80 - Heirloom Tool Cabinet, страница 30

Mortise and Tenon

t

WEDGE mortise

Learn the secrets to making this traditional woodworking joint.

A

NOTE: cur all

tenons the same length

mortise

wedge pulls joint tight

30 ShopNotes No. 80

CROSS SECTION

You don't have to be a woodworker to understand how a wedged mortise and tenon joint works — one look is all it takes. 'Hie tenon passes clean through the mortise and is locked in place by a simple wedge.

But making a wedged mortise and tenon joint can be a little more complicated. Because these joints don't rely on glue for their strength, it's all the more important to make sure the pieces fit together properly. Fortunately, this isn't all that difficult. Shop Note: This article shows how we

______ made the joints for the Knock-Down Wall Shelf

(page 28). But the procedure is similar for most other wedged mortise and tenon joinery.

Mortises - The first step to making this joint is to create the mortise. I made the mortises for the wall shelf on the table saw (see the box on page 29 for more). But no matter what method you use for making tine mortises, the important thing is to keep them as square and accurate as possible. Otherwise, you'll end up with noticeable gaps around the tenons.