tenon rasping/ router plane

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tenon rasping/ router plane

12/5/05, 6:40 AM #1

chichi
Guest

tenon rasping/ router plane

chichi

>Thanks for all the comments to my rasping question.I will try to saw to the line per Adam's comment just to prove I am not chicken .I use a bow saw with a hack saw blade and can do a pretty good job. Same using a dovetail saw.

A few commented how the rounded corners and rough surface using a rasp bothered them. I thought a rough surface would give more surface area and more hold for the glue? Do the corners of the tenon really have to be that square. I thought it was good practice to round slightly to ease fitting? In the past,I have tested a mortise and tenon made with rouded corners and thought the strength was fine.

A friend turned me on to using a router plane for dado's. So far very pleased, What have others thought of the technique?

Thanks,

Bob

Re: tenon rasping/ router plane

12/5/05, 7:18 AM #2

MikeW
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998 posts

Registered: 4/26/05

Re: tenon rasping/ router plane

mikew

>One problem of a rough surface is one of a false sense of what a good fitting tenon is. If the snug fit (if it is even snug) is due to several proud fibers (or uneven areas), overtime and glue shrinkage the joint may prematurely fail.

Rounded corners...depends on how rounded. Eased might be a better description--unless rounded corners on the tenon are going into a mortise with rounded corners.

As per the earlier exchange, rasped tenons can be very smooth--and fsat. I've included the same image here, with the pertinent paragraphs describing the picture.

The picture below shows the tenon as sawn on the left, rasped on the right. The saws I use leave a good enough surface that unless I cut off, I don't normally rasp them. If I cut wide, well, a file or rasp.

The right side shows the finish of the rasp on this "woody" Meranti. Maybe 10 seconds, which included reaching across my bench and grabing the rasp from the rack. But if you want a smooth tenon, there isn't a faster way of making it. It is easier to control the depth than a plane. imo of course.

Take care, Mike