Hi Folks
I've been tinkering with the design of my table again. The corner joint inparticular.
Mike W mentioned that he thought I'd be dovetailing it. but my design calls for clean, uncluttered lines and I think dovetails would be a bit "shouty"!
Originally I was going to mitre the corners and used loose tenons or a double row of biscuits. But as I machine up the raw timber needed for the design I can tell it is going to be a physically heavy piece. The old brain cells started to twitch.........
So I knocked up a test joint last night. What do you think? It goes together well, has a mitre corner but lots of glue area and is a physically tough joint. It can be batch cut on the table saw easily enough, too.
I am going to dovetail in the lower rail under the drawer. Well, it's more a panel than a rail, but with the new corner joint it will tie the piece together strongly. What do you think?
Cheers
Philly
4 comments:
Oh, I assumed Mike meant secret mitred dovetails. I was looking forward to that... ;) "batch cut on the table saw easily enough" - for shame!
I thought Mike meant SMDs too.
Lovely joint, but there's a lot of long-to-end-grain glue area, and short grain on the toungue on the rhs piece. Still, I can talk; when I did something vaguely similar I used biscuits.
Time to refresh yourself on Charlesworth Vol. 1 p. 75 methinks. Just think of the bragging rights.
Alf
My lazy brain automatically censored any thoughts of SMD's.....;)
With 16 joints to cut (times two for each half) and in 50mm by 50mm thick material I wouldn't dream of making them by hand. Not if I wanted it finished this year :)
Nick
You're right, there is short grain in the one half and a wee bit of end grain. That's why I made a test joint to see if it was a waste of time. But I was shocked how rigid it was! I know it has to be at least as strong as a double line of biscuits.
Bragging rights?? Nah, I'll settle for just finishing the project :)
Must be getting old....
Cheers
Phil
While I was thinking of SMDs, I like your solution much better, Phil.
My only pause would be whether to make the joint as shown, seeing the glue lines, make them a design feature by making an 1/8" inlay outlining the joint on the front, or veneering over it.
When it came down to it, I would probably choose the glue lines and try for a most excellent fit.
Can't wait to see the joint actually together!
Take care, Mike
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