M&T marking questions

[Peter Wells]

A couple of questions for the more experienced.

1. If you have shoulders on all four sides of the tenon, two of the layout lines are removed with the first two cuts. Is there any rationale for choosing to cut the sides or cheeks of the tenon first in this situation ?

1. All the books say, in effect, "mark the tenon width from the mortise". OK, but that is a bit of a balancing act, with little guarantee of accuracy. Is there a particular way of doing this that will improve the mark's accuracy ?

MTIA

Only one P in my real address/ Un seul P dans ma véritable adresse

[Mike in Mystic]

OK, but that is

particular way of

If I'm reading you correctly regarding marking the tenon width from the mortise, it sounds like you're trying to use the ACTUAL board with the mortise and hold the board to be tenoned up next to it for marking. Maybe I'm wrong, if so I apologize. But, if this is, indeed, what is giving you trouble, it's no wonder. That would, as you say, be a balancing act.

What the books are referring to, I'm almost 100% sure, is to use the mortise and a mortising or marking gauge. I have quite a few (and I'm definitely not a Neander, but I'm working my way in that direction), but the easiest is the Tite Mark. Basically, you just adjust the marking device (either a pair of knife-style cutters, pin-style cutters, etc.) so that the exact width of the mortise is set, and then use that gauge to mark for the tenons. This is a very accurate process and is definitely a lot easier than hefting boards and trying to hold them or align them for marking.

Hope this helps,

Mike

[Peter Wells]

Thanks, but I'm afraid my question wasn't quite clear: the measurement I'm having trouble with is what I call the width of the tenon: i.e., in a frame, the dimension that is measured along the vertical (is that any clearer ?), the dimension that is not related to the chisel's width and can't be marked with a mortise gauge. I was thinking more particularly of the case of 4-shouldered tenons, or haunched tenons. How do you get the top-to-bottom dimension right ? Is there any way other than measurement ?

(just out of curiosity, are you in Mystic as in Mystic Seaport, or is there another location or meaning ?)

Only one P in my real address/ Un seul P dans ma véritable adresse

[Routerman P. Warner]

If you decide to machine the tenon, marking the work can be avoided altogether. In the picture link,

, the cutter makes the shoulder decision. It'll be constant from stick to stick. A morticing jig can also be designed to accommodate any tenon thickness. (Routers)

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but that is

particular way of