Help mortise and tenon problem

[tiredofspam]

I banged out some thru mortises this past winter for a new work bench. I was going to use wedges to complete them, but I haven't cut the angle in the mortise yet.

Anyway, I had dry assembled them together and now that summer is here I can't get them apart. I have brought the assembly into my air conditioned space hoping it will dry out wood and shrink it back to winter conditions, but I'll bet that won't work. Anyone got any ideas how I can them them apart. I have tried banging the hell out of them, spreading them with clamps... nothing.

[basilisk]

Congratulations on the well made joints, drying is about the only option, if they don't respond to reasonable force.

Cover with a tarpaulin and put an electric space heater under them for a week or so and it should loosen the up.

Be careful what you cover them with and be aware of firehazard with the space heater.

basilisk

[SonomaProducts.com]

Yup, you need to build a kiln of sorts.

Classic build method of Windsor chairs is to dry the round tennons in the oven and then bangthem in place and once the suck back up some moisture you are done.

You could just add some healthy pins and be done.

[basilisk]

It is going to be the tenon edges that have it locked up, it might be possible to insert a narrowed bladed multi tool into the edges of the tenon and free the joints up.

basilisk

[RP]

Nice job on the tight joints! Have you tried Momma's blow dryer, scrap wood and a post maul? Where there's a will, there's a way. Can you wait 'til next winter?

RP

[dadiOH]

Hair dryer?

[Larry Jaques]

On Tue, 20 Jul 2010 07:21:36 -0400, "dadiOH" wrote the following:

Air conditioner: Removes the moisture which allows the swelling to go down in the tenon.

-- Exercise ferments the humors, casts them into their proper channels, throws off redundancies, and helps nature in those secret distributions, without which the body cannot subsist in its vigor, nor the soul act with cheerfulness. -- Joseph Addison, The Spectator, July 12, 1711

[tiredofspam]

I've had it in the Air conditioned air for 3 days. I'll keep a week or

1. The idea of heat> On Tue, 20 Jul 2010 07:21:36 -0400, "dadiOH"

[dadiOH]

Drat. Now my wife has to stop using her clothes dryer.

[Larry Jaques]

On Wed, 21 Jul 2010 07:27:23 -0400, "dadiOH" wrote the following:

Those parts might be dehumidified in a large vacuum bag, like they use for veneering. Suck it down into a vacuum and the moisture evaporates and is sucked out.

-- Exercise ferments the humors, casts them into their proper channels, throws off redundancies, and helps nature in those secret distributions, without which the body cannot subsist in its vigor, nor the soul act with cheerfulness. -- Joseph Addison, The Spectator, July 12, 1711

[tiredofspam]

Thats a great idea since the air conditioning failed to free it up.

I don't have a big enough bag, but do have a medical grade vacuum that I bought many years ago. Guess I'll have to make a bag. Thanks.

BTW I guess I can then stick it > On Wed, 21 Jul 2010 07:27:23 -0400, "dadiOH"