Making loose tenons

[scott kinninger]

Do I have to make loose tenons out of the same wood that my project is made from? I am making a cherry foot stool and have plenty of oak and hard maple scrap laying around and I would rather cut that up into tenons than a piece off a good cherry board.

Thanks for helping a novice.

[Mark Singer]

You can use any hard wood. Make sure the grain is running parallel to the tenon...oak should be fine. It is just like dowels ..which is usually a different wood than the object

[Jim Becker]

You can use any wood you want. My personal preference is to use the same or similar species to avoid any difference in seasonal movement. But the tenons are usually small and there should be little problem in that respect, regardless. It is rare that I can't find enough scrap of cherry to do cherry lose tenons, however...etc.