Thread: Attempting to [CTRL]+Z a half blind draw-bored mortice and tenon

Lovely to see panel and frame Aussie timber stuff like this Lance. Looks nice .

The smarter we get or think we are Lance the more easily we slip up doing this stuff. You know of the KISS principle ? I love the KISS principle. I used to have discussions with one apprentice about keeping it simple and he wouldn't be making the same mistake . He was smart. Smart enough he thought to do all the simple calculations in his head rather than on paper or wood and then double check twice using two differing methods.
This was about lengths of table rails not what you are showing . The sum there was table length - overhangs - leg thicknesses + tenons. I have a favorite KISS way of laying it out all can be seen and checked. Then I double check with different methods.

Im going on about something your not having a problem with but its the start of the usual workshop discussion Ive had many times about Making stuff. Actually it starts with the drawing then the calcs then cutting list then the parts laid out and the all important marking out .

There's a method for marking out which is tought and has to be KISS. Lots off letters and double marking when its not necessary and all that is not the go . One marking area per part if possible and never leave a mistake drawn on it . Remove it is a golden rule.

First is the legs just at the top . The circle at top after your decision about whats facing out and in . Then a way of knowing front from back . . Same at the front of the short rails or drawer sides tops like third drawing.
And long horizontals get the face edge mark like bottom of no 3 drawing. With a F/ Top , F/Mid or F/Bott added or Back /T /M or/B .
Importantly all marks are drawn on pieces so they face up at you as they should sit in the assembled cabinet if you were standing facing it .
As KISS as possible and the least amount of markings the safer we all are . That, and a practice dry run is a good idea too .

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The "What " moment LOL . I see a Mortise up the back rhs and one at the front lhs , and was the mid horizontal rail supposed to go in at the same time ? Look like it should have.
That can be fitted in later with a two part rail and a long splice join . They hold well if long enough . I do it on chair repair sometimes where there is no way the rest of the solid chair is coming apart and a rail or stretcher needs replacing . Or where I have the same "What" moments.


Rob

Thanks for your comments Rob. Thanks for taking the time to explain your layout method. I have been using a line going to a corner for orientation, but as I discovered with an earlier project, it doesn't help when you forget if the lines should point in or out! The circle is far better. My marking out is definitely the area that led me astray.

My post analysis has me thinking that it all goes back to when I put the mid mortices in, ended up with the a mortice in the wrong leg. So then had to switch two legs, and didn't erase now wrong markings well enough. This led to one leg having the draw bore holes offset against the outside instead of the inside of the leg, which I thought I would correct by using it elsewhere.... It was just a cascade of trying to fix previous errors, erroneously. So my take away is to use better layout markings (I'll take your system), and if I get in a muddle, STOP and figure everything out once and for all. And if required, put aside a part and make it again.

In the end, I don't think there was any configuration in which the whole thing was going to fit together as planned, but I have managed to work around all of my issues. You're correct about my "what" moment. The right back leg should be in the left back. in my last photo you can see a ladder on the side of the frame. That was so that I could climb up and see the markings on the legs to figure out what I had done. The mid rail gets pinned onto the back of vertical, as it may need to move.

This is an experimental piece made with construction grade Tasmanian Oak which will serve as my wife's bee keeping cabinet and work bench. Now that it's at this stage, it almost looks too good to leave in the shed!

Originally Posted by LanceC

This is an experimental piece made with construction grade Tasmanian Oak which will serve as my wife's bee keeping cabinet and work bench. Now that it's at this stage, it almost looks too good to leave in the shed!

It'll be a nice looking sturdy Shed piece . Great way to go as well . Making pieces that get used and you can go back and study for ideas to make the next one better.

Its a funny thing seeing mistakes in Old stuff . They didn't always fix it . Some are left in place . I have a picture somewhere of an old piece which has a part installed the wrong way up . Ill show if I can get a pic.

You see Mortises facing out or to a side sometimes . Cut on the wrong side of a leg then patched up and polished.

The third picture I put up has horizontal rails marked as 1 L&R and 2 L&R. I used a drawing I was going to put up in another thread that was talking about how to mark out when doing two matching pieces of furniture and keeping track of it. Fuzzie's bed side table thread . I got side tracked and never used it .

Rob, It must be really interesting to see pull old pieces pulled apart, with some of the techniques and remedies.

As for repairs, there are plenty on this one. I like to see every mistake and subsequent repair is a learning experience, and hopefully will not make the same mistake again, doubtful as it may be.

Here are a couple from this project:

Patching the errant mortice. Perhaps it's a good thing I don't have a fire place in the shed, as I had all my scraps and offcuts still available. I thought I was so careful with the plug, but alas, there are tiny gaps left above and below. I may rub in some beeswax and hope they disappear when finished.

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Filling in some tenons that ended up being cut not quite tall enough. They are as good as invisible.

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Oh, and here's a photo of the unit with the front horizontal rail installed, just to make up the picture.
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Yesterday evening I managed to get a little time in the shed and now the doors are just waiting for a final clean-up before installing plywood panels. I decided that while I'm on a role with draw boring, I'll keep at it, so I have a jar of pins ready to go. The doors also highlighted an error in my process in that I cut down the tenons to final width (long way), and only afterwards realised that I would no longer be able to use haunches to fill the ploughed groove. Fortunately I was able to use the mortices as start and end stops, and my little plane mostly cut the whole thing to depth, only needing to come from the other side to clean up the very end of what was the the initial start end.

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It's good for this to keep moving and enjoy the progress.