Matt,
Having just looked in the KNOTS discussion about loose mortise and tenon joints my question is are these joints any better, worse, stronger or weaker than the old style of mortise and tenon joinery? The only advantage that I see is that they might be a bit faster to cut.
Thanks,
Greg
Replies
Hi Greg:
We did a joint-strength test a few years back that put your question under the microscope and it was found that loose tenons are more than adequate in strength, and rigidity.
You are right about their advantages; they can be faster to cut, especially if you make a floating-tenon router jig or buy a commercial one.
In my opinion, sometimes cutting a traditional mortise and tenon can be a fun, challenging step in a project; I usually go this route when I only have to make a few, or when I want to highlight the joinery. However, when a project requires dozens of mortise-and-tenon joints, there's nothing faster or less back-breaking than using a floating tenon jig.
- Matt
Thanks Matt
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