Hi,
I am planning a small bench for our front entrance way. On the top of the bench I was hoping to make through tenons visible extending from the top of the legs. By having through tenons extend through the bench top would I be overly restricting wood movement (across the depth of the bench top)? I like the idea of the four squares of end grain being visible on the bench top, but not if it will lead to splitting over time.
Thank you for you inout,
Paul
Replies
Splitting is unlikely because the mortise will swell and shrink across the width of the top at about the same rate as the tenon, assuming the same kind of wood. In the other dimension, the length of the top, the top will swell and shrink very little, while the tenon will swell and shrink about as much as it does across the width, so the fit will be a little tighter in the summer and a little looser in the winter. In either case, though, the dimensional change that you're likely to see across a 3/4" or even somewhat thicker tenon, with the humidity swing that you'd expect to see in most houses, is really small. The Shrinkulator will give you average numbers for a wide variety of wood species.
http://www.woodbin.com/calcs/shrinkulator.htm
It'll be alright Dunc if it's a slab end with the grain running in the same direction as the top. It'll also be alright if it's got a typical corner post type legs mortised through the top, but he'll be in trouble if the four legs at the corners are joined with rails and stretchers underneath. evanspd doesn't say what arrangement is below, and only asks if it's okay to pierce the top with the legs. Slainte.Website
You're quite right. I just assumed he was talking about your first alternative because that's a design I've seen before.
As has already been said, don't worry about it.
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