The wedged mortise and tenon is a very beautiful and strong joint, but it is a tough one to get perfect. A projection, called the tenon, is then cut out of the second piece. The mortiseandtenon joint has been used by woodworkers for centuries because of its combination of superior strength, simplicity, and the elegance of its appearance. Lay out one edge mortise on a test piece to set up the router and jig.
The new angled face of the mortise should taper in to the approximate start point of the tenon. This is to insure the keys wedging against the second member. In a stopped or blind mortise, the wedge must be exactly the right length or it will be either too loose or too tight. I love how easy it is to break down, but still so strong, and easy on the eyes. Then two saw kerfs are cut about 316 in from each side. Apr 18, 2020 a loose wedged joint must be constructed with generous shoulders and a stout tenon that will resist splitting. A little sibling to the industrially machined aluminum leigh pro fmt, this less expensive model is made out of 10 and 12 gauge bent and bolted steel. Once wedged two 4 round head nails were driven at dovetailed angles and so the frames could be moved around immediately. In fact, there are circumstances where it is useful for a joint to be easy to dismantle for instance, so that a large piece of furniture may be readily moved. Tools required to make this joint, youll need a tablesaw, drill press, plunge router, chisel and a bandsaw.
Wedging cinched the joints together and at the same time compressed the wood of the tenon between the end grain of the mortise ends and so kept the joints together. Jun 20, 2014 the wedged mortiseandtenon joint isnt difficult to make, but you should have some experience making standard mortiseandtenon joints before tackling it. The basic joint includes a mortise cut into one piece, which accepts a tenon cut in another piece. Its just as strong as a joint made with integral tenons, and even trumps traditional mortise and tenon construction in several ways. In a stopped or blind mortise, the wedge must be exactly the right length or.
The tenon does not show on the outer side of the joint and it gives greater gluing area, adding to the overall strength of the joint. A mortise or mortice and tenon joint connects two pieces of wood or of other material. A loose fitting joint will not be strong and may not glue up satisfactorily at all. A doublewedged tusk tenon works on the same principle as the basic tusk tenon, but the makeup of the joint is slightly different. The mortise is tapered because the tenon will eventually be wedged out to form a dovetail shape. The tusk tenon is a timehonored technique that woodworkers have found useful in a variety of ways.
The jig limits the movement of the router during the cut. Clamp the wedge to the fence, and slide the leg down the mortise. Make the marks with an edge guide or use a jig to hold the sides of the 2 x 4. Like a dovetail, this joint cant pull apart after the wedges go home. Mortise and tenon joints are great for doors, chairs and tables. The full article is for magazine subscribers only verify subscription by email address. Once you understand how it works see how the joint works, right, you cant help. This is referred to as either a blindwedged tenon g or a fox wedge. The mortise centerline is used for positioning the workpiece on the mortising blockits the only layout mark required for every mortise. Although im fascinated with all things dovetails, i am a big believer in a good ol wedged through tenon. Traditionally, one of the common methods of building this type of practicality into a project was to incorporate loosewedge mortise and tenon joints. Mortise and tenon vs loose tenon canadian woodworking. And speaking of glue up anxiety if youve ever done a glue up which required aligning and then seating a half dozen to a dozen or more mortise and tenon joints, then you know how much fun that can be. Wedged through mortise and tenon sprung breadboard end.
If the tenon is large, you may need to make two kerfs and wedges, and place each about 12 inch from opposite shoulders of the tenon. This mortise and tenon joint uses a wedge in conjunction with a tapered tenon and mortise to hold itself together giving you a clean looking connection. It was a desk for my daughter as shes now working from home as so many people are. How to make mortise and tenons with a router wwgoa.
Its just as strong as a joint made with integral tenons, and even trumps traditional mortiseandtenon construction in several ways. The blind mortise and tenon joint gives the outward appearance of a butt joint, however has all the strength and advantages of a mortise and tenon joint. If cutting the mortise and tenon by hand, the mortise walls and the tenon should all be of equal size onethird the stock thickness. The remaining twothirds of the rail, the tenon shoulders, help to counteract lateral forces that might tweak the tenon from the mortise, contributing to its strength. A loosewedged joint must be constructed with generous shoulders and a stout tenon that will resist splitting. After all of those were cut out, they needed to be drilled with a 316. Sep 18, 20 woodworking joints series keyed wedged loose tenon this joint is useful for knockdown constructions, for example leg to stretcher joints of workbenches. The wedged mortiseandtenon joint isnt difficult to make, but you should have some experience making standard mortiseandtenon joints before tackling it. The haunch, the cutaway part of a sash corner joint that prevents the tenon coming loose, is one third the length of the tenon and. The basic idea behind the joint is that, in addition to chopping a mortise typically in a leg or similar member in to accept the tenon, another mortise is formed in the tenon itself.
Mar 20, 2016 the new angled face of the mortise should taper in to the approximate start point of the tenon. George vondriska teaches you how to use your handheld plunge router or router table to cut perfect mortise and tenon joinery for your woodworking projects. You can find affiliate links for some of the tools i used further down in the description. These include the pegged, offset pegged, through wedged, and foxwedged mortise and tenon. Apr 02, 2020 a mortise and tenon joint is a type of joint used to join two pieces of wood together. To make this joint, a joiner will cut a hole, called a mortise, out of one piece of wood. Save with the mortise and tenon package save by buying the mortise and tenon package. Take the loosetenon plunge also known as floating tenons, loosetenon joinery features a piece of wood the tenon inserted into matching mortises. Loose joints mortise and tenon joints are great for doors, chairs and tables.
Driving in the wedges forces the tenon to flare into a fan or dovetail shape. If selected for the giveaway, id be especially interested in the bow saw video, or a disston tshirt. Rather than glue or pin the tenon into the mortise, the tenon is temporarily locked in place by inserting a large, removable wedge. Jan 08, 2015 the tusk tenon is a timehonored technique that woodworkers have found useful in a variety of ways. Heres a cutaway view of a wedged mortiseandtenon joint. Woodworkers around the world have used it for thousands of years to join pieces of wood, mainly when the adjoining pieces connect at right angles. As shown in the drawing below, this joint uses two wedges inserted into the wedge mortise from opposite sides to lock the tenon in place.
A mortise and tenon joint is a type of joint used to join two pieces of wood together. A wedged tenon can be made in a stopped mortise too, but its more difficult because the math is challenging. Jun 21, 2019 a double wedged tusk tenon works on the same principle as the basic tusk tenon, but the makeup of the joint is slightly different. Mortise and tenon wikimili, the best wikipedia reader. It may be used in a number of situations, and is most commonly found on the rails of large refectory tables. Follow these tips for cutting mortiseandtenon joints using a router. The tenon can be cut longer than the depth of the mortise, with a hole drilled into the. Wedge is the secret to perfect angled mortiseandtenon joints.
Woodworking joints series keyed wedged loose tenon this joint is useful for knockdown constructions, for example leg to stretcher joints of workbenches. These include the pegged, offset pegged, through wedged, and fox wedged mortise and tenon. Structurally, a loose tenon joint resembles a traditional mortise and tenon joint, and its every bit as strong. The mortise does not extend completely through the stile, and therefore the tenon is not visible once the joint has been assembled. The basic idea behind the joint is that, in addition to chopping a mortise typically in a leg or similar member in to accept the tenon, another mortise is. Woodworking joints series keyed wedged loose tenon this joint is useful for knockdown constructions, for example leg to stretcher joints. Make the marks with an edge guide or use a jig to hold the sides of the 2 x. Its used primarily in furniture construction and cabinet frames. Wedged mortise and tenon joint by brice cochran timber frame joints 4 comments mortise, tenon, wedge this mortise and tenon joint uses a wedge in conjunction with a tapered tenon and mortise to hold itself together giving you a clean looking connection. For the through joint, i cut my tenons long, about 14 inch to leave them proud on assembly and split to wedge and tighten up to the shoulder. The mortise and tenon joint has been used by woodworkers for centuries because of its combination of superior strength, simplicity, and the elegance of its appearance.
Take the loose tenon plunge also known as floating tenons, loose tenon joinery features a piece of wood the tenon inserted into matching mortises. A shopmade jig gives the decorative loose tenons in this bench the appearance of classic wedged mortiseandtenon joinery. The mortise and tennon joint is a woodworking staple. When a standard mortise and tenon joint fails it is easy to disassemble by deactivating the glue and pulling the joint apart. Someone asked me about wedging tenons so i pulled this together to show what goes on inside the different mortise and tenon joint types. Install the horizontal work holder and position the test workpiece so its edge is flush with the top of the jig. Homevideoshow to make a wedged through mortise and tenon. Mortise and tenon joints come in several types like stoppedblind, through, angled, wedged, and many more, but they all consist of the same basic parts. The pin tusk length also helps a little to prevent racking. This one is primarily used for knockdown construction.
The leigh fmt mortise and tenon jig is super fast at milling mortise and tenon joints. This process starts by drilling two small relief holes near the base of the tenon. A simple fix for a round tenon is to glue on a shaving from a hand plane see drawing. Heres a little tip on identifying where a tight tenon needs some work. Luckily, though, theres an easy fix that doesnt require cutting new mortises. For this part of the drawbored mortise and tenon joinery ill use a hollow chisel mortiser. Well heres a little tip that may save you some grief. How to make a tusk tenon joint joinery woodworking. The haunch, the cutaway part of a sash corner joint that prevents the tenon coming loose, is one third the length of the tenon and one sixth of the width of the tenon in its depth.
Woodworkers around the world have used it for thousands of years to join pieces of. He shows you the best way to expertly lay out the dimensions and make the proper cuts. Throughmortiseandtenon joints typically go together one of the two ways shown above. But to work properly the joint needs to be tight the tenon should be a pushfit in the mortise and should hold under its own weight. Wedged mortise and tenon joint joinery tips, jigs and techniques. After this, the joiner will insert the tenon into the mortise. Wedged mortise and tenon popular woodworking magazine. Halving joints, bridle joints, mortise and tenon joints. Mortise and tenon project gutenberg selfpublishing. May 19, 2014 loose tenon joinery rout 4 variations of these superstrong joints with a versatile shop made jig. The mortise is tapered to match the angle of each wedge. Jul 05, 2015 wedging cinched the joints together and at the same time compressed the wood of the tenon between the end grain of the mortise ends and so kept the joints together. Variations like through, pinned, drawbored or wedged tenons also bring rich.
It is very commonly used to join rails to the legs of tables or chairs, or fixed shelves to the sidewalls of cabinets or bookcases. Mortise and tenon vs loose tenon canadian woodworking and. How to create a mortiseandtenon joint the spruce crafts. Mortise and tenon vs loose tenon i make my own tenon stock from off cuts of the same wood as long as its long enough for safe planing and rounding the edges, it sure cuts down on the scrap wood my jig is the same as the one in american woodworker and works very well, cost was nil except for the holddown clamps. You may have to hold it up under a good light and rock the piece around to see it but it will be a visible shiny area or spot.
This is to prevent accidental splitting of the boards during the construction of the mortise or tenon. The wedge is normally set vertically to prevent it working loose. This tenon isnt seated to the bottom of the mortise, but you can see the accuracy with which the fmt can cut this joint. It also has the advantage of being adjustable,and can be tightened simply by driving the wedge in deeper. Since the joint is designed to be broken down, no glue is used, and it relies on the clamping force of the wedge to provide rigidity.
The tenon is the part of a joint of wood which fits into the mortise. Find the location of the mortise on a piece of 2 x 4. Although there are many joint variations, the basic mortise and tenon comprises two components. When the joint is pegged or wedged, the joint will be loose, but will still hold together. For blind joints, i cut the mortise about 18 inch deeper than the tenon for glue squeeze to minimize glue squeeze out around the shoulders.
The key in this joints strength is to have all the bearing surfaces between the post, wedge and tenon fit perfectly. The difference is that, in a loose tenon joint, the tenon fits into mating mortises in the pieces, whereas in the traditional version of the joint, the tenon is. One of the versatile joints, the mortise and tenon joint lends itself to being cut with hand tools, power tools, or several combinations of the two. Walkthrough of the woodmizer eg100 twin blade edger. Make the shim just thick enough that when you push the tenon into the mortise, the wedge will expand the shoulders of the tenon snug against the mortise. I usually cut all of the tenons first, and before cutting mortises i set the depth of the plunge router 116 deeper than the length of the tenon to provide a. The loose tenon or the extended tongue are two choices. Follow these tips for cutting mortise and tenon joints using a router. May 16, 2018 the wedged mortise and tenon is a very beautiful and strong joint, but it is a tough one to get perfect. Wedged through mortise and tenon sprung breadboard end jays. Through mortise and tenon joint is an extremely common joint that is formed by cutting the mortise completely through the stile and. Ive used a number of different methods to create mortise and tenon joints, but i keep coming back to loose tenons, because theyre easy, strong and versatile. Variations include haunched tenons, loose tenons, multiple tenons, through wedged tenon, pegged tenons, and mitred tenons. Both joints gain their strength from a thick, solidwood tenon.
Which adhesive for loose mortise and tenon joints by. Repairing loose tenons its frustrating when you cut a mortise only to find out your tenon doesnt fit snugly. Adding to whatevil posted, there is another type of wedged through tenon, more precisely referred to as a wedged tusk tenon or a tusk tenon. Loose tenon joinery rout 4 variations of these superstrong joints with a versatile shop made jig. Theres also seemingly no end of commercial and shopmade jigs that make it easier to cut mortises, tenons, or both. Btw, if you make the mortise with angled sides, so its. Strong and straightforward, the mortiseandtenon joint has been securing. The wedges large surface faces outwards towards the housing side of the post, allowing you to drive the wedge. These traditional options for knockdown joinery offer strong, rigid construction along with. Mortise and tenon last updated march 05, 2020 diagram of a mortise on left and tenon joint tusked through tenons used on a french granary. First, you can use the machines depth stop for each cut, ensuring that the mortise is the correct depth across its width, which wouldnt happen if you moved the wedge, too. The sloping haunch of the tenon can be clearly seen on the wedged mortise and tenon joint shown below. Making a wedged mortiseandtenon joint is richly rewarding. The pressure points between the mortise and tenon will crush the grain on the tenon.
1292 372 1361 1636 200 1193 779 1038 1517 761 1473 1086 1517 1592 1062 1263 1045 1463 798 373 14 1198 1581 1343 455 1614 395 67 763 57 863 84 187 32 344 301 717 416 14 769 960