I’ve now completed my first mortise and tenon joints. I’ve also put together my first glue-up panels for the nightstand top and bottom shelf. I had a few problems with the mortiser which were easily fixed with some sharp hand chisels. The tenons were fairly easy with the help of a tenoning jig. (I decided to layout each tenon individually to match the mortise it was going in. If I could produce consistent mortises then I think I could batch cut all of the tenons which would make the process a lot quicker.) The glue-ups were fairly straightforward. Some boards, a jointer, a bisuit joiner and plenty of glue. Notice that the edges of the rightmost board in the larger glueup. After getting everything together and laying in the clamps, I realized that one of my joints had shifted. It was too late. The glue had set a bit (and the biscuits had probably swelled up). The panel was made oversize so I could square it up on the table saw. I’ll still be able to get a 20” x 20” panel out of this.
It’s a nice feeling when you finally do something and realize that it’s not as impossible as it might initially seem.
-- Joshua, Olathe, Kansas
9 comments so far
WayneC
home | projects | blog
6013 posts in 993 days
posted 885 days ago
Very nice Joshua. I’m sure you will be cranking out quite a few more projects in short order.
-- We must guard our enthusiasm as we would our life - James Krenov
Jeff
home | projects | blog
996 posts in 990 days
posted 885 days ago
Quote: “It’s a nice feeling when you finally do something and realize that it’s not as impossible as it might initially seem.”
I agree! Does wonders for your confidence the next time you start something. Congrats on the progress. Looking forward to more.
-- Jeff, St. Paul, MN
MsDebbieP
home | projects | blog
14160 posts in 1057 days
posted 885 days ago
Bravo.
Confidence comes from experience.
Experience comes from taking risks.
Risks comes from.. ah… ah… confidence?? lol
Well done and looking good
-- ~ Debbie, Canada (http://www.execulink.com/~yohan)
Bob Babcock
home | projects | blog
1808 posts in 982 days
posted 885 days ago
Great job!
I couldn’t agree with you more. It’s amazing how it feels the 1st time you do something succesfully….Hey! I did it! ....HEY! I DID IT!!!,,,,,Cool.
Lol….words of wisdom from Deb as usual….all life needs is a kick start!
-- Bob, Carver Massachusetts, Sawdust Maker http://www.capecodbaychallenge.org
mot
home | projects | blog
4903 posts in 932 days
posted 884 days ago
Nice job! Don’t worry about panels. Always make them oversize, then you don’t have the get hung up on aligning the glueup. Really a nice job! There are a couple of different schools of thought, but I like to take care of glue squeeze out with a damp sponge right away. I know others like to scrape it when it just sets. Others don’t mind planing or sanding it off.
-- You can discover more about a person in an hour of play than in a year of conversation. (Plato)
jstewart
home | projects | blog
141 posts in 987 days
posted 884 days ago
I tried to get a damp cloth on it quickly, but could only get one side of the panel in time. What you’re seeing on the small panel is the under side. By the time I got done wiping the squeeze out off of the top side, the bottom side had setup just enough that wiping it off seemed to cause more harm than good. I have to sand everything smooth anyway, so I’ll start out with something gritty enough to get that glue off.
-- Joshua, Olathe, Kansas
Karson
home | projects | blog
25802 posts in 1296 days
posted 884 days ago
Use a carbide bladed paint scraper. They are pretty easy to use.
-- What happens in the workshop stays in the workshop. No wait that doesn't sound right. Karson Southern Delaware karson_morrison@bigfoot.com †
MsDebbieP
home | projects | blog
14160 posts in 1057 days
posted 884 days ago
someone recently was showing that they use baby wipes for wiping off glue…
I think that’s what I remember seeing, anyway.
Who was that?
What was that?
-- ~ Debbie, Canada (http://www.execulink.com/~yohan)
jstewart
home | projects | blog
141 posts in 987 days
posted 864 days ago
Hey Karson, thanks for the tip about using a paint scraper. I got one at the local hardware store. It worked like a charm, except when I got a little too aggressive and gouged the wood a bit. It wasn’t too deep. I was able to sand it out.
-- Joshua, Olathe, Kansas