I am building a raised panel screen door and would like to use pegged mortise and tenon joints not only for added strength but also to add a decorative contrast at the joints. The resources I have read on this technique speak of drilling the peg hole through one mortise wall but not having the hole (and thus, not have the peg) go all the way through the other side of the mortise.
Is there any reason why I shouldn’t have a peg go all the way through? Doing so would make the contrasting color peg be visible from both sides of the door, which is my object.
Replies
Hi Ronny:
There's no reason for you not to drill all the way through for the peg if that's what your intention is for the design. Even when your peg is buried in the workpiece, you still need to drill partway through the other side so the peg catches.
One thing to note, make sure you put a scrap board behind the workpiece when you drill the through hole to avoid tearout where the drill bit exits your workpiece.
Regards,
Matt Berger
Fine Woodworking
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