Replies

1. 
   roc | Oct 08, 2009 08:39am | #1

   Sounds to me like if you can hold it accurately enough to drill it for dowels you could go the next step and use a " loose tenon ".

   You no doubt already know what that is but here is a link. If you click on the first pic you get a string of photos.

   http://thecraftsmanspath.com/2007/09/25/loose-tenon-joinery-budget-alternative-festool-domino/

   Am I all wet here guys ?

   PS: Broke a half inch cherry tenon ! Sign those kids up with the olympic training center !

   roc

   Give me six hours to chop down a tree and I will spend the first four sharpening the axe. Abraham Lincoln ( 54° shaves )

   Edited 10/8/2009 1:41 am by roc <!-- ROC2013 -->

   
   

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   Edited 10/8/2009 6:28 am by roc

1. 
   JiminFla | Oct 08, 2009 04:12pm | #2

   Sounds to me like a loose tenon is the answer as well, Roc.  Better than dowels.

    

   Jimhttp://www.jimreedy.com

2. 
   joinerswork | Oct 08, 2009 04:21pm | #3

   Shalom,

   I agree that a loose tenon is likely to make for the best repair.  Sawing from the underside or bottom of the broken component, or mortising into its end, and inserting a replacement  tenon will make an inconspicuous repair that will be nearly as strong, or stronger than, the original construction.  Irregularly shaped pieces may need some ingenuity in making a jig or cradle to secure them for safe and accurate manipulation.

   Folks (particularly the elderly, or overweight) tend to push themselves up and out of an armchair, which puts a good deal of strain on the arm joints.  Often arm design is not sufficient to withstand this downward and outward force. 

   Ray 

3. 
   Shalom | Oct 08, 2009 06:20pm | #4

   Thanks guys, everyone seems to agree that a loose tenon is my best approach.  I do have access to a Festool at the Norwalk CT. Woodworking Club. I hesitated because I wonder whether I'll be able to line it all up again. I was planning to drill from the outside and take my lumps as far as appearance goes, just to be able to line it all up again. I will have to make a jig so as to hold all the parts together. I do appreciate your help. When I figure out how to send pictures I'll do that.. Shalom

    

1. 
   roc | Oct 09, 2009 06:07am | #5

   I was looking on The New Yankee Work shop site for the episode where he makes a simple jig that he clamps to the end of a long plank to rout a mortise for a loose tenon. The site seems to be less user friendly and I did not find what I was after.It was probably the bed project but may have been the work bench. Not sure. I have it some where on vhs but need to do some digging. Maybe on Sunday.Any way it was just a plate of wood with a slot cut in it that he ran a router in with a collar. There were one or two sides screwed and glued onto the plate to help locate it easily on the end of the board.rocGive me six hours to chop down a tree and I will spend the first four sharpening the axe. Abraham Lincoln ( 54° shaves )

1. 
   Shalom | Oct 09, 2009 07:17am | #6

   Thanks Roc. I'll give you six hours to find that article. otherwise you are sentenced to chop down a tree with a dull ax. I am in fact trying to figure out how to line all my tennons up. I suspect that my armrest broke either because the tenons weren't correctly lined up and that I might have twisted them to get them right, or that the tenons somehow weren't supported properly by the rest of the structure. Thanks again. Shalom

1. 
   roc | Oct 09, 2009 08:02am | #7

   >sentenced to chop down a tree with a dull ax<Was it Louis Armstrong that said something like :It's not how sharp your axe is but the way how cha swing it .; )sorry couldn't help it.rocGive me six hours to chop down a tree and I will spend the first four sharpening the axe. Abraham Lincoln ( 54° shaves )

   Edited 10/9/2009 1:06 am by roc

2. 
   DougGF | Oct 09, 2009 06:24pm | #8

   In the Mar-April 2007 issue of FWW, there is an article by Kevin Rodel and plans for building his A&C dining side chair.  Part of the shop notes/plan details a jig for routing mortices in chair parts.  I recently built 8 chairs using his plan and modified jig and I think it would help you solve your problem as well as providing you with a very useful shop jig. 

   Doug

1. 
   Shalom | Oct 09, 2009 08:42pm | #9

   Thanks Doug. How in the world do you remember where a 10 year old article is stored. Having a filing system in your head has got to be a tremendous advantage. I'll look for it and thanks. Shalom

1. 
   DougGF | Oct 09, 2009 09:44pm | #10

   LOL - the article is only 2 years old and having just the completed around 180 mortices using the jig, the memory lives on.

    

    

1. 
   Shalom | Oct 10, 2009 05:55am | #11

   No wonder my armrest fell off. I read 1997 instead of 2007. (I even copied 2007) Measure once, think again. The little grey cells they're supposed to make connections but. . . . . Shalom