Any Advice

Re: Any Advice

Mike G.

>If it were me, I'd make the tenon with a shoulder as you drew it. Shoulders let you hide small irregularities in the tenon or mortice plus give the apron something to but up against. I don't know if I explained it right, but hope you catch my drift. :)

Mike G.

Re: Any Advice

William Duffield, on the Cohansey

>When I M&T an apron to a leg, I almost never leave a shoulder at the bottom of the apron, for three reasons: It increases the length of the tenon and therefore its strength; it is less work; the small gap at the bottom won't be seen, because you look down on it and it is hidden by the apron.

You have a couple of additional considerations. First, if you leave a shoulder, there is a chance you will break off the bottom, pointed, ends of the apron during constuction and assembly. Second, minimizing the gap will be difficult since the intersection between the leg and apron is curved, and the gap will be more visible than it would if the bottom of the apron were flat.

Therefore, I think you should plan for a short lower shoulder on your tenon. Also, I would cut and fit all the joinery before cutting the decorative inside curve of the leg and apron.

Re: Any Advice

Link Van Cleave

>Hey Gil,

To answer you question, neither. You should make what is called a mitred shoulder mortise and tenon. The mitred part happens where in your drawing the lower part of your rail has extrem short grain. This is a very vulnerable area. This joint is easy to see how to make if you could see a picture but may be hard for me to explain. A picture would be worth a thousand words here. I will try to scan a picture and post it or send it to you. Maybe someone with better computer skills can help here.

Link

Re: Any Advice

Gil

>Upon closer examination the apron does not go all the way down to the bottom of the curve. It actually terminates at the red line. This should make the M/T go all the way to the bottom of the apron correct?

Thanks,

Gil

Re: Any Advice

Link Van Cleave

>Gil, No you wouldn't run the mortise all the way through. Why, you would just be losing mechanical strength and not gaining much in glue area. Also you would be splitng that delicate area and making it weaker.

If you look closely at your picture you can see that the joint is indeed a mitred shoulder M& T. Where the point of the arpon would be I can see the line of the joint that runs a very short distance at about a 45� to the outside of the leg. Can you see it ? This is what you should do. To make this joint you would have a shoulder all the way around which is most always preferable anyway. You do have to cut into your leg a little bit to give enough room for the mitred part.

Link

Re: Any Advice

Gil

>Link are you talking about the red line I drew in? I thought that this was the joint between the apron and the leg. It looks like the leg has a little ledge which the apron sits upon correct? Maybe I can't see it. I do not see a 45deg line.

-Gil

Re: Any Advice

Link Van Cleave

>Gil, If you take a straight edge and lay it on your picture, from the upper outside corner the leg where it meets the top, through the corner formed by your red line, it makes about a 45� line. I can see the joint line that goes from the corner of your red lines down at a 45�. It is only about 3/16" long I would guess. You can see the by the grain of the leg. There isn't a shelf there as that would be the same problem with short grain and vunerable to breakage. Both the leg and the apron have little mitres.

Link

Re: Any Advice

Gil

>Link I now see exactly what you are talking about. Off to buy some 8/4 poplar for a sample leg or two.

-Gil