Hillbilly Tansu – It’s good to see a “regular guy” woodworker employing the good old joinery of our predecessors. Mr. Merritt writes a good blog and I particularly appreciate the good illustrations and photos.
I had an easy, slow paced day in the shop. No rush. Just enjoyed my time working wood and making. My goal today was to chop the mortises in the front cross rails and to fit the corresponding post tenons.
I had set out the joinery for these pieces a few days ago and was able to jump right in with chopping the mortises. The main mortise is a standard thru mortise. There is a mortise that intersects with it perpendicularly. That mortise is reduced two thirds of the way thru to a square profile. Its this intersection that must be given attention. I can’t just chop one mortise and then the other. If I do so when the second mortise meets the hollow of the first there is the potential for spelching (breakout) of the unsupported fibers. In the past I have inserted a scrap block into the first mortise…
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Preindustrial Craftsmanship 