I cut some mortises too close to the ends of my boards that have shown slight signs of cracking after dry-fitting my joints. How can I best repair the mortises? Should I glue tennons (only) to fill the entire mortises then recut mortises, or just glue in pieces small enough to give me more distance from the ends and cut the tennons for the joining boards to fit the new mortise sizes? Or, is there a better way to deal with this problem? – Thanks in advance!!!
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Replies
You can try to fill in the end of the mortise with a well fitted and solidly glued filler, but to be honest, the repair probably won't be as strong, or strong enough, as a a new joint properly positioned in a new board, especially since there is already a crack.
My advice would be to start over with new wood. You can also leave the mortised board over long by a few inches on each end to give added strength to the end while you cut, fit, and glue the joint, cutting the excess off the ends after the frame is assembled.
John White, Yestermorrow School
Thanks John. I was hoping to be able to salvage the wood that I used, but I understand your point. Also, I like your suggestion of leaving the mortised board over-sized. Though I don't intend to repeat my mistake, I like having the added protection of an over-sized board while dry-fitting my joints.
Many thanks!
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