trouble with mortis & tenon joints

hmmmmmm.

I am with you on the no jointer….sigh {-(

I created a set of shutters without a jointer (check my projects, I did not write a blog yet … :-) and I was very concerned about exactly what you described – what about the bowing…

I cut my morts on my router table too.

Anyway, how is your fence set up relative to your blade? You have to realize that the board is going to take the path of least resistance through that valley between your blade and your fence.

Have you checked the front (leading edge) and back (following edge) of the blade against the fence?

-- John

Just keep working at it. This is a sandpaper storage thing. Cut 2 or 3 thousand mortise and tenon joints, maybe less. Somewhere it will click. All of a sudden, it will be easy, everything looks good, all the bugs are worked out, and it will be fine. I would look at how you cut your tenons and if your saw is tuned to cut them right. If they’re not through tenons, use good glue and clamp it good. Hide your mistakes in the back of your cabinet till you can get it right. No one will ever know. As always, bbqKing.

-- bbqKing, Lawrenceville

If I follow your question correctly, either the mortise or the tenon is not centered. I am guessing it is the mortise.

I always cut my mortise first. While cutting it I flip the board referencing the cut from one side first then the other side. That makes the mortise perfectly on center. Then I adjust the tenon width to fit the mortise. You didn’t say how you cut the tenon.

HTH

-- Scott - Chico California http://chicowoodnut.home.comcast.net

The other thing to remember is when you rip the stiles, you need to watch the fence so that the piece is tight against the fence and not leaving the fence – thats one place where bowing creeps in.

-- John

I’ll try and snap a few photos this weekend. I really think it is the bow in the boards, but maybe it really is my lack of practice. If I can get some pics, I’ll post them up to see if I can better illustrate my problem.