wedged tenon

[Deane Allinson]

I am making a bench (or coffee table, haven't decided yet) with turned legs. They are to be attached with a tenon through the top and wedged. I assume that the wedge slot should be perpendicular to the top grain. What about the tenon? Grain paralell to top and wedge perpendicular? or vise versa?
Deane

[Jim Matthews]

I put my legs in to orient the grain at 90 degrees (or nearly so) to the prevailing grain of the top.

I want the wedge to fan the endgrain out to lock the tenon into the mortise.
I drill a small hole, crosswise at the bottom of the wedge kerf to stop splitting.

I try to make the wedge kerf slightly less than the thickness of the top.

[Ryan Baker]

Tenon grain parallel to top, wedge perpendicular.