Square the mortices or round the tenons?

[outback]

To whom is this observation addressed outback? :confused:

Silent and Driver, the accounting counters, counting counts countingly.

[silentC]

Yeah but your opinion doesn't count

[Wood Borer]

I do most of my mortise and tenon joints using darkside methods - mortice chisels, handsaws, shoulder plane(s).

I occasionally use an electric router for the mortises.

At all times I square the mortises and the tenons.


As has been stated many times before, I do woodwork as a most enjoyable pastime so the little extra effort is all part of the pleasure for me.

If I was making pieces commercially, I would take shortcuts that hurry the job along but don't compromise the quality.

[Caliban]

Silent and Driver, the accounting counters, counting counts countingly.

but counts are useful!

I beg your pardon, what did you just call me?!!

Darren don't start that yankie phobia all over again or we'll have another rash of Outback wondering if he's one.

[doug the slug]

How can a mortice and tenon be there simply for looks? You can't see it!! ....

True, in most cases, Silent. But what about a through tennon, maybe with a wedge in it for a knockdown bench or just for decoration in a coffee table etc? how many of you will round the tennon in this case.

for the record,i used to be a "round the tennon" man, following George's advice on the triton dvd, but now i follow martin's advice and square the tennon, cos its far more accurate to do, and nearly as quick. it results in a much better joint

[silentC]

True, in most cases, Silent. But what about a through tennon, maybe with a wedge in it for a knockdown bench or just for decoration in a coffee table etc? how many of you will round the tennon in this case.

Yes but it's not just there for looks is it? It's a practical joint that has been prettied up.

Rocker said:

I merely maintain that it is rarely necessary for the joint to have the maximum possible theoretical strength; and that, if a rounded or chamfered tenon has only, say, 85% of the strength of a square one, it is normally speaking still plenty strong enough for its purpose.

And Lou said:

Totally agree if the joinery is there simply for looks its a no brainer.

Which, as far as I'm concerned, makes no sense at all because you can't see the tenon in the situation that was being discussed. But I don't know why that surprises me.

And yes I have seen through tenons that have been rounded

[corbs]

I am currently in the process of making two loft beds for my young lads and have nearly finished the ends which consisted of 48 mortice & tennon joints. As I am lazy I have made the mortices on a jig and used a 19mm router bit to make through mortices, I then made the tennons the correct size for a squared off tennon and then rounded them off with a 7.5mm round over bit. There is a small amount of rasp work to do but a hell of a lot less than cleaning out the mortices with a chisel. To add some strength and add a decorative touch to the beds, I am going to wedge the joints. Standby for photos of the finished product in the next couple of years.

Corbs

[holzman]

Definitely square for me. IF i do it then i do it properly.