Any howto/info on fox wedge tenon?

[Ben Rafael]

Specifically for a non-through tenon. Pics would be great.
Also, it seems to me that the wedge would cause the wood to start splitting.

[Jim Holman]

Carefull fitting is required so that the joint will seat fully. The wood cannot split with a properly sized joint, the mortise constrains the tenon and prevents this. That said, I normally bore a small hole at the base of the slot for the wedge. This prevents splitting by giving the tenon a bit of extra flexibility.

[Chris Friesen]

Carefull fitting is required so that the joint will seat fully. The wood cannot split with a properly sized joint, the mortise constrains the tenon and prevents this. That said, I normally bore a small hole at the base of the slot for the wedge. This prevents splitting by giving the tenon a bit of extra flexibility.

I saw an article in a woodworking magazine that showed that the hole at the base of the tenon apparently make splitting *more* likely. The article proposed that the best option when wedging tenons was to use a chisel to split it along the grain line.