Wedging round tenon question

Re: Wedging round tenon question

Dick Coers

Perpendicular to the growth rings. The direction where nothing is easy to split.

+

Mark Mandell - Gone Round In New Jersey

I would either taper the tenons or champher the holes a bit to allow you to get more wedge into the joints.

Re: +

Larry Barrett

When you insert the leg/tenon in the stool try to orient it so that the wedge is perpendicular to growth rings in the seat so the wedging action doesn’t split the seat.

Re: Wedging round tenon question

JL

What they said.

I typically use a band saw to cut the kerf in the tenon for the wedge.

I then take a rasp or file to the kerf edges to make it easier to get the wedge into the tenon.

wedges

Philip F Duffy

Don't forget; glue on one side only of the tendons so they can move into the hole as the temp/wx dictates.

Re: wedges

Ellis Walentine

Phil, I'm not sure I understood your advice there. Can you elaborate

Ellis

Re: wedges

Jack Guzman from Maine

I do this when gluing wedges in a windsor chair build. Glue on both sides causes the tenon to pull away from the mortise wall if the tenon shrinks. Glue on one side only lets the wedge pull away from the tenon on one side of the split instead.

Re: wedges

Philip F Duffy

- - -what Jack said.

Re: Wedging round tenon question

John McGaw

I can't weigh in on the tapering but I'd definitely make sure that the wedge was oriented based on the top's grain and not worry about the leg so much. If the tenon is in a tight-fitting mortise the chance of splitting seems rather minor but the top would be the place that any splitting would be likely. If the mortise expands with seasonal changes the top will be bearing all the pressure.

Good tip

Ellis Walentine

I learn something every day. Thanks, Jack.

Ellis

Re: wedges

Barry Irby

I learned this watching Curtis Buchanan making chairs.

One interesting thing, If I understood it, was to taper the tenons and holes so they are larger on the bottom side of the seat and the tenons are smaller on the top and fit into the hole like a tapered cork from the bottom. The the wedge keeps it from falling out. The idea is that as the seat rests on the legs and settles onto them they actually become tighter over time. I suppose this might lead to the legs bulging above the top, and come to think of it, I have seen that.

There's a lot engineering in a well made chair.