Bridle Joint : Advice Request

[Fitzroy]

Morning all,

Bit of a query, i'm building shed windows using bridle joints (well they're the joints i think i'm making). My process is to mark out the joints using knife lines, then saw as close as I dare to to the lines, then pare back to the lines. For the mortises I cut out the waste with a coping saw. Paring back to the knife lines with the grain is fine, but paring back to the lines on the end grain seems to collapse the wood, see last image. I've improved the situation by getting my chisels good and sharp and paring back with very thin parings but it means that progress is sloooooow. Am i missing something, does the collapse matter, is there a better way?

Thanks

Fitz

 

[DTR]

What am I missing? Looks ok to me :?

 

[Racers]

The softer the wood the sharper the blade needs to be.
Pine is tricky the difference in hardness between the late and early wood is very high, so a chisel sharp enough to cut one is going to tear the softer wood.
Saying that it looks acceptable to me, its only a window frame not an exposed joint, a nice looking one if I might say.

Pete

 

[Fitzroy]

Thanks guys, the knowledge that this looks ok seems to be what i was missing.

Indeed it's only a window frame but i'm new to this woodworking malarkey and i'm trying to work to principal of making everything as fine as I can. Appreciate that this means everything takes more time but these first projects will undoubtedly set the tenor for the future, and I want to set myself off in the best direction I can.

I do however have 15 more of these joints to make and I can't afford to take two hours to cut each of them.

F.

 

[Racers]

Some times you need paring chisel, some times you need an axe....


Pete