Glue is often used to connect mortise and tenon joints, as are dowels driven through the joint. A combination of both is the strongest. Before applying the glue, clamp the joint together dry to be sure the fit is just right. Drill out the holes for the pins or dowels, disassemble, and apply the glue.
Full Answer
How tight should a mortise and tenon joint be?
A good mortise-and-tenon joint should go together easily by hand, but not be loose enough to fall apart. Avoid too-thin mortise walls, which split easily, by never making them less than 1⁄ 4 " thick.
How do you reinforce a mortise and tenon joint?
To mechanically reinforce the joint, drill 1⁄ 4 " holes 1" in from the mortise ends and deep enough to pass through the tenon. You can also drill through both faces of the mortised part if you take care to avoid blow-out when driving dowels through.
Do you glue mortise and tenon joints?
0:171:453 Steps to Great Glue-Ups: Mortise and Tenon Joint - YouTubeYouTubeStart of suggested clipEnd of suggested clipApply most of the glue to the mortise. Don't bother adding any wood under tenon shoulders you won'tMoreApply most of the glue to the mortise. Don't bother adding any wood under tenon shoulders you won't get a stronger glue joint and it'll just result in more squeeze.
How long should loose tenons be?
Tenon length: A tenon's length should be at least five times its thickness. So, a 1/4″-thick tenon should be 1-1/4″ long. Of course, if you look at antique furniture, you see this “rule” violated a lot, or maybe the furniture was made before they made the rule!
Does a mortise and tenon joint need to be nailed or screwed?
The essence of a mortise-and-tenon is that a peg or pin (the tenon) cut into one piece of wood fits tightly into a slot or hole (the mortise) cut into the adjoining piece of wood. The resulting joint looks like a butt joint but requires no screws or nails, and has remarkable strength and durability.
Should you cut the mortise or tenon first?
To make a mortise and tenon joint, always cut the mortise first because it's much easier to cut the tenon to fit an existing mortise than the other way around. So let's start by learning three fast and effective ways to cut the mortise, which is typically a rectangular hole.
What are the disadvantages of a mortise and tenon joint?
The con to mortise and tenon is in the quality of the fabrication. If the proportions are incorrect the wood can shear on either side. This makes the mortise and tenon joint an incredibly difficult joint for the DIY'er to create.
How tight should wood joints be?
The mating surfaces should be smooth, flat and make good contact. As I described, an extra dose of glue won't make up for sloppy joinery. And on the other hand, a joint that fits too tight may not have space to establish a good glue line. “Hand pressure snug” is a good rule of thumb.
How tight should a glue joint be?
5:2913:53Experts' Guide to Gluing & Clamping: Edge Joints - YouTubeYouTubeStart of suggested clipEnd of suggested clipA nice even amount of pressure full-width of the joint. So I thought I've always just gone by youMoreA nice even amount of pressure full-width of the joint. So I thought I've always just gone by you know about six or eight inches in between each clamp but like and that is a good rule of thumb in most
Should you pin tenons?
Although today it's easy to simply assemble a mortise and tenon with glue, a pinned joint can be just as strong, and may even offer a couple of advantages. For example, a wide tenon assembled with only pins allows wood movement in the joint and may hold up better in the long term.
How much weight can a mortise and tenon hold?
The mortise and tenon joints averaged 172 pounds, whereas the dowel joint averaged 135 pounds. So the mortise and tenon joints still beat out the dowel joints, but not by a dramatic margin. On average, the mortise joints were only about 25% stronger.
Are loose tenons strong?
Also known as floating tenons, loose-tenon joinery features a piece of wood -- the tenon -- inserted into matching mortises. It's just as strong as a joint made with integral tenons, and even trumps traditional mortise-and-tenon construction in several ways.
What are the disadvantages of a mortise and tenon joint?
The con to mortise and tenon is in the quality of the fabrication. If the proportions are incorrect the wood can shear on either side. This makes the mortise and tenon joint an incredibly difficult joint for the DIY'er to create.
How do you wedge a tenon?
0:288:59How To Make a WEDGED Through Mortise and Tenon | WoodworkingYouTubeStart of suggested clipEnd of suggested clipAnd drive a wedge in later the wood won't split down the side. And you want these holes to be asMoreAnd drive a wedge in later the wood won't split down the side. And you want these holes to be as close to the edge of your tenant. As possible. So that there's less risk of the breaking.
Why are mortise and tenon joints strong?
The mortise and tenon joint is another one of the strongest and most appealing woodwork joints able to be made because of its flush fitting design. Like the dovetail joint this woodwork joint can be difficult to properly construct but it is incredibly strong and aesthetically pleasing if constructed well.
What is a Drawbore pin?
Drawbore pins not only let you assemble the joint but they have an eccentricity that allows you to tighten up the joint without banging down. It's a technique that is still used today to align steel beams for assembly.
Step 1: Tools
I already had access to some good quality chisels, and a carpenters square. Whilst I've cut halving joints and a fair few beams to size with a cheap hard point saw in the past I invested in a new cheap tenon saw, just £5 I liked the feel of this one the handle fitted my hand better than some more expensive budget ones, I also brought a cheap combination marking/ mortise gauge, this I could have done without but once set up it makes doing repeated joints much quicker.
Step 2: Set the Marking Gauge
measure the thicknesses of the timber devide by 3, set the fixed tang to 2/3 the thickness the moveable one to 1/3, lock and make a test mark on the timber swap sides check the points line up with the test mark adjust if needed.
Step 3: Marking Out
I laid my 2 pieces of wood in the T form and lightly marked the edges an end of the joint with the pencil. I then positioned the carpenters square on these lines and marked them more firmly, I then checked theses lines were where I wanted them to be, happy they were I again used the square and pencil to mark around all 4 sides of each piece.
Step 4: Cut the Mortice
using a flat wood bit and a hand brace I chain drilled the mortise cavity taking care not to go all the way through to avoid splintering the exit side.I then drilled through from that side ( hindsight 2) this is probably what caused the ridge that stopped the joint closing those last 10 to 12mm see later step) I was able to trim the remaining webs out with a sharp knife I've taken to using a pad saw for this on followed up with a chisel. The workmate tm (folding bench) is not substantial enough to stand the blows on the chisel so I worked on the ground with a scrap block under my work, hammering a chisel into the concrete won't do it any good, also keep your free hand behind the blade blood stains wood something terrible.
Step 5: Cut the Tennon
Whilst it is perfectly possible to cut a tenon joint with any hand saw a proper hard backed tenon saw makes it easier, possibly in my opinion as a novice, a good hand grip is more important as good control of the cut is essential.
Step 6: Test and Trim
With the mortise and tenons cut it was time to do a trail fit. The tenon would start in the mortician about 3mm (1/8") from either side so I pared a little off each face of the tenon with a chisel this allowed the joint to fit about a third of the way in, it was visible at this stage that my joint was off set and that the un-cut sections would not meet with a flush join it was also apparent that one way up the off set was less pronounced than the other. At this point I marked the orientation of the joint something I should have done when marking out. By removing wood only from the face of the tenon that was under flush with the mortise frame and later from that side of the mortise socket I was able to bring the joint together almost flush.
Step 7: Next Step
Happy with my first attempt, I proceeded to make the frame for a simple two panel door. The complete how to build a door may appear later as a stand alone instructable or as part of how I designed and built a shed.
How to fix a square tenon?
Just glue on a piece of veneer, sand, chisel, or plane the veneer to get the fit you want, and you’re ready to go. Round tenons are a different story. The technique shown here allows you to create a loose tenon wrap that will create the perfect fit.
Can you fix a loose tenon?
If you’ve got a shop, you can pretty much guarantee that people will ask you to repair their furniture. It just comes with the territory. The next time a piece comes into your shop with loose, round tenons, try this easy repair method to tighten them up by adding a simple shim.
What is mortise and tenon joint?
Photo: rostwoodworks.com. Mortise and tenon joints are the preferred style of joint for furniture and cabinetwork. It’s strong, durable, and little affected by the expansion or contraction of wooden members as a result of temperature and humidity changes.
How to cut a mortise?
It can be cut in several ways, among them the traditional approach of using sturdy mortising chisels and a mallet to chisel out the hole by hand. Another option is to use a Forstner or auger bit on your drill or drill brace to start the mortise, then clean and square it with a chisel. You can also use a router; a plunge router is especially useful for mortising.
What is a mortise attachment drill press?
When using the mortise attachment, the drill press is operated in much the same way as when it performs ordinary drilling tasks. The spinning bit will do most of the cutting, but the chisel squares off the corners around the hole, producing the shouldered mortise hole.
What attachment to use for a drill press?
A much easier method is to use a mortising attachment on your drill press. The device consists of a yoke that clamps the attachment just above the chuck onto the quill (the main stationary shaft of the drill press, within which the spindle turns).
How thick should a tenon be?
A perfectly shaped tenon that’s the wrong size or shape is no accomplishment at all. The tenon should be between one third and one half of the thickness of the stock from which it is made. Set your mortise gauge to the chosen tenon thickness, positioning the points so that it will score a pair of lines that distance apart.
What bit to use for mortise?
Another option is to use a Forstner or auger bit on your drill or drill brace to start the mortise, then clean and square it with a chisel. You can also use a router; a plunge router is especially useful for mortising. A much easier method is to use a mortising attachment on your drill press.
How to glue wood to wood?
Before applying the glue, clamp the joint together dry to be sure the fit is just right. Drill out the holes for the pins or dowels, disassemble, and apply the glue. Clamp the pieces together , and insert the dowels, leaving them protruding from both sides of the joint . Scrape off any visible excess glue from the surface of the wood being joined. ...
What is mortise and tenon joint?
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.
When creating mortise and tenon joints, what is the best rule of thumb?
A good rule of thumb when creating mortise and tenon joints is to cut the mortise first, then the tenon. Leave the tenon a little bit fat for the first test fitting. It's always better to shave down a tenon that is too large than to cut it too narrow and find that you have a sloppy fit.
What is a mortise bit?
Today, many woodworkers use a dedicated mortiser, which employs a drill bit encased inside a four-sided chisel. Many drill press manufacturers offer optional mortising attachments, making the drill press a much more versatile machine. There are also mortising attachments that can be used with a plunge router.
How to glue a mortise?
Once all joints have been formed and its time for assembly, apply glue to both the tenon and inside walls of the mortise. Coat all surfaces evenly with glue using a small brush. Assemble the pieces, tapping them together with a wooden mallet, if necessary. Let the glue dry completely before continuing assembly.
How to cut a mortise with a plunge router?
To cut a mortise using a mortiser, simply mark the position of the area to be cut, and then sink the bit into the material, taking small bites at a time.
Which joint is strongest when the two pieces of stock are at right angles to one another?
Bear in mind that the joint is strongest when the two pieces of stock are at right angles to one another. Mortise-and-tenon joints depend on great precision when outlining and cutting the tenon on one piece of the stock and the mortise on the adjoining piece.
Can a tenon be cut by hand?
Typically, the tenon is little more than a rectangular pin cut from the end of the stock. While tenons can be cut by hand, modern woodworkers will often employ a band saw or a tenoning jig on a table saw to safely form the tenon.
