Another question on chair tenons???

Re: Another question on chair tenons???

Jack Guzman from Maine

When cutting the split for the wedge the grain orientation of the leg is irrelevant. You want to install wedges across the grain in the seat. If not you will split the seat when you install the wedge.Only one wedge,I never cross them except in a hammer handle or such. I cut my splits with a bandsaw. If that is not possible I use a handsaw. I use hickory wedges but any hardwood will work.

Re: Another question on chair tenons???

Philip F Duffy

- - a small point; I was taught that glue should be applied to only one side of the wedges. Is that the current practice? P.

Some glues make good lubricant

Keith Newton

Like epoxy, which will allow the wedge to just pop right out.

Another consideration, is if the tenon is pretty wide relative to it's height, should you center the kerf, or cut two near enough to the edges to reasonably expect the wood to bend without splitting the leg.

common practice

Jack Guzman from Maine

It is and there is a good reason for it. When things dry out and shrink/expand,whatever movement happens due to humidity changes ,if both sides are glued the tenon will tend to pull away from the wall of the mortise.If only one side is glued the the unglued side will pull away from the tenon and not tend to pull the tenon away from the mortise wall. If you build alot of windsor chairs,like I do,you will see this actually happening.