   *
   Mr. Olsen,

   Welcome, I see this is your first posting.

   There are several types of wedged tenons ranging from a stub with a single wedge to the fox wedged tenon. As to actual slope of the wedge; I will go no more than 5:1. Thickness is determined by the slot(s) to be wedged in the tenon or gaps left where the mortise is oversize to wedge the top and bottom of the tenon cheek.

   Choice of the actual joint used is primarily dependent upon which components are to be joined. Perhaps a little more information from you will elicit a more specific and helpful information.

   Dano

1. 
   Mr._Olsen | Jan 03, 2002 07:42pm | #2

   *Thank you for the information, I think that I made my taper to large. I have attached a Acrobat Drawing of the type of wedged tendon. You should be able to open it. You will see that I went 1/4 inch wider than the 1/2inch square hole. I am assuming that I need to endlarge my hole and go with a less taper.

1. 
   Danford_C._Jennings | Jan 03, 2002 08:32pm | #3

   *Mr. Olsen,I am assuming by your drawing that this is a side view of a "leg" going into a "foot" or base, am I correct?For the joint shown neither the tenon nor the sides of the mortise should be tapered. The shoulders of the tenon should cut as a full blind tenon, except that it's length goes through the piece. The wedge length can then be determined.Personally, I see no advantage to using a wedged through tenon in this application as the wedges are academic and will not be seen, if my assumption is correct.I would like to point out that it is easier for us to open a jpg attachment than it is a PDF one. There is a file size limit of 200Kb.Dano

1. 
   Mr._Olsen | Jan 04, 2002 12:51am | #4

   *See attached revised drawing. The tendon is 1/2-inch square to begin with, then will spread out to 3/4-inch. it was very difficult to bend each side of the tendon with that steep of a wedge. Should there only be about 1/6" additional width in each end of the mortise hole?

1. 
   Danford_C._Jennings | Jan 04, 2002 01:39am | #5

   *Mr. Olsen,Here: DanoI did make a typo in post #3. It should read: For the joint shown, the tenon should not be tapered. Source: i The Encyclopedia of Furniture Making by Ernest Joyce, pg. 188, Drake Publishers, Inc., copyright 1970 by Ernest Joyce.

2. 
   Dave_Arbuckle | Jan 04, 2002 01:50am | #6

   *Number 11, the foxed tenon. There's about the most nerve-wracking joint in the world. ;-)Guess I'll have to look when I get home, #5 has me baffled.DaveJust "chatting"

3. 
   Danford_C._Jennings | Jan 04, 2002 02:38am | #7

   *Hey Dave,Good to see you. #5 is a tongued shoulder tenon. This would be use when a heavy and wide shoulder tenon is needed for strength. When I made my first bench, my teacher made me use this joint where the legs went into the base. As you may recall from another post, I was "bootstraped" and the entire bench was done by hand, no electical tools what so ever. The bench was entirely of Maple. The tenon was easy, it's the mortising that's "hard".b :)It wasn't until my second year that questions were "allowed" if you catch my drift.b ;)DanoMaybe an opportunity will present itself to show the cats claw mortise and tenon; very interesting joint used where the stem is joined to the keel.

4. 
   Don_Rogers | Jan 04, 2002 06:07am | #8

   *Dave & Dano No 11; The Foxed Tenon.....if you get it wrong you're really foxed.As for the cats claw M&T we all look forward to a demo, shall we say your shop on a Sunday arvo in Spring:)Don

5. 
   Danford_C._Jennings | Jan 04, 2002 10:12am | #9

   *Don,You provide the timbers, not in the English usage of the word, I meanb timbers, I'll provide the demo and toddy. Better plan on a weekend, though.b :)"Yo, ho, ho, and a bottle o' rum........"-Robert Louis Stevenson,i Treasure IslandDano

6. 
   Dave_Arbuckle | Jan 04, 2002 11:06pm | #10

   *Thanks Dano. So on the tongued shoulder, you make what amounts to a triple mortise, one big and two small? Interesting.Don, I always wondered why it was called "foxed". Never guessed it was a euphemism, makes good sense though. :-)Dave

7. 
   Danford_C._Jennings | Jan 05, 2002 12:18am | #11

   *Dave, no problem. As to your question about the mortise, yes. I learned that the hard way; chopped out the mortise, he comes over looks at it shakes his head and says, "Dano boy, thinka 'bout da wedge" and walks away. If you ever decide to go through the agony of chopping out this mortise, I suggest laying out and chopping the smaller ones first, this too was learned the "hard way".b :)Dano

8. 
   Don_Rogers | Jan 05, 2002 10:34am | #12

   *Dano, Don't tell me you're another good ole rum drinking sea-dog with stories of the times b'fore th' mast ;)This may well extend our week end into 3 hangovers! Now you want some real timbers - have a look at ironbark in this selection:http://home.vicnet.net.au/~woodlink/vicwoods.htmor do I pick up a couple of Douglas firs on the road into K Falls;)Don

9. 
   Danford_C._Jennings | Jan 05, 2002 11:26am | #13

   *Aye Matey, been swillin' me grog in the fo'c's'le since I was a lad o' 14. First swung me ha'mu'k at the wee age o' 5.Shiv'r me timb'rs and strike me down with a be'ly'n pin! Red Ironbark is much too hard for me axe, adze, and fro; load up yer lorrey with a couple o' White Oak logs, no less than a f'th'm across the round and 6 in length.Yo, ho, ho and five bottles o' rum! I tip me tri corner to you for the link.Dano

10. 
    Don_Rogers | Jan 08, 2002 03:49pm | #14

    *Dano,Well keel haul me scurvy ass & sentence me to life with a mermaid, & I thought US Flag flyers were dry!! Sorry I didn't reply sooner but I've been away sniffing the spray (4 hours drive from here unfortunately) for the past 2 days and just got back tonight. Fathom across white oak you say, I'll order a new, longer chain bar & go put some fertiliser on the one growing outside my workshop:)Don

11. 
    Danford_C._Jennings | Jan 09, 2002 10:08am | #15

    *Aye, been land locked far too long. All I've been sniffin' lately is quarter sawn White Oak, next best thing to spray, though.Who said anything about flyin' the US Ensign? Mebbe, it's the Jolly Roger I've been runnin' up the m'zz'en, eh?Dano

12. 
    Don_Rogers | Jan 09, 2002 12:54pm | #16

    *Dano,Avast ye ole sea dog tis tot time here - I'll have one for yer and fer Polly too. You were probably flying the old Jolly Roger as a flag of convenience ;-) (which BTW was the name of our first boat - Dad's idea of humour)Driving back yesterday I had time to ponder (you know the stuff - what wives' want, the meaning of life, etc) & the only advantage I've come across for living this far from the sea is damn-all rust on any ferous surfaces......must be time to go down to the sea again, to .......better stop here before I do go.Any way I take it from reading some of your earlier posts that you have a liking for making in the mission style - do you adhere to particular guidelines Dano, or do you take a fair bit of latitude & go after the 'look'? I tend to work over a range of styles depending on the client's taste & my interpretation of their wants, generally using Australian native timbers of which there is an ever increasing range being made available to us, although I was once asked to make a Georgian stereo cabinet but I couldn't find any in the reference books ;-)Don

13. 
    Danford_C._Jennings | Jan 09, 2002 07:22pm | #17

    *Don,I pretty much stay within the basic parameters of what most consider the Mission style to be with perhaps a bit more of the Prairie style thrown in, though I admit to not being "anal" about the finish, so I guess one could say I take some latitude. I'm not trying to reproduce Stickley. I'm also in somewhat of a transition, moving more into late Queen Ann and the Federal styles; they are more of a challenge.Were the folks who wanted the stereo cabinet also into Georgian chants?b ;)Dano

14. 
    Don_Rogers | Jan 10, 2002 06:47am | #18

    *DanoYeah, but only on 78s ;)Don