Mortise and tenon

“ This leaves the timber at each side of the mortise the same strength as the tenon.
Mortise and tenon joints for inside work may be united with glue. If, however, the work has to stand the weather a better method is to unite the joint with white lead, which is run down to the required consistency with good outside varnish. ”

“ Fig. 78 is a so-called bridle-joint at the corner of a frame. This is also called an "Open slot mortise and tenon joint," a good strong, serviceable joint which can be used instead of the closed mortise and tenon type, its advantage being that less labour is required in the making. ”

“ Now, as besides the mitre end, a tenon is to be left to fit into a mortise in the outer frame, it is clear that the whole must be a very nice piece of workmanship to be executed on so small a material as the thin bar of a modern sash. ”

“ This is an additional reason for making close fits in all joints—in those which are to be glued up as well as in those which are not. It [141] is a common fault of beginners to be satisfied with loose mortise and tenon joints, counting upon the glue to fill up the spaces. Much of the furniture found in the markets falls to pieces for the same reason. Such work should never be allowed to pass. It is based upon an entirely mistaken notion of the true office of glue and is nothing more nor less than a falsehood in wood. ”

“ A very large number of joints are in use, but many of them are rare. Our grandfathers, who built their houses and barns from oak timbers hewn out with the axe, commonly used the mortise and tenon, fastened with a generous hard wood pin, and many of them are still standing after a century or two of hard usage. ”

“ When several mortises or [99] tenons of the same size are to be laid out and are to be equally distant from a face, the gage needs to be set but twice for all—once to mark the nearer edges and once for the farther edges of the tenon or mortise. Should there be several like members with like joints, the gage settings obtained from the first piece will suffice for all.
The importance of working from face sides or face edges only, cannot be overestimated. ”

“ Fig. 144 shows the upright and rails of common garden or field fencing. The tenons are bevelled to fit and wedge each other in the mortise. The illustration gives both cross rails as shouldered, but in many cases shoulders are omitted when the rails are not thick enough to carry them.
Fig. 145 indicates faulty methods of working a tenon. At A the saw has been allowed to run too far when cutting the shoulder, thus greatly weakening the tenon. At B faulty sawing has again occurred, and to remedy this defect the worker has resorted to paring the shoulder with a chisel. ”

“ Fig. 188 (left-hand illustration) shows G (groove) at top, and HH (the haunch) at the bottom. Tenons may be glued together and [Pg 91] wedged as shown at Fig. 176 if for inside work; but if for outside work they are generally smeared with thick paint and wedged up. For light-class cabinet work it is usual to cut the mortise about seven-eighths of the distance through the stile and make the tenon to match it; the edge of the finished work does not then show any indication of the joint, and it leaves a nice clean surface at the edge of the work for polishing or varnishing. ”

“ Lintel (linteau) , piece of timber or block of stone which, laid across horizontally on the jambs of a door or window-opening, completes the enclosure.
Made-ground (remblai) . This term signifies earth and débris that have been shifted by man to raise a piece of ground or fill up its hollows.
Meeting-stile (battement) , vertical stile of a door or of a casement on the fastening side.
Mortise (mortaise) , oblong hole made in a piece of framing to receive a tenon. The lengthways of a mortise should always follow the grain of the wood. ”

“ Crosspieces: 2 pieces 3⁄4” thick × 11⁄2” wide × 3” long to be used as top of rack. 2 pieces 3⁄4” thick × 3” wide × 3” long to be used as bottom of rack. Upright pieces: 16 pieces 1⁄2” thick × 1⁄2” wide × 26” long to be used as side pieces 8 on each side. 2 pieces 3⁄4” thick × 11⁄2” wide × 201⁄2” long.
[Pg 29] Dish Rack
[Pg 30] Directions:
Mortise the two end pieces 1⁄4”, to fit tenon. Nail the two crosspieces, measuring (3⁄4” × 11⁄2” × 3”) to them. Make 1⁄4” mortises on the two top pieces (3⁄4” × 3” × 3”) . These mortises are made 3” from the end and the two pieces nailed to crosspieces. ”

“ A tenon with only one shoulder is used in framed and braced batten doors, and in skylights, when the rail requires to be kept thin for other parts to pass over; this is known as a barefaced tenon. A pair of double tenons is used for the lock rail of a thick door, to receive a mortise lock.
Hammer-headed Key Joint.—A conventional view of a hammer-headed key joint apart is presented by Fig. ”

“ It is fastened into one of the Beams by its Tenon, which, being driven into a Mortise, is pinn’d in by a Pin passing thro’ the Beam, and [349] the Tenon cut off even with the upper Surface of the Beam: This Tenon stands more oblique than that of the fore Sheat, that there may be the more Wood between its Mortise and the Funnel, its hinder Shoulder being short: Its fore Shoulder at a must be very short, not above the Eighth of an Inch; but its Shoulder b Three quarters of an Inch. The Tenon is also shoulder’d on each Side, as well as before and behind. ”

“ Before cutting the mortise, spring the two bars in the frame about 15 in. apart, and balance the shoe in the center by holding it in the hands. When the frame exactly balances, move the bars sufficiently to make the heel about 3 oz. heavier than the toe, and mark the place where the mortises are to be cut. The cross bars and mortise must be a good tight fit, and a small, sharp chisel will enable the builder to make a neat job. It is not necessary to cut the mortise very deep; 1/4 in. is ample to afford a firm and snug mortised joint. ”

“ A modern mortising machine, for instance, is adapted [Pg 346] to quickly and accurately cut a square or oblong hole to any desired depth, width, and length by cutting blades; to automatically reciprocate the cutters both vertically and horizontally in order to cut the mortise, both as to length and depth, at one time, and to automatically withdraw the cutters when they have finished cutting the mortise. ”

“ This machine consisted of a vertical slide bar, to the lower end of which was attached the steel mortising tool, which received its requisite up and down motion from an adjustable crank, through a suitable arrangement of the gearing. The wheel to be operated upon was fixed to a slide-table, and gradually advanced, so as to cause the mortising tool to take successive cuts through the depth of the eye of the wheel, until the mortise or key-groove had attained its required depth. ”

“ It is as common and simple as it is weak and unsatisfactory. The ends are placed on the bottom piece and hinged. If a cheap and quick method is desired, it would be better to place the hinges as shown at e, because then the tendency to tilt out is prevented by the pressure against the bottom piece as long as the screws hold.
A far better method is to mortise the shelf through [249] the end pieces and fasten it with a good, healthy pin or wedge, as shown at f; and a still better plan is to have two mortises and two wedges, as shown at g. ”

“ Portland cement joggles are formed by pouring cement grout into a vertical or oblique mortise formed by cutting a groove in each of the joining surfaces of the stones. What is known as a he-and-she joggle, worked on the edges of the stones themselves, is shown in fig. 13.
Plugs or dowels of lead are formed by pouring molten lead through a channel into dovetailed mortises in each stone (figs. 14 and 15) . When cold the metal is caulked to compress it tightly into the holes. ”

“ The heavy hardwood plank reach that connects the two bolsters is put through a mortise through the front bolster and is fastened rigidly by an extra large king-bolt. The reach plays back and forth rather loosely through a similar mortise in the other bolster on the rear sleigh. The rear hounds connect with the reach by means of a link and pin. This link pushes up through mortise holes in the reach and is fastened with a wooden pin or key on top of the reach. Sometimes the hounds are taken away and the reach is fastened with pins before and behind the rear bolster. ”

“ If no machine is available, great care should be taken in boring by hand, to get the hole as nearly true as possible. Then nail a cleat, C, on the side of the block, A, and let it extend down on piece B. Use a clamp to hold the block in place while boring out the mortise. ”