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Mortise and tenon frustrations
Back in the day when I did power tool woodworking (at the exclusion of hand tools), I never did feel the need to cut a mortise and tenon joint. Somehow, using hand tools, it just feels right to do it.
However, there is a problem. I have never done it and didn't know how to do it properly - with any kind of tools. I started to work cutting tenons for the base on the workbench I am making and somehow, it just didn't seem to be coming out right.
I took a break from that and started a little stool for my daughter to reach the kitchen sink. Somehow, it just seemed right to dovetail the legs into the ends. Also, I felt like I needed the practice before going any farther on my bench.
I was right. I DID need more practice. As it turns out, the stool will be usable for children, but it will hardly be pretty or even that strong. I realized that I needed more help. A LOT more help.
I probably spent an hour scouring the internet for information on the subject. Really, there isn't that much. A few videos including the Rob Cosman, Frank Klausz video
Here are a couple of articles that I found to be informative:
http://www.sawmillcreek.org/showthread.php?t=13246
http://www.woodworkersjournal.com/articles/markingtools.cfm
Here is another one (Thanks, Stephen):
http://www.fullchisel.com/alburnam6.htm#Mortice
It became pretty apparent that I needed some more tools, so I went over to www.toolsforworkingwood.com and picked up some gauges as well as the Kingshot mortise and tenon and dovetail videos.
In a month or two, I expect to be able to review those videos.
I also ordered some hide glue, so I am looking forward to trying that soon also.
If you have come across any other good books, videos or links, regarding mortise and tenon or dovetail joints, please add a comment below and let me know.
Luke Townsley
www.UnpluggedShop.com
The following license applies to this article:
Luke,
I don't know if you have seen this, a brief description of the process:
http://www.fullchisel.com/alburnam6.htm#Mortice
Stephen
Thanks Stephen,
I hadn't seen your article. It is really good. I added it to my blog post in case someone reads it without looking at the comments.
For some reason, the Google custom search on my site wasn't picking up that page. It seems that Google wasn't indexing that page at all. Google might be having trouble dealing with the frames on your site. I jiggered the Google custom search a bit, so I am hopeful it will start picking it up after the crawler visits.
Luke,
My old site is virtually unsearchable because of how it was originally constructed. I am having it redone to make it search friendly and to expand its content.
Stephen, who is no longer anonymous
It's a BIG job redoing a site with a lot of old content. I am helping a friend with an old Frontpage site (non-woodworking related). Oh, how I hate Frontpage.
I think it has been a year and a half or close to two years, and we are still looking at probably another six months just to get through the initial changeover.
Granted, there is a LOT of content on his site, and we are working on it as time permits.
Sorry about the lost anonymity..... Now that you have been thoroughly outed, I guess, I can safely guarantee you that you won't lose your anonymity on this site again!
What is that, you say, Oh, you already lost it. Well, never mind then.
Luke,
I've been working using only hand tools for 5 or so years now and I would never turn back. You have discovered the same thing I did several years ago. Mortise and tenon by hand is harder than dovetails. My theory is that it is because tenons are a longer cut. Either way, the key to cutting good fitting M&T or dovetails is to learn to saw straight to a line. The problem I have with many articles written on dovetails or M&T is that they try to have you saw to the waste side and then pare the fit. This introduces too many variables and steps into the process which means more room for error.
This is similar to the drill and pare method for cutting mortises. To me, this method doesn't make sense and only serves to help create mortises of inconsistent width, which is very ineffecient. Using only a mortise chisel to create the mortise gaurantees that all your mortises will be the exact same width...the width of the chisel. You then gauge your tenon thickness from the chisel and it is the same for every tenon.
Craftspeople who like to do the "grunt work" (e.g. surfacing, long straight ripping, etc) with machines, typically have a hard time learning to hand cut M&T and/or dovetails. The magazines make this look a lot easier than it is. Being completely unplugged, you have an advantage as you would need to do your stock prep by hand. Whenever someone comes to the message boards I frequent having trouble hand cutting these joints, my advise is always the same. Put down the joinery saws and pick up a long rip saw and some soft wood like pine, poplar or cedar. Using your gauge (preferably) or just a pencil and your finger, mark out a straight line parallel to the edge of the board. Try it both ways and I think you'll find the gauge a better choice as it makes a mark for the saw to "jump" into, which helps to guide the cut straight. A pencil line does not provide this kind of help. Now using your rip saw, rip this piece off. Dress the freshly ripped edge straight with your jointer plane, gauge and rip it again. Do this several times, paying attention to your saw stroke, the position of the saw and the angle of attack. Practicing like this will teach you to make long straight rip cuts. Once you can make long straight rips easily with your rip saw, you will find hand cutting M&T and dovetails right to the line much easier. This is why folks who use power tools to do the grunt work more commonly have a problem learning to hand cut joinery; they have no practice making straight cuts by hand. Try it and I think your skills with the joinery saws will improve very rapidly.
Bob Rozaieski
Bob,
I think you make a good point about a totally unplugged woodworker having a bit of an advantage due to having more experience with sawing and so forth.
Also quite true what you say about learning to saw. I am getting better, but hardly expert.
Part of my problem was that I hadn't even learned a decent method for doing mortise and tenons by hand. After my failure, I got some marking gauges, a DVD, and that together with some reasearch and some sawing practice, and I think I am ready to try it again. My "real" life has been pretty hectic lately, but I hope to be able to get back to it soon.
Thanks for the note.
Luke
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