Replies

1. 
   HWG | Aug 07, 2009 11:34pm | #1

   Yes, we've heard of it, but the veneer is a much better fix.  Neater, stronger, easier.

   Woody

2. 
   xmike | Aug 08, 2009 03:58am | #2

   I don't mean to be insulting, but sometimes the obvious escapees me, so maybe you too, so.......Remember, the repair strip doesn't have to be "veneer" that you bought somewhere. You can just saw off a thin strip from scrap wood on the table saw or bandsaw, and then glue it on.
   I know, you knew that.
   Mike D

3. 
   frenchy | Aug 08, 2009 04:07am | #3

   Another thing you can do which makes a loose joint really tite is cut a slice in the middle of the tennion and stick a wedge in..  the tennion slides in easy untill it hits the wedge and then tightens as it's driven home if it's loose both ways you cut a cross in the middle of the tennionand put wedges in both directions..

    Careful measurements will give you exactly what you want for width and length of the wedge.  I go for about .05" too tight for really snug fit that won't pull apart..

1. 
   Domer | Aug 08, 2009 05:51am | #4

   I was told by serious woodworkers that you can use brown paper to fill the void. I have done it a few times and the joints are several years old and they still are solid.Domer

1. 
   WillGeorge | Aug 08, 2009 03:29pm | #6

   Not sure what the limit of thickness would be for Max. gap that will work.

   I keep a roll of wood veneer tape around. The kind that is the non-iron on glue type. (Not that I have to ever use it with my finewoodworking skills ;>) Or is that firewoodworking skills.

   Paper is pressed wood! Or it use to be mostly wood. I say why not for a joint that 'sort of Ok' but not what you want it to be..

   Probably obvious? But do NOT forget to half the total correction needed and fit BOTH sides to keep the stick centered (If you are that fussy)..

   I have the same problem.. I cut my work.. And it sits and sits more than a bit of time.. With babysitting and all.. When I come back to the shop, a GOOD fit I had may be a bit tight and some a bit loose.

   I would think this goes on even after the parts are glued together with perfect fitting parts when glued up!

   One part wants to expand the other part wants to shrink or both do the same.. Who knows.. Wood is wood.

    

1. 
   Domer | Aug 08, 2009 03:37pm | #7

   You would only use the paper for a very small gap. Anything with a big gap, you would need to use either a thin slice of wood or as you suggest, veneer. So far, I have been luck enough not to need that.Domer

1. 
   WillGeorge | Aug 13, 2009 04:47pm | #19

   So far, I have been luck enough not to need that 

   I would say a finewoodworker.. I'm still working on it!

2. 
   xmike | Aug 09, 2009 12:00am | #10

   Something to mull over when considering brown paper as a filler is the approved use of brown paper as a parting plane when it's needful to temporarily glue something to a workpiece to allow it to be worked on with vigor and dash, but easily separated later without damage to the "good" part.To that end, one just uses yellow glue on all 4 surfaces - good part, both sides of paper, holding part. Let it dry. Do your will to the assembly.Later, when all fussy work is done, simply knock the c**p out of the assembly in the direction of the shearing plane, and VOILA! Houston, we have parts separation with no damage to the mother ship. I've actually tried this - it works like a charm ('ceptin I used white glue instead of yellow glue)My point???...........Oh, yes. Perhaps brown paper doesn't make that great of a filler if shearing stresses are anticipated when the object is put to use.
   Mike

1. 
   Michael503 | Aug 09, 2009 12:36am | #11

   good point. Thanks for all the tips folks. I tried an experiment with wood flour and an oversized mortice and it holds astoundingly well. I wet both surfaces with straight glue before applying a 50/50 mix by volume of flour and glue. If I owned a shoulder plane, or the gap was bigger, I'd do the scab thing (I already did it to another piece and found it a pain.) Some of my mortices are wider at the bottom than at the top anyway, so a filler, unless it creates a disaster, is going to be the better choice for me.

1. 
   HWG | Aug 10, 2009 08:32pm | #12

   So why were we making suggestions on how to handle it??Woody

2. 
   Michael503 | Aug 11, 2009 03:26am | #13

   I assumed you were being helpful. Thanks for the advice.
   I guess I should have rephrased the post to "does anyone see anything wrong with mixing titebond and wood flour"

3. 
   Samson | Aug 11, 2009 03:34am | #14

   Glue and sawdust will work.  In my opinion it's not a long term fix.  It will last - maybe even decades, but if you are building a piece that you nope your grandchildren might enjoy, it's likely much better to fix the joint in a more permanent manner (adding some wood back on the tenon).

4. 
   clarence_dad | Aug 11, 2009 03:49am | #15

   I had great results using epoxy to fill in a tenon that was a bit loose. The king bed has held up very well, and the joint hasn't budged.John

5. 
   Samson | Aug 11, 2009 04:21am | #16

   Congrats.

6. 
   clarence_dad | Aug 11, 2009 11:02pm | #17

   Samson,Thank you so very, very much for your congratulations! I feel blessed indeed! Cheers!

4. 
   philip | Aug 08, 2009 11:21am | #5

   Well I might have to face a firing squad but 15thou clearance is ideal for the use of a good epoxy. Stuff it in there , clampitup, clean off or control the squeeze out and it will as strong as 40 lions.

   Philip Marcou
1. 
   xmike | Aug 08, 2009 03:55pm | #8

   I'd never thought of using epoxy. But now that you mention it, one of those self mixing syringes would be fast, easy to center, no cleanup to speak of, and solid.
   Thanks for the tip.
   Mike

2. 
   SARGEgrinder47 | Aug 08, 2009 04:07pm | #9

   Philip.. Philip.. Philip... you dis-appoint me my friend. How could you... in the 21 st Century suggest to someone interesting in producing Fine Furniture to glue and clamp up a M & T which with a .0015 variance simply allowing epoxy to fill the gap? Why that's almost as wide as a gnats' butt and totally un-acceptable in the new age of WW'ing high tech. It could result in the piece being off .0003 to .0004 in square-ness if the clamp-up is even slightly out of square with that much play.

   Even though I did just that yesterday but... I have the excuse that I am a southern Appalachian hill-billy with no sense of pride in my approach as long as it works. And unfortunately.. I was old-school trained that .0015 would not matter and I actually fell for those out-dated thoughts which have been rendered useless in the current new wave of digital read-out checks before proceeding to the next step.

   So.... shame.. shame.. shame....... shame on you! ha.. ha... ha..ha..ha..

   Regards from the 19 th and 20 th Century where I reside mentally building junk with mortise and tenons that sometimes exceed .0001 ....... with enthusiasm. Go figure?

    

   Sarge..

   Woodworkers' Guild of Georgia

   Edited 8/8/2009 9:10 am ET by SARGEgrinder47

1. 
   WillGeorge | Aug 13, 2009 04:40pm | #18

   I sense a bit of rib-pokin' here!

1. 
   SARGEgrinder47 | Aug 13, 2009 05:03pm | #20

   I'm a rib-poker from way back. Two things I can't resist is a rack of BBQ ribs and rib-poking which is in-herited by someone as soon as you leave the womb if you were born down south. ha.. ha...Sarge..

   Woodworkers' Guild of Georgia

1. 
   joinerswork | Aug 16, 2009 04:47pm | #21

   Hi Sarge,

   You wouldn't rattle anybody's chain, though woodja?

   Ray

2. 
   SARGEgrinder47 | Aug 16, 2009 05:22pm | #22

   Not this ole southern boy, Ray.. And I most certainly wouldn't do that and walk away after getting something started with a cup of coffee in my hand.. laughing all the way to the shop.

   No sir-ree bob... ha.. ha... ha..ha..ha..

   Sarge..

   Woodworkers' Guild of Georgia

   Edited 8/16/2009 10:23 am ET by SARGEgrinder47