Mortise and Tenon

Michael & Li Joint Assignment : Mortise & Tenon

JOINT ASSIGNMENT: Mortise & Tenon                                            Michael McCarthy & LI WANG

History of Mortise and Tenon

This is an ancient joint dating back 7,000 years. The first examples, tusked joints, were found in a well near Leipzig in Germany. The oldest known use dates from the Early Neolithic Linear Pottery Culture, where it was used in the constructing of the wooden lining of water wells.

What tools are used to produce this joint?

Using hand tools this joint can be made using:

• A marking gauge or mortise gauge.
• small square.
• a mortise chisel – 1/4″ is common.
• Dovetail saw – or tenon saw if using bigger wood.
• Carcass saw – can use a dovetail saw if you don't have a carcass saw.
• Marking knife.
• Clamp.

The mortise and tenon can also be made using power tools such as the Horizontal or Vertical Mortiser.

Images of Horizontal Mortiser:

How does it hold up to common stressors?

The mortise and tenon is the strongest joint available in woodworking. It holds up against stressors such as tension, compression, vertical shear and racking better than nails and screws. A double mortise and tenon can also be used for maximum strength.

Troubleshooting the Horizontal Mortiser:

Some problems we came across obtaining the correct depth:

Stability of Machine: We failed to obtain the right depth even after doing two test pieces because the handle of the machine wasn’t stable and was moving back and forth, affecting our depth.

Flushing material Wood chips were getting the way on the bench so we kept a hand broom near to remove them. It is important to make sure the material is flush against guard.

Importance of securing the bit: If the cutter is not tightened correctly it may move and affect the depth.

Position of material: The height of the material requires adjustments in the fastener so it does not get in the way of the cut. To achieve the centre exactly you have to pass the material twice - once on each side.

Being accurate in the mortise measurements is important but small errors can be corrected since we will be making the tenons to fit the mortise. “It is the man that needs to change, not the female” - Brendan

Personal Reflections

1. The horizontal mortiser requires a lot of time for layout and setup but once that is achieved it is much faster than creating mortises by hand. If you have many pieces to do you can achieve the exact same result on each piece that would be difficult to obtain by hand.
2. It is important to do a test piece because if you do the setup wrong all of the pieces will be wrong.
3. It was fun!

https://module12solidwoodfurniture1.blogspot.com/2015/06/leg-and-rail-mortises.html