Hi Steve. I always Frank my sashes. It gives a longer baring surface for the wedge to sit against, and contrary to what others may say, every old window I have examined, including many examples in the Brooking collection, are done this way. In my workshop, I remove the portion of the franking on the mortiser, but when doing it by hand, I would use a firmer chisel and mallet after cutting the majority away with a tenon saw.
The plot thickens!
Looks to be a tenoner.
It's a single end tenoner. Funnily enough, even though I can't remember the manufacturer's name, I've recently used the same model for tenoning scaled down window frames in a teaching situation. Some of the apprentices picked up on how to set up and use the machine quicker than others. Slainte.
Presumably the work piece is set to stops rather than using marks as per the bench joinery hand tool way?
I think that a lot of this discussion goes to show that you shouldn't believe everything you read in books.
I think it prudent at times to look into the background of some authors. Paul H Hasluck, for example seems to fit the profile more of a journalist and editor than a skilled tradesman. Judging by the sheer variety of technical subjects he wrote about he couldn't possibly have had hands on experience in all of them.
Just reading "Notes on Building Construction" 1899 - "New edition, Revised"
"Franking" gets a mention but only about the glazing bar crossover joint. It's not clear what part of it is the actual franking but have to say it's much the same as I do, though the simplest variant. I've been a bit of a franker all along!
It talks about "superior" work and "very good" work where a dowel is inserted joining the stub tenons at the cross over, which I've seen but never tried to copy. A bit OTT IMHO.
I'd class my work, and in fact most of the old stuff I've looked at over the years as "just good enough" work!
I guess they all rework earlier writings, they'd have to, from the first - Nicholson being a rewrite of Moxon, with amendments, and so on.I think it prudent at times to look into the background of some authors. Paul H Hasluck, for example seems to fit the profile more of a journalist and editor than a skilled tradesman. Judging by the sheer variety of technical subjects he wrote about he couldn't possibly have had hands on experience in all of them.
I have to hand it to him though. the guy was prolific. From Gas fitting and Carpentry to Leatherwork and Beekeeping.
I'd keep it to yourself if I were you, they are very touchy around here!Interesting thread! I had to make a house full (mine) of sash windows, and not having a morticer, tenoner, or the inclination to accurately cut 64 haunched tenons joints by hand (in Accoya which as you know is quite brittle).....I used a Domino which 5 years on is so far looking perfectly good....I'll get my coat
I've remembered that the machine was a Sedgewick. As to cutting the joints, it's basically a case of cutting all parts of the same profile to length on a radial arm saw, chop saw, or similar: for example cut the top and bottom rails of a light (sash) to the same required length. Then have one or two joints on a spare piece, ideally, marked out, followed by setting the machine to cut the tenon precisely to thickness, at the right distance in from both faces, and to the shoulder line(s) controlled by a depth stop. [Note. Long and short shouldered tenons can be done by moving one head horizontally.] A third head, which I never used on that machine as the cutters weren't available could be set to cut scribed shoulders. Anyway, once set up with a piece of scrap at the back of each part being tenoned to prevent spelch or break out it was just a case of push the piece up to the stop, lock in place and run the cut, flip the rail around horizontally 180º, and repeat. Best overall I think is to do the joinery first then do the mouldings, e.g., ovolo, rebate, that sort of thing as that reduces the amount of creativity needed to make up bits of backer material to reduce or eliminate break out. However, it can be a good idea to include the mouldings in the spare piece used to set up the tenoner. That way you've got a sample that can be used to ensure the actual parts have profiles that match the sample. Slainte.
I spent some time the other day trying to make an inverse-ovolo moulding piece so I could clamp it to my right jamb so as not to wreck the joint with breakout. Notes made!
But why would you bother?
Work the joints as far as you can in the square, then apply mouldings and rebates.
Single ended, three head tenoner, scribe head at the far end in this case:
Yes, I have one and I used it on the frame of the window I’m making. Unfortunately it doesn’t quite match the ovolo planes I have, but i wanted to try it. It took seconds to cut the scribe. All I had to do was clamp a bit of scrap on to prevent breakout.
