The last blog was about joining the sides on the top and now this one is about joining them from the bottom. This part is going to be a little more tricky. This is my first indication that I’m actually building the beginning of what will be a giant puzzle when it comes to glue up time.
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If you’ve read the blogs before this one, you’ll remember that I made a triple mortise and a double mortise on each of the legs. If you don’t remember or didn’t see the blog, this was a picture of what the triple mortise looks like. I already made the double tenon and now it’s time to make the triple tenon.
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Mark those triple tenons out…
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Cut them…
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Cut cut cut…
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Now the formula here is to have two short tenons, and one long tenon.
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The outside tenons will meet the perpendicular rail’s tenons and the middle tenon just fits in the mortise. Well, you’ll see what I mean.
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Now all the tenons bottom out on the mortises, so I had to get creative and come up with a solution for the perpendicular tenons, and that solution was to miter the tenons.
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That last picture is the only evidence of that joint.
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As neat as it was to make, it’s completely concealed and nobody will ever know what kind of joint is in there. Oh well, I know, and you guys know it’s there.
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Tight, perpendicular, and plenty of glue surface. That should hold up, shouldn’t it?
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Then to do it three more times and assemble to make sure it all fits and looks good.
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That was fun.
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Any questions or concerns?
-- Kyle
4 comments so far
cdkoch
home | projects | blog
19 posts in 3252 days
#1 posted 12-01-2012 02:48 AM
Looks great! Nice job so far.
derosa
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1597 posts in 3809 days
#2 posted 12-01-2012 04:31 AM
Looking good so far, wish I could get my joints that tight every time.
-- A posse ad esse
hickeymad
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158 posts in 3984 days
#3 posted 01-06-2013 08:51 AM
Triple tenons hand cut? Impressive! I might have opted for a single tenon on each rail but offset them so they did not meet in the leg. I’d be a little concerned about over-weakening the leg it self. Still- impressive work!
Kyle
home | projects | blog
112 posts in 3617 days
#4 posted 01-06-2013 06:29 PM
I did think about what to do about that joinery for a couple of weeks before I committed. The tenons are actually pretty stout. I didn’t think about the strength of the leg but after taking it apart and putting it together over and over and over again, I think it’ll be able to stand the test of time. Thanks for checking this out!
-- Kyle
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