help on mortise and tenon

[john mclane]

I'm relatively new at WW, especially when I don't have a definitive plan in front of me. I am trying to make a towel/quilt rack similar to the one in the picture from Shakerworkshops.com for a Sabbathday Lake Shaker Towel rack:
I have modified it some to make bigger to hold small quilts and making the joints with mortise and tenon. On the longer cross support I have made them a through mortise and tenon. I want to put a small square wood pin through the joint to strengthen some more.
Do I make a small drill hole (about 1/4" after assembled and then square with my 1/4" chisel? Then shape/trim the pins to the final size and force in. Can I make the drilled hole withthe mortise/tenon glued and dried or should I do when dry assembled. In the later I'm afraid it might wiggle apart and make a larger hole in the tenons.
On the bottom the blind mortises are relatively large about 1" by 7/8". I'm going to glue but since this contraption will get some weight and movement when the quilts are put on and removed should I put a screw in from the bottom. If so I would countersink and put a plug in. Should that be enough?

[Jim Becker]

You can drill, square and then size the tenon to match using the method of your choice...or you could also employ lose tenon construction using a router to mill mortises in both sides to accomodate a matching "rounded" lose tenon. Both methods are just as strong. The former is likely "more authentic" and it's not a bad idea to learn how to do it, even if you adopt other joinery methods and preferences in the future.

That's going to be a wonderful project, by the way!

[Martin Shupe]

If you can find the video, "Build a Shaker Table", by Kelly Mehler, buy it.

Kelly likes to peg tennons with a square pegs. I think he uses a 3/16 drill bit (I would check, but I loaned my tape out). Place the drill bit flat on its side between your tablesaw fence and the blade. Snug the fence against the drill bit, and lock the fence. Then lower the blade so that it is just barely lower than the top of the bit. Now, using a large board, run it through the saw blade, against the fence, twice; once with the side of the board against the fence, and once on its face. If you can understand my directions, and set the blade correctly, you will end up with a length of small, square peg stock, still stuck to the board. Snap it off, and cut it to the length needed. Now, using your same drill bit, drill a hole through your tenon. If you want you can sharpen you square peg with a pencil sharpener, or just rough round it with a chisel. Using a metal hammer, pound it in the hole, holding it square with an adjustable wrench, so it does not rotate. Then, using a special saw you can get from Lee Valley (flush cutting, I think it is called) cut the peg flush.

Do this on a test piece, first. The square peg will force the round hole to square as you pound it in, or you can use a small chisel to square it before you start pounding. Oh, I almost forgot, I use some hide glue in the hole before I pound.

You can put the pegs in after you have glued the M and T together...after the glue is dry.

I would not use a screw as you suggested. Use a peg through the tenon instead.

Also, if you like Shaker stuff, check out Kelly's school. Do a search on Kelly Mehler for the website.

[john mclane]

Thanks for the help. Spent today making the smaller square pins and gluing up the longer cross pieces to the uprights. I ended up deciding to do a 1/8" square peg since the tenons overall size was only about 3/4". I needed to get a 1/8" chisel. Ended up sharpening the ends getting through the hole and then drawing through to the square. Used some hard teak I had left over. for the most part came out pretty good. One of the pegs still looks a little split but with a small hole like this it will hardly be noticible.

Yeah Patriots just scored.

[Alan Turner]

John,
Sounds like you are about done with this project. If you decide to make another, then one method that you might want to consider is the double wedged through tenon. In essence, after you cut your mortise with straight sides, mark out the back side to splay at about 5 degrees, and open it up from the back, on the end grain ends only. Then, with a hand saw, just make a couple of cuts in the tenon, about 1/4" off of the ends. Make 5 degree wedges, and as you glue up, glue and drive the wedges in. Trim when dry, with a flush cutting hand saw, a router, a hand plane, whatever. This will make basically a dovetailed joint, that is, one that is mechanically locked. On smaller stock like you are working with, this extra strength might be useful.

[john mclane]

Alan
thanks for the advise that procedure sounds good. My wife is liking this project and has already hinted that I make one or two more for her friends. I'll post pictures when I'm done.