JOINERIES AND CONSTRUCTION

AMEESHI GOENKA

RESOURCES

• Rodale’s Illustrated Cabinet-making

• The New Best of Fine Woodworking – Furniture making

• Wood Joints in Classical Japanese Architecture

MORTISE AND TENON JOINTS

Advantages-

• Maximize the glue area

• The longer the tenon the stronger

• Reasonably thick mortise

OFFSET TENONS

• The size of the

mortise follows the

size of the tenon.

• The bigger the tenon

the better it would be,

keeping in mind the

mortise walls are not

too thin.

• It has a fourth

shoulder which some

craftsmen consider it

as an additional

benefit.

STEP-1

• Selection of which

joinery to make- tenon

and mortise

• Selection of wood for

joinery- timber

• Size of timber- 100mm X

70mm

• Length of timber-1.5 ft

• Other tools used-

various chisels, hand

saw, circular saw,

hammer and other

machines.

STEP-2

• After the materials were bought, the timber piece was cut into four

equal pieces vertically on the circular saw, hence, maintaining the

length.

• Three pieces were then cleaned and given a smooth finish to avoid

cuts while working. The remaining piece was not to be used.

• To make the tenons, I took two wooden pieces, drew a 5mm offset

(like a box) on the top surface of the wooden pieces and the lines

were extended downwards to a distance of 25mm on every side of

the wood.

• The circular saw and the hand saw was used to cut through the offset

lines, remove 5mm of material, to make the tenons.

• A 45 degree angle was cut through the top surface of the tenons to

one of the sides so that both the pieces would fit perfectly inside the

mortise.

• The tenons were finely cleaned and made smooth to give it a clean

and friendly finish.

• To make the mortise, using another wooden piece, measure the tenon

heads (before making the 45 degree cut) and draw the same, placed

centrally and at least 20mm below the top, on two adjacent sides of

the wooden piece.

• The vertical machine driller was used to make the holes on both sides

of the wooden piece to 25mm depth (not through and through). After

which the chisels and hammer was employed to make precise right

angle cuts for the square tenons to fit perfectly.

• The finishing was done using sand paper.

STEP-3

• To fit the tenons properly into the mortise was a trial and error

procedure. The tenons were rasped and checked to fit the mortise at

least five times before it fit almost perfectly.

THANK YOU