Replies

1. 
   MBL | Apr 25, 2004 07:20pm | #1

   Dear Mbiker,

   It might work, but what about rather fix the tennon? What about glueing a piece a strip of wood to it and then re-cut it?

   The epoxy is a good gap filer, but where there's movement, yellow glue probably be better. The reason for saying that is because the yellow glue, when dry is practically plastic and it has such elasticity. Epoxy is more rigid.

   White glue is probably the same, but can't speak much on it due to using only yellow glue and when it dries on the container it sure looks and feels like plastic.

   The less filler in a joint, would say, the much better. So if you fix the tennon, that condition could be reached.

   -mbl-

1. 
   scooter1 | Apr 25, 2004 08:50pm | #2

   Ditto. I would take a shaving or a thin strip of wood off your table saw, and widen the tenon by that 32nd. As long as you have nice shoulders, it will be a fine joint and never noticeable. I won't tell.

   Regards,

   Boris

   "Sir, I may be drunk, but you're crazy, and I'll be sober tomorrow" -- WC Fields, "Its a Gift" 1934

2. 
   RANGERP75R | Apr 26, 2004 05:50am | #3

   Mbiker

      The others have given you a fix. I might metion that I cut my mortices first. If you miss a tad, it doesn't matter as I cut my tenons slightly over-size and customize them down to the size of the mortice with a shoulder plane. On other than a through mortice, it's a "dead-kill" on every shot!

   Regards...

   sarge..jt

   Proud member of the :  "I Rocked With ToolDoc Club" .... :>) 

3. 
   Crunk | Apr 26, 2004 03:59pm | #4

   Use a real mortise chisel to chop the mortises and this won't happen.  Forget the drill.  As long as the cutting edge of your mortise chisel is ground square to its side, you can't cut an off-kilter mortise unless you try very hard.  The thickness of the chisel keeps it registered at 90 degrees to the face receiving the mortise.  Mark the mortise, register the chisel's edge flat in the area to be chopped, make your first chopping pass at a strong 1/8th or deeper.  After that, you should have smooth sailing,  the walls of the mortise register against the chisels sides exactly.  You'll have a smooth-walled mortise that will need no additional clean up with a paring chisel.  Chop the mortise a 16th or so deeper than the length of the mortise and don't worry about the bottom of the mortise,  the tenon never touches it and if it did it is end grain to long grain (no glue strength at all). 

   Most woodworking writers attribute the thickness of a mortise chisel to some supposed strength needed when levering chips out.  This is ridiculous.  The mortise chisel is thick to keep it registered 90 degrees to the stock being mortised and to cut a smooth wall as the chisel is driven into the stock.  If you examine the geometry of a mortise chisel with a paring chisel you will understand what I'm saying.

1. 
   CajunDan | Apr 26, 2004 08:41pm | #5

   Hey, BossCrunk

   I have a set of antique mortise chisels that are not parallel in width. They have a very slight taper towards the handle. Any idea why?

   Regards,

   Dan

1. 
   Crunk | Apr 26, 2004 09:22pm | #7

   It's not unusual... unless you're cutting a six inch deep mortise what I wrote above still applies.  Also, once you get a quarter of an inch deep (or so) into the mortise it is practically impossible at that point to manage to chop the rest of it off 90 degrees to the face.  I would imagine the taper is there to assist with levering chips in a deep mortise.  In that case, the sides of the chisel are not registering with the mortise wall and some clean up deep in the mortise might be needed.  FWIW, I've never had to chop one that deep from one direction.  On deep, through mortises you're coming in from both sides.

2. 
   UncleDunc | Apr 28, 2004 05:52am | #8

   Do they get smaller or larger toward the handle? If smaller, it's probably to reduce the friction, and therefore the force required.

1. 
   CajunDan | Apr 29, 2004 03:26pm | #10

   The set of three chisels are stamped with two different manufacturers. One is English, the other two are French. All three are about 1/32  narrower toward the handle, so I don't think it is a fluke.

   I suspect that the purpose is to reduce friction, as you say. In practice, the mortise they cut has straight sides the width of the tip. In other words, the shearing/scraping action you get with a parallel chisel does not seem to be necessary to make a well-sized mortise.

   Perhaps this is why chisels were all fish-tail shaped several hundred years ago.

   Regards,

   Dan

4. 
   GHR | Apr 26, 2004 09:01pm | #6

   For all practicle purposes 1/32 will not matter.

5. 
   aircom8 | Apr 29, 2004 12:27pm | #9

   Does a 32nd really make that much difference in this instance? Jesus was a carpenter but I feel that even He might have strayed from the good and narrow on occasion.

   Agreed, it doesn't help you now, but after using the forstner bit next time, why not clean the mortice sides up with a plunging router, then square up the slot ends with a suitably sized chisel.

   hope this helps - Terry

   http://www.1stop-house-building-carpentry-tool.com