Popular Woodworking 2008-08 № 170, страница 48
BY ROB PORCARO Making Multiple Through-MortiseWedged mortise-and-tenon joints add visual interest to any casework. ^l^oin I o join partitions or shelves into solid-wood casework, woodworkers have several options. This basic task of connecting the end-grain edge of one board to the face of a second board can be dispatched with simple nailing, or indulged with precision sliding dovetails. One of the most elegant options is the multiple mortise and tenon. Woodworkers may shy away from build-ingthisjoint because it seems complex, even intimidating. The traditional approach to construction involves bury ing the end of the tenon piece in a fully-housed dado in the mortise piece. 1 believe this unnecessarily complicates building the joint, leaving almost no margin for error. More important, it creates problems 1.1 hope to show that add ing this joint to your repertoire is doable with much of the same general skill set that you're already using for making dovetails. Better and easier - now that's what I like. I'll guide you through the construction of a sample joint using two short pieces of •VV-thick hardwood about 53/8" wide. The vertical board in the photo below left will be the tenon piece, which will be joined to the face of the mortise piece. The key to this method is to start with a "giant tenon" with a narrow shoulder. This offers several advantages over a fully housed dado. First, the shoulder will keep the joint line tight and clean, even as the wood seasonally varies in thickness. Second, you can do final smooth planing of the surfaces after The basics. The vertical board is the teni which will be joined to the face of the m Giant tenon. The key is to start with a giant tenon with a narrow shoulder. 62 ■ Popular Woodworking August 2008 |
