orientation for wedges.

[mickthetree]

I've nearly finished another small bench, this one is for my niece. These are proving popular!

The tenons are nice and tight but I plan on using wedges on them. Trouble is I'm not sure which direction they are supposed to go!

I planned on aligning them with the grain on the main seat.

then I got to thinking that this will increase the force going with the grain. Now I know its not going to split this thick piece of oak, but wondered if there is a standard practise here? Should wedges always go at 90 degrees to the grain direction of the board they go into?

 

[Steve Maskery]

Nice

The wedges should go across the grain of the main seat, to avoid the splitting you fear.
Cheers
Steve

 

[mickthetree]

dang it!!! I knew I should have waited for someone to reply.

Already cut the slopes on the sides of the mortices now.

Well the top is seriously thick so in this case I dont think its going to cause it to break, but I knew I should have followed my instincts.

Cheers Steve!

 

[OPJ]

Could you not fill those slopes with more wedges, before you glue it all up? As you've chopped them going with the grain, they should be a bit easier to repair. :wink:

If you've already cut slots in your tenons then you could fill them with some veneer-thickness stuff before recutting them the right way. I did this not long ago and it was almost unnoticable (you'd have to look very closely) in end-grain oak.

 

[nicewood]

Since you have cut the openings now you could probably wedge the tennons both ways, the top is so thick its not going to split

 

[nicewood]

Since you have cut the openings now you could probably wedge the tennons both ways, the top is so thick its not going to split

By the way you have done a good job cutting the mortices very neat