What is the general rule for fitting the height of the tenon on a table apron? Since this is a cross grain situation how much room is usually left at the top and bottom of the tenon to account for expansion and contraction?
I've never heard anyone suggesting it needs to be considered. Since most aprons are 3 or 4 inches and the tenon is something less than that, the amount of expansion shouldn't be a problem.
Additionally, some folks offset the tenon from the the top creating a bigger shoulder on the upper portion to leave some strength in the upper portion of the leg vs having a mortise all the way up near the top.
I've never had a table break and I typically try to keep keep them pretty tight. I'd also like to hear if someone has learned or heard differently.
On large tendons, leave a little room at the bottom of the mortise for expansion and glue only the top third. The size of the gap depends on the wood and its expansion rate. Tendons of 4 inches or less probably don't need to account for the expansion.
Alternately, divide the tendon into multiple smaller ones with matching mortises.
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