Joints

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For a ‘halving joint’ the tools you will need are:- 1. Tenon Saw 2. Marking Gauge 3. Try Square 4. Sharp Bevel Edge Chisel 5. Pencil 6. Stanley Knife 7. Ruler/Tape Measure 8. Hammer/Wooden Mallet This halving joint is very strong, stronger then tenons or dowels. The two pieces to be joined are the same thickness and width. Step1:- Marking Out! First, take your try square and pencil and mark the face and edges as shown in the picture to the right:- The distance between the lines is the width of the mating piece. Next you need to find out half the thickness of your timber by dividing the total thickness by 2. After you have this you need to set your marking gauge to it. (right ->) You now need to use your marking gauge and...

In my opinion, the most important considerations (in order) are: Accurate stock preparation – no planer marks and very square ends Marking out Accurately cutting to the line I used some maple that a friend gave me as an offcut and some mahogany I got from the old lab benches in my lab at work. First off, I needed to resaw the wood. After resawing, I thicknessed all pieces before hand planing to final dimensions. The hand planing is very important on faces and edges as we need to remove all marks from the machining operations to ensure an accurate joint. Rob Cosman says that this is essential and who am I to argue with him? When planed, look at the boards and choose and mark the outside faces with a pencil. The ends need to be...

The Corner Bridle Joint!! The tools you will need are:- 1. Tenon Saw 2. Mortise Gauge 3. Try Square 4. Sharp Bevel Edge Chisel 5. Pencil 6. Drill and drill bit. 7. Ruler/Tape Measure 8. Bench Vice or Workmate 9. Bench Hook For the bridle joint, one of the pieces to be joined needs a tenon and the mating piece needs a groove. To make this simpler to explain ‘A’ will be the piece with the groove & ‘B’ will be the tenon piece! Take piece ‘B’ and lay it flat on your workbench/workmate. Then take piece ‘A’ and lay it on piece ‘B’ as shown in the photo to your left – making sure the side of piece ‘A’ is flush with the end of piece ‘B’. (ie at right angles to each other) With a pencil, mark the width of the timber onto piece ‘B’ using...

The mortise and tenon is a very traditional joint and is popular due to its strength. A mortise is simply a hole in the piece wood and the tenon piece slots inside. There are many different forms of mortice and tenons and also uses – but they are mostly used in tables and doors. The key to a strong mortise and tenon is a snugly fitting joint. If the joint is too tight there will be no room for glue, and there is a chance of the mortise piece splitting. If the joint is too loose and you need to ‘pack’ the tenon, the joint will be weak. For a strong joint you should be able to push the tenon into the mortice just with hand pressure. The tools you need are:- Tenon Saw, Mortise Gauge, Try Square,Mortise Chisel (you could use a normal...

The tools you need are:- 1. Tenon Saw 2. Try Square 3. Marking Gauge 4. Pencil Take one of the pieces to be joined (A) and lay it down flat on your workbench, then take the mating piece(B) and lay it on top in the opposite direction, making sure the edge of piece (A) is flush with the end of piece (B) (as shown on the left <- ). With a pencil, mark the width of the timber onto piece (A) using the mating piece (B) as a guide. Remove the mating piece(B) and put it to one side. With a try square follow the line you’ve just drawn, all the way round the piece of wood (A). Repeat this with the mating piece (B). Set your marking gauge to half the thickness of your wood. Gouge a line on both edges from the line to the end of the...