Replies

1. 
   Samson | Dec 22, 2005 10:53pm | #1

   I'm not a grizzled professional with decades of experience, so take these as some thoughts that occur to to a fellow hobbiest rather than any sort of authoritative opinion:

   1.  Does your M&T include any mechanical lock - e.g., wedges or draw pins or even just dowels added after the M&T glue up sets?  It might give you some piece of mind to add some thing that even if the glue fails (and today's glues are really good) the joint will tend to remain tight.

   2.  Where is the Bench going to live?  If it will live where the wood is now, and that sapce can get damp and dry, the joint will have to built to deal with those changes anyway.  Presumably the mortise boards are in the same environment as the tenon boards you wish to join them to, right?  In other words, they are presently at the same humidity level and expanded to the same degree.  Join them tight now and even when things dry out, they will dry out together and remain stable.

    

1. 
   Woodchucks | Dec 23, 2005 05:25am | #2

   Thanks, Samson!  The bench was housed outdoors in a covered area, but it will now be kept indoors in mostly warmer and drier conditions.  Good point about the mortise & tenons moving together!  (I guess my question initially arose from an article I read a while ago about fitting a tenon differently during a wet or dry season.)  I am going to take your advice and strengthen the joint with some dowels since I expect the bench to get some heavy use.  I spent a long time building this baby and I want to make sure I get it right!  Thanks again for your reply!