Comments on: Chair Joinery: Tapered Tenons & Tapered Mortises

By: jyane

jyane — Wed, 16 May 2012 20:46:36 +0000

When I first thought of tapered mortise and tenon, I pictured joinery similar to those standard rectangular shapes, but wider at the top and narrower at the bottom. Sit on the seat of this chair while the glue is curing.

I’ve never seen such a joint; have you?

By: TCBound

TCBound — Sat, 12 May 2012 19:08:17 +0000

Having been making windsor chairs for years, I know I’m going to be turning the legs, stretchers and stub spindles during the process, so why not just turn the tenons at that time. But, in the case of other chairs using unturned stretchers or posts (Welsh stick chairs, for example), the tenon cutter would be a boon.
I’ve used traditional spoon bits and tapered reamers and fully agree that the sharpening is problematic, so this reamer with its separate blade would be a way around the cussing and fuming when the “sharpening” job is less than stellar on my spoon type tapered reamer. (I do think my reamer has a sharper angle and much smaller point, though.)
As to the tenon cutter going off-center; on my chairs over the years, I’ve noticed that the tenons and mortises rarely are a perfect fit, but add the wedges and I have yet to have one come apart…without some serious “help”!

By: garycruce

garycruce — Fri, 11 May 2012 17:41:06 +0000

I’ve used the same tenon cutters for several years as well. I agree they need a handle and made one myself, although there isn’t an easy way to attach to the little buggers. I usually clamp the tenoner into a vise and hold and turn the leg (like sharpening a big pencil) – I find I can keep the tenon aligned with the axis of the leg easier. Once I have a good start (and my forarms are burning) I switch to turning the tenoner as you showed in your video.

I use the less expensive reamer from Lee Valley and like it well but my choice of it over the full meal deal you have was driven by my desire to chuck it into my drill press (it has a hex shaft). I know it is not an advise move but frankly I find the macho boring and reaming by eye method of making windsor chairs a bit much for me and prefer the consistency I get out of my home made tilt table on my drill press. I do run the reamer as slow as possible, and feed it slowly, it gets hot quick.

By: jason.weaver

jason.weaver — Fri, 11 May 2012 15:38:50 +0000

Looking at the cutters it seems that the mortise would be cut in the same direction as the tenon — a cone-shaped hole, to receive a cone-shaped piece, but the diagram on Lee Valley’s site almost looks like the mortise is done from the top of the piece so that the tenon can be wedged.

Am I seeing that right? If so, I assume that you can use them either way – in the same direction for the rails, and coming in from the top for wedged mortises in the seat.

By: Julian

Julian — Fri, 11 May 2012 15:26:41 +0000

Wow, was that trick photography? I was amazed at how cleanly and quickly that spoke cutter worked. I may have to buy me one of those cutters. I’ll add it to my collection of tools that I really don’t need but just want. I hope you post more about the chairs your building.

By: jlebans

jlebans — Fri, 11 May 2012 14:22:11 +0000

Reamers are among the arcane religious tools of chairmaking, it seems (a list that includes spoon bits, scorps, travishers, compass planes and all sorts of good stuff). I like the Veritas reamer as well, for the same reasons you point out. But the angle is a bit shallow, and its thick, blunt point means small tapered mortises (like in a Windsor arm) can be a bit tricky. Wooden ones, like Elia Bizzarri sells can have a longer taper, can be sharpened as well, and you can choose any angle you like.

I found the tenon cutter, however, to have one weakness over turning tenons on the lathe. If you’re not very careful with the tool you can cut the taper off-centre, and thus off-angle. This can ruin a leg, and your whole day.