19 Comments

  1. Paul, you make it look so easy!! I still struggle with getting the mortises and tenons to line up and not take too much off when they are a tight fit. But I am improving and after another 50 years mine will look like yours!! 😉

    1. If you’re strange Eddy, I think we all are in the same boat. Since I’ve been working more and more with hand tool, my shop has become a place of calm and refuge. I work from home, and often when I’m taking a break, I’ll go out to the shop and just sit for a while.

  2. I’m enjoying following along on this project, thanks. On this particular joint/assembly I’d be interested in doing a double through-tenon for appearance sake. I’d be interested in seeing your approach to laying out and cutting a double tenon joint accurately. I’ve run into problems with this one personally.

  3. Paul, Im just now flattening my stock, and Im doing the table top right so here’s my question.
    On one end there’s a small knot on the very edge , right at the 66″ mark ,and Im shooting for 72″. The inside of the knot is completely gone so there’s a hole there. Im gona cut that out so no problem with that, but you know how that sometimes around a knot it draws the wood down so there’s about a 3/16″ hollow there about 4″ in diameter. The rest of the board is now flat. so do I cut all the rest of the board down to reach the lowest section of the knot or do I just plane that area ,” Where the knot is “down until the concave is gone and then feather up towards the other end of the board? What would you do in this situation. Thank you. Chris

    1. Hi Christopher. You might want to consider excavating the area and inlaying a plug/patch repair that is slightly proud of the rest of the table top. Then trim it down to match.

      1. I was just getting ready to say this board has worn me slap down to the grizzle. Ive used a #4, 5 1/2, 40 1/2 scrub and a #6 and I dont think I can even lift my arms to pick up another plane. lol seriously though and I still have a country mile to go. I think its time to get another board. “Next Week”, I need to get horizontal for a few days to lick some wounds first. Sheew them craftsman back in the day must have been some real men . My jointer and planer is really calling my name bout now. Cant do it though means i would have to rip the boards down to 8″ min. and glue back up I really dont want to do that. My jointer is only 8″ wide. planer is 15″ but you loose too much wood that way . cant afford that. I have to be doing something wrong. Paul It doesn’t hurt the wood to stand it up on its end for a long time. I think some of my problem is it was stickered for three years and it took the shape of all the weight that was on top creating like waves where the stickers were. Im thinking of not stickering my long stock anymore.

        1. Stickering your wood properly shouldn’t create the “waves” you describe. The stickers should be placed directly over and under each other in the stack about 12 to 18 inches apart.

  4. What a wonderfully informative lesson! I had never considered using that bevel-down chisel technique to prevent tearout on the through mortise. That will certainly help in many projects; not just this one. I would also be interested in a picture of the underside of your wooden base on your Stanley 71. It appears to be an oval cut-out. Is that correct? One last thought: I do not believe I have ever seen a tighter, more perfect mortise and tenon. You inspire us all! And I echo the sentiments of Eddy and Peter: I’ve found that just entering the shop and looking around, planning, and beginning a task brings a feeling of peace, calmness, and well-being that is rare in our world of today.

  5. Paul, I’m curious. I’ve done housed thru tenons like this before, also like the way you show them in the drawer construction of the tool box. What I’m wondering is, is there a reason for this build why you cut your tenon first, then the mortise, then he housing; as opposed to, chopping the mortise, the housing and then marking out the tenon from the actual mortise hole like when you made the drawer? I prefer the later, but wondering if this was just to show different techniques.

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