Mortise and Tenon Clash

hello,

I am using a mortise and tenon joint to join the sides/ front/back of my table to my legs.

The sides are 150mm wide and 19mm thick.

I was planning on using a 7mm wide mortise with a 50mm long tenon. (hope you can understand what im saying :)

Is a mortise and tenon of 20mm deep enough for this job??? If I go any deeper than 25mm the two tenons (side & front rails) will hit each other.

If it isn't deep enough I can either use a haunched moritse and tenon joint or one tenon at the top of the side rail and one tenon at the bottom of the front rail so that they miss each other.

Hope you can understand what I am saying.

Thanks

You can let the mortises run into each other and then mitre your tenons which will give you another 7mm of glued length . In a rail 150mm 2 tenons would be better (40mm) IMHO
Have fun
Peter

Im not really confident in making a mitred tenon.

I would prefer to either do a normal mortise and tenon (20mm). But if that is not deep enough I would then prefer to do either a haunched mortise and tenon or one set of tenons to the bottom of the front/back rails while the other tenons on the top of the side rails. That way they do not clash.
Is 20mm tenon deep enough for this job or would you recommend one of the other two options? thanks

Why are you making the tenon only 50mm long if the width of the rails is 150??

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Originally Posted by Wood Butcher

Why are you making the tenon only 50mm long if the width of the rails is 150??

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I guess because it is 1/3 of 150mm???

I can always make the length of the tenon longer... I.E. maybe 120mm???

But my real concern is the depth of the mortise.... is 20mm too shallow?

How thick is the table leg?

Quote:

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Originally Posted by echnidna

How thick is the table leg?

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Table leg is 65X65mm

...and my rails need to go in 27mm from the edge of the leg, leaving 19mm on leg in the internal of the table which is required for drawer runners.

I guess because it is 1/3 of 150mm??? Never heard of that logic before

I can always make the length of the tenon longer... I.E. maybe 120mm??? Bloody good idea!

But my real concern is the depth of the mortise.... is 20mm too shallow? Ideally yes it is too shallow, but I have made tables with mortices like that as well. What would be helpful in your case is to put a 45deg brace internally across each corner to stop twisting of the joints.

The 1/3rd rule is supposed to be for the thickness of the rail.
I think 19mm is too thin for the skirt (rail) because you end up with a tenon of only 6 to 7 mm.

6 to 7mm is way too weak for a tenon, you need to use thicker stock, like 30mm so you get a 10mm tenon.

Al :)

Quote:

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Originally Posted by ozwinner

I think 19mm is too thin for the skirt (rail) because you end up with a tenon of only 6 to 7 mm.

Al :)

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that is sorta too late... i have bought the timber :C :doh:

Cant you buy some more timber and laminate them to form 38mm stock, that way you end up with 12mm tenons.

It takes just as long to do a crap job as it does to do a good job.

Al :)

Quote:

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Originally Posted by ozwinner

Cant you buy some more timber and laminate them to form 38mm stock, that way you end up with 12mm tenons.

It takes just as long to do a crap job as it does to do a good job.

Al :)

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Even longer, sometimes.:rolleyes:

Mick

Howdy HSC. Hope you can follow my pic :D If you are using dressed 19mm, then just cut one side on the tenon (5mm waste) so you will have a 120mm x 14mm x 55mm (deep as you call it) on the two long rails of your table and on the two end rails just but it (the tenon) up againsed the other. Then you will have a 120mm x 14mm x 41mm. tenon.

And put a corner block in, and if using PVA (for the corner block) screw it in, and if using epoxy (what i prefer) just nail it:)