On Mon, 19 Jun 2006 10:57:00 -0500, "Swingman" wrote:

For those of you who don't get abpw:

Rough sketch of chair leg and rail (legs angled 7 degrees from vertical)

I know what I _think_, but which "floating tenon" joint to YOU _know_ to be
stronger and why?

http://www.e-woodshop.net/images/TenonTrial.JPG


I'm not really for either as they stand but might go with a variation
of "B", in what I'd call a double secret probation - uhh, wait a
minute - a "Double Secret Wedged Tenon".

Usually a wedged tenon is a show joint but you can do a secret one by
undercutting the edges of your mortises by the seven degrees described
to form a kind of keystone shaped hollow.

Cut your wedges to fill that seven degree void once they bottom out on
the mortise. Cut the appropriate slots in the tenon. Butter the
tenon and the wedges up and insert the wedges just barely. Drive the
loose tenon home to form a dovetail within the keystoned void. Prep
the other end of the tenon the same way and clamp her up.

You'll wind up with opposing dovetails.

Dat sumbitch be strong.




Regards,

Tom Watson

tjwatson1ATcomcastDOTnet (real email)

http://home.comcast.net/~tjwatson1/