How to join wooden pieces without glue using a tenon and spacer wedges
There are many ways to join wooden pieces at right angles. Some of them are simple but unreliable, others are difficult to manufacture, and others require additional fasteners. Our connection is characterized by relative ease of manufacture and high reliability and strength, and without the use of glue. Carpenter skills are required to complete it.
Will need
- rectangular wooden blanks;
- wooden wedges;
- marking and measuring tool;
- hacksaw with a blade;
- slotting machine;
- a circular saw;
- clamps;
- plane;
- milling cutter
The process of making joints of wooden blanks
We mark the ends of the workpieces for cutting at 45 degrees with access to one of the outer corners. By moving the square towards the other outer corner of the workpiece, we draw a second line parallel to the first.
We transfer the markings to the narrow side of the workpiece.Using a thickness gauge adjusted to the thickness of the tenon, we draw two lines parallel to the long sides of the workpiece, from the internal transverse marking.
From the narrow side of the workpiece we transfer the markings to the second wide side. If it is done accurately, the line at 45 degrees will reach the outer corner of the workpiece. We also draw two longitudinal lines with a surface planer, setting the width of the future tenon. Shade the areas to be removed.
Using a hacksaw with a backed edge, we make longitudinal cuts across the entire width of the workpiece until the internal markings are made at 45 degrees. We make cuts along a line drawn at 45 degrees, up to the longitudinal cuts. We formed the edge cheeks of the thorn.
Along a 45-degree line facing the outer corner, we make cuts from both sides to cuts from the end of the workpiece and parallel to the wide sides. We got the front cheeks of the thorn. Along with the tenon, we cut out a protrusion that further strengthens the connection.
From the end of the tenon we make two cuts (long and short) for wedges made of hard wood.
On a counter blank with markings corresponding to a blank with a tenon, we make a socket for the tenon on a slotting machine.
We saw off the end of the second workpiece with a socket for a tenon along a line at 45 degrees on a circular saw. We fasten the workpiece with a tenon, sawn off at 45 degrees with the end to the working table of the circular saw, with the overhang of the disk adjusted to the height and width of the protrusion on the workpiece with a tenon, and make a through groove.
We connect the blanks with their ends at 45 degrees with light blows of a mallet, securing the blank vertically with the socket, and the other with the tenon, placing it horizontally.
We insert wedges into the cuts at the ends of the tenon, tap them until they fit tightly, cut off the ends, trim them with a plane and even mill them.
We use the connection for its intended purpose.
