mortice in end-grain

[Chris Richmond - MD6-FDC ~]

Hi Folks,

I've got a broken piano bench from a friend that has been broken. The existing joinery is dowled butt joints between the legs and rails. Its a pair of those joints that broke so that I have a 3 sided frame and a pair of legs with the long rail between them. I was planning on morticing both the legs and the ends of the short rails, but I can figure out a good way to mortice the ends of the short rails. Any ideas? Any better ideas for putting this back together? Its not unreasonable to completely replace the rails so I can make proper tennons, but I'd have a tough time matching the wood. Hey, how about making veneers from the existing rails to put over the replacements??? Maybe that's the ticket!

thx, Chris

[Juergen Hannappel]

Maybe with a cast you poor friend will heal in due time.

[George]

Loose tenons. Sort of a bigass dowel

[Chris Richmond - MD6-FDC ~]

That's sort-of what I had in mind, but don't have a good way to hold and hollow the ends of the rails.

Chris

[Chris Richmond - MD6-FDC ~]

You're killing me. Cut a guy some slack when his caffine hasn't kicked in.

Chris

[Joe]

Hi Chris I did something similar recently with and old chair we had been using for a step ladder for a few years. It was pretty beat up. Some of the dowels were broken, some just loose.

Well I cut the dowels off somewhat flush , center-punched them (as in metalwork), and drilled them out using a drill a bit smaller than the dowel size. The smaller drill bit was used because it's difficult to drill straight with a hand drill. Anything remaining can be chipped out if necessary.

New dowels, glue, clamps; and it's not too bad. It is hard to get things aligned well doing it this way. Good luck.

Joe

PS: Sorry 'bout your friends broken butt joints, maybe gorilla glue will help. I don't know.

[Preston Andreas]

Plunge router and a mortising jig. I use one as shown in "Beds", by Jeff Miller. Very simple. Also, the jig can easily do compound angle mortises. The book also has a simple tenoning jig for a plunge router. I have the Powermatic mortising machine and now do most of my mortise and tenons with a router.

Preston

[George]

Jig clamped to the face with a groove for a bushing over the end. They're not too difficult to make, and are reusable for future loose tenons. Take a look, I know the Router Guys have diagrams.

[gandalf]

---------------- One of these toys will do it:

easy to use (must be, I can use it) and the only problem I had was with over-tight joints. It's a damn fine gadget and makes a joint that aint ever coming apart.

[Chris Richmond - MD6-FDC ~]

Thanks guys! I knew about most of the suggestions, but due to CRS, I couldn't recall them. Thanks!

Chris

[Gary]

Yep, that's exactly where butt joints should be.

Gary

[J T]

Tue, Jul 27, 2004, 3:15pm (EDT+4) [e-mail] (Chris=A0Richmond=A0-=A0MD6-FDC=A0~) chants: Hi Folks, =A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0I've got a broken piano bench from a friend that has been broken. The existing joinery is dowled butt joints between the legs and rails.

Your friend has been broken. Maybe it was from the doweled butt joints. I've heard of them being duct taped, or crazy glued, but never doweled.

As for the bench, if it's an antique, best take it to someone that won't totally ruin its value. If it's not an antique, probably won't matter what you do to it. Hmm, you could alway box the legs on the inside, with plywood, then stain, or paint it. That would be interesting. Could even make it with drawers, or doors.

JOAT Expensive tennis shoes won't cure a sore toe.

- Bazooka Joe JERUSALEM RIDGE

[George]

You need to visit San Francisco....

Your friend has been broken. Maybe it was from the doweled butt joints. I've heard of them being duct taped, or crazy glued, but never doweled.

[J T]

Wed, Jul 28, 2004, 6:53am george@least (George) wildly claims: You need to visit San Francisco....

I do not have any need, wish, desire, to visit San Francisco - or surrounding areas - in this lifetime; or, hopefully, any other.

JOAT Expensive tennis shoes won't cure a sore toe.

- Bazooka Joe JERUSALEM RIDGE

[charlie b]

DIY jig - if you've got a plunge router with a fence. Jig will come in handy for all kinds of loose tenon joints later. All one line

b

[bridger]

San Francisco's a great city. lots of old buildings with really nice woodwork in them. I have had the opportunity to work there a few times and enjoyed being there. I wouldn't want to live there- too much of a rat race.

[CW]

BeadLock.