A few notes from this little project.

After years of chopping leg mortises, I came up with a new "plan" to try with this table.    Now, I have tried the Router & Jig route, and still have the jig.   I would still have to clean up the mortise it left, as I have yet to find a router bit that leaves a square hole. 

  Tried the Drill press route.    Bit would try to follow  the leg's grain.   After the drilling, I would still have to clean things up with a chisel or two.   Took too long. Same problem with a square hole.   Don't have the $$$ for a powered Mortiser.  So,  I mark out for a mortise that goes to the end of the leg.   A coping saw makes two kerf cuts to define where the sides are. I chop a small square hole at the bottom of the mortise.  I take the same chisel, poke it into the top edge, and a whack or two pops the waste out.  Usually takes two such "Poppins".   Then i can just pare until a decent fit happens.   Might take 10 minutes per mortise.   Counting test fits.

Corner blocks:   I started using these a few years back.   I was looking for a way to strengthen the corners of the tables I made.  Norm Abram show the use of these little blocks one day.   Been using them ever since.   They are nice in that you can screw & glue them in place.    You can add a slotted hole, to attach the top.   Just drill straight through the middle area of the corner block, after it is installed.   Start leaning the drill front and back, until a slot appears.   Install the top's screw near the center of the slot.  Top can still move with the seasons. 

Old Boards:  About like Old Broads, no two are alike.   Thicknesses are always different.   Nails HAVE to be found.  Sometimes, i find them when sawing them.   Sparks mark the spot.  On these old Oak boards, finding a nail was easy, just look for a black area.   The Tannin in the wood turns iron based metal Black!   Also the wood around the nail turn the same colour.  If the nail goes all the way through, just send it the rest of the way.   Usually a hammer driven pin punch will do  the job.    Ones that don't?   Well  a Cat's paw will get them started back out.   On the stubborn ones, a small pair of Visegrips clamped to the nail's shank ( most stubborn nails loose their heads) and a claw hammer to pry on the visegrips.    Longer nails,  just grab again until the nail is out. 

Beveling a Top's edge, with a plane:    Start with the end grain, just you would with a router.    Do both ends first, clean up with a block plane until smooth.  End Grain bevel, I used a #3 smooth plane.    I just held the plane at the angle I wanted for the bevel,  and just planed until I got the bevel close.   A few trips with the #18 Block plane.    On the long sides, a longer plane can be used.  less "dippity-dos" that way.  I think I used either a #5, or a #6 plane.    I still finished it off with the block plane.  If one has curved areas, that becomes the job of a couple rasps.    I have a couple old "4-in-hand"  rasps, if needed.   just work the edge to match the rest. 

Well, that is the "Cliff's Notes" for now.  If you have any other questions, feel free to ask them. 

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Planer? I'm the 'planer', and these are what I use...

Tapered  legs:   Some people build jigs for their table saw to do this.    Others use a bandsaw.    Still others try a jointer.   Myself?   Just a few handplanes

I started by laying out the taper on the leg.  Just a nice DARK line I could see.     Starting down near the foot, and working my way back up the leg.   Keeping an eye on the line.   Get down to the  edge of the line, and take a final pass to smooth out the taper.   No sanding needed.   Rotate the  leg and repeat.    Might take 15 minutes, with a decent, sharp plane, to do a leg tapered on two faces. 

Tenon works:   i lay out where they go, again with a nice dark line.  I then saw down to the depth I need, at the shoulder.  I then grab a chisel, the wider the better.   A couple whacks to pop off the waste, and then pare the tenon smooth.   Rotate to the other face, and repeat.    Rotate to do the next area.    Learned this trick from Roy Underhill.    Chisel the waste off, instead of sawing it.    Seems to work fairly good. 

If you need more "Notes"  let me know..

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Planer? I'm the 'planer', and these are what I use...

A coping saw makes two kerf cuts to define where the sides are.

This is a mortise right? a stopped   rectangular hole that does not exit the piece from any side?

How do you get a coping saw do do this?  Got Pics?

I am a big fan of the loose tenon. Don't use anything else. I make them up using my planer, I can shape the edges to fit the radii of the mortise my mortiser cuts.  My mortiser is a shop built machine  made  using a cheap X-Y  milling table like Grizzly sells and a heavy gauge angle iron frame to hold my router.  I can work to within 0.005" repeatably with ease.

 As requestedThe cutThe ChopPop out the wasteTest for fitrotate and repeat.    I also used just a chisel on two jointsAnd a coping saw and chisel for the other halfCoping saw saws straight down, that chisel lying there comes in at an angle.    Result?A Dovetail to hold the stretcher.   Needed a matching one on  the other endThese are sitting there, without any glue used.

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Planer? I'm the 'planer', and these are what I use...

Nice and quick, Steve. I've watched Underhill and a few others do this and am amazed at how fast it actually is. 

In the time it takes to chop a mortise, I'm still setting up my machine. 

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Gene
'The true soldier fights not because he hates what is in front of him, but because he loves what is behind him.' G. K. Chesterton

steven newman said:

 As requested...

Pretty cool!

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John Moody
Site Administrator


John Moody Woodworks
http://www.johnmoodywoodworks.com

Nice Steve!!!! The neanderthal at work, and I love it!!!

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John Morris
The Patriot Woodworker
Proud Supporter of Homes For Our Troops and Wounded Warriors Project