Beginner - Mortise and Tenon

sm7 · 30 Sep 2013

So I've been practicing cutting mortise and tenon joints for a couple of days after deciding I wanted to start getting into woodworking. People who have read my previous posts will know that I am only using basic hand tools which have been borrowed, so I have no router or other power tools and also have absolutely NO previous experience... anyway...

I've really enjoyed trying, getting my hands on the wood and messing on chiseling and sawing away. However I have been pretty unsuccessful and so after checking and rechecking what I was doing using videos on youtube, I chalked this down to being a beginner and persevered. However, It occurred to me today that the reason I keep splitting the wood may be because I'm trying to put the mortise in the end grain. Is this my downfall? I tried to put a mortise into the side of the wood and SUCCESS! A decent mortise. Now this may seem foolish and stupid to many of you experienced hands, but this very simple thing was never mentioned in any video or set of instructions that I have seen!

So, have I been making a rookie error for the past two days in that a mortise should usually only be cut into the side of the panel, or am I still just doing something wrong?

Thanks.

Myfordman · 30 Sep 2013

Your analysis is spot on. Whist online guides might not have explicitly mentioned it but I bet they never showed a mortise in end grain.

All part of the learning process and I bet you will remember this for the rest of your natural!

Good luck with your woodwork.

MM

sm7 · 30 Sep 2013

They didn't, you're right! Haha.

I assumed that the only reason they used the side was because it was longer, whereas I was cutting pretty small cuts of maybe 2" from a 4" wide plank so the end grain was the longest side and I assumed that this wouldn't matter...until I split my first 6/7 cuts haha.

Thanks a lot for the reply!

Woodcrafts · 30 Sep 2013

It is usual to cut the mortise across the grain rather than into endgrain, and the tenon with the grain. I admire your perserverance in cutting endgrain mortises - not easy with hand tools alone.
Having said that, I can envisage certain (rare and specific) circumstances where mortises in endgrain might be appropriate, but would use a router or domino to cut them.
Enjoy working with wood.

Steve Maskery · 30 Sep 2013

Traditionally, the tenon is cut onto the end of a rail and the mortice is cut into the edge of the rail.
There is a popular modern technique where mortices are cut into both parts - the edge of the stile but also into the end of the rail. So you have two matching mortices. A loose (loose as in separate, not loose as in sloppy) tenon is then fitted half into each. If you have seen the Festool Domino machine, this is power-tool way to do it - it does it very well and very quickly, but it is an expensive tool for a hobbyist. But you can do the same with a router and a couple of jigs.

BTW, the word panel is usually reserved for the piece in the middle of the frame. It is surrounded by the top rail, the right-hand stile, the bottom rail and the left-hand stile.

Does that help?
S

sm7 · 30 Sep 2013

Brilliant, Thank you so much for the replies! And for the terminology!

I had a search before posting this on whether mortises can only be put along the grain and didn't find anything, but I did find something about putting mortises in the end grain but that required a router or other power tools so I am glad that has been clarified.

What is the term for sides of a cut of wood then? There is the end grain, the face and... the sides?

Thanks.