Replies

1. 
   BruceS | Jan 30, 2010 03:24pm | #1

   I don't think Quasimodo is a
   I don't think Quasimodo is a member of the forum yet, or ever will be.

1. 
   DonStephan | Jan 30, 2010 08:01pm | #4

   Don't remember the story line
   Don't remember the story line - was he haunted by haunches?

1. 
   BruceS | Jan 30, 2010 08:30pm | #5

   Quasimodo was the Hunchback of Notre Dame

2. 
   joinerswork | Jan 30, 2010 05:12pm | #2

   Don,

   Stopping the mortise below the end of the leg (or stile as in a door) adds strength to the mortised member, in that it is more resistant to splitting-- from forces exerted by dragging the table across a floor, for example. An open-ended mortise, like a bridle joint, is also prone to its cheeks spreading away from the tenon, if the tenon is just a little tight.

   Simplest is to just trim the tenon flush with the shoulders of the tenon. If a panelled door, the tenon is haunched with a stub left extending enough to fill the groove ploughed to accept the panel. This stubby haunch also serves the purpose of keeping the surfaces of stile and rail aligned clear to the end of the stile, counteracting any tendency for the rail to warp and twist away from the stile's face after assembly, and is used sometimes for that reason in other joints where the groove is not pre-existing-like the leg to end panel joint of a queen Anne lowboy, or the breadboard ends of a tavern table- the mortise is just continued, but very shallow, between mortises and to the end of the mortised member.

   A haunch with an angled end is just a combination of the two techniques, frequently used in instances where the end of the mortised member is visible, and a haunch-filled groove would be visually distracting.

   Ray

1. 
   DonStephan | Jan 30, 2010 07:02pm | #3

   Thanks for the summary, Ray. I've seen similar table designs where one has no haunch, another an angled one, and a third the rectangular one. The designs seemed similar otherwise. The one with the thinnest legs had the rectangular haunch, which surprised me as it seemed to weaken an already thin leg.

2. 
   WillGeorge | Jan 31, 2010 11:07am | #10

   An open-ended mortise, like a bridle joint, is also prone to its cheeks spreading away from the tenon, if the tenon is just a little tight.

   I think I agree.. But with modern glue.. I thing 'Times have changed a bit'

3. 
   Routerman | Jan 31, 2010 10:07am | #6

   Used to have plenty of stock above the mortice.

   No more. Why? 1) More tenon intimacy from bottom of mortice all the way to the end of leg/stile.

   2) Ability to pinch the walls of the mortice against the tenon (whilst gluing), not necessarily available with haunch design.

   And 3) With more glue line between the tenon/mortice you buy a little strength.

   A haunch has almost no strength value. The short grain there does almost nothing. Build a sample with say a 1/2" stile haunch and say a 15" rail. Put the stile in the vice and lever the rail. It takes almost nuthin' to break out the haunch. It does hide the connnecction, however.

   http://patwarner.com

4. 
   RalphBarker | Jan 31, 2010 10:12am | #7

   If you are on your haunches, you've made the table legs too short. ;-)

   Otherwise, I agree with Ray's summary.

5. 
   Jfrostjr | Jan 31, 2010 10:16am | #8

   If the mortise is scheduled to extend to the top of the leg, it may be desirable to leave the leg "long" while cutting the mortise and gluing the leg. Only them, trim the excess leg length to match the top of the apron. The risk of splitting the leg is minimized.

6. 
   WillGeorge | Jan 31, 2010 11:02am | #9

   Is a haunch only for top of the line furniture? ...............

   I always have this question! I have read answers in here and still confused....

   I think a full length Tenon. Why would that small angle make the tenon better? NOT that they are wrong....

   I admit, I think a bit different from most woodworkers.