Everything I read says a tenon should be a third the width of the piece it lodges in- My 4×4 uprights under my bench ends will be m&t’ed into 4×4 cross pieces which will be mounted on casters- The “third” rule would allow a pinch over an inch for the tenon width- Considering the nature of the joint, and the fact that the bench will be pushed here and there, will a third be enough? Thanks for your thoughts-
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It's a valid question, but if you rephrase it, I think the 1/3 thickness guideline starts to make a bit more sense:
The "third" rule would allow a pinch over an inch for the mortise walls- Considering the nature of the joint, and the fact that the bench will be pushed here and there, can I safely decrease this?
Sure you can make the tenon a little thicker, but you give up thickness in the mortise wall at the same time. So don't go too overboard.
If you build it - he will come.
Kay, thanks- Dave
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