The Technique of FURNITURE MAKING

TYPES OF TENONS

Several variations are possible. 142:6 is used only in the cheapest work for thin slats into thicker frameworks, such as play-pens, garden seats, etc., and the depth of the mortises must be positive as there are no shoulders on the rails to limit the depth of entry. Figure 142:7 is better as it has one cut shoulder and allows the top of the rail to be rounded over, if necessary, while 142:8 is better still as it gives a positive square location. Figure 142:9 is edge shouldered on one or both sides if the thickness allows, but no rounding of the rail is possible unless the

Wedged through mortise and tenon

This is shown in 142:1 and 146:1 and is taken through the stile with a little extra length for smoothing off, and wedged from the outside. The mortise is cut slightly full in the length on the outside to accommodate the wedges which are glued and driven home as the frame is assembled. These wedges can be at either end, which is normal for joiners' work, or darker wood is used and treated as a decoration in any of the positions shown alongside (146:1).

Stub or blind mortise and tenon

The socket or mortise is blind and, therefore,

hidden from the outside, and is the usual form for cabinet-work (142:2).

Long and short shoulder mortise and tenon

Figure 142:11 shows the extra shoulder length required to fill the rebate/rabbet formed to receive a panel which is beaded in from the back. The setting out of this type of tenon is described in Chapter 23, Door construction.

Moulded frame mortise and tenon

Here again the frame is rebated/rabbeted for a panel and the moulding must be cut and mitred on the face to receive the rail. If the moulded frame is grooved for the panel (142:12) and not rebated, then either both sides of the groove

must be cut away and mitred to receive the rail, or the back shoulder of the rail must be shortened to allow for the extra width of the back stile. The positions of grooves, rebates and mouldings are marked during the critical setting out but must not be worked until after the mortises have been chiselled out; the offset of the moulding on the face must, of course, be on the same level as the depth of the rebate. Tenon cheeks are sawn in as before or the marks will be lost, but the tenon shoulders are better left uncut until the moulding has been run.