Easier way to get a tight fitting mortise and tenon?

**yoboseyo** · 23rd March 2024, 07:47 PM

Feeling exasperated with sneaking up on a mortise and tenon without the right tools - chisels, a not-well fettled bullnose plane. I noticed that the tenon faces are becoming burnished from the repeated fitting.

This got me thinking. Is there a way to imprint a colour on the parts of the tenon that need to be taken down? I'm thinking like black Texta on white crayon or something, but one needs to shed its colour onto the other very easily. That way the mortise cheeks imprint the tight parts onto the tenon faces.

Is this possible?

**jpdv** · 23rd March 2024, 08:07 PM

Soft lead pencil. 2B or thereabouts...

**Tom trees** · 24th March 2024, 12:33 AM

Probably upset some, but I'm rather OCD about something the right proportions,
(regardless of whether it actually be or not, separate topic haha!)
Whilst also not fond of things which could be worked loose, like one of the stretchers on me rough bench
even though I recall using a sledge to knock them in.
Well I was dismantling some old box iron gates recently, and reckon that being mostly to blame.
(a job to be done out on the grass really)

I could use wedges, but not convinced with that compared to a good repair,
and my feeling being pegged M&T's aren't for brittle timbers.

Not trying to change anyone's mind on the matter of speed or whatever,
just mentioning a tool which I've found great for finding high spots, for such a case where one might want such a fit.

Just a plate of ali, though cast iron might well be 20 times better, as you need to keep refreshing ali.
Graphite stick from the art shop, has lasted years, expensive for a pencil one might say,
but I've gone through packs of pencils
yet haven't used up either half of the stick, good value you'd get from them.
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Just my 2 cents from a skinflint timber plugger

Tom