Here we go again. Tusks are on a stretcher and require extra length to stick out the other side, on both ends! I was just going to use legs attached to some supports under the shelf boards. Now it looks like another trip to the sawmill is in order, teach me to buy just enough!!

But, on the other hand, my out-of-sight support boards are cedar and could be made into stretchers with tusks on’em. Just real thin ones…. Hmmm….

Skip

Bob

I have used single M & T’s outside and they do like to work the wood peg backwards out of the hole. A good reason to not have two pegs!

I have always liked the idea of a tusk tenon and plan to use that on my workbench upgrade. Having them outside is a whole new approach for me….. good thing I haven’t settled on my cedar bench design yet!

Thanks again….

Skip

Wood movement is the first thing to consider when building to last. Classic furniture looks the way it does, because of the choices that had to be made to make things work. Modern materials allow for a difference in design. A single draw bore and peg should be fine. a single long mortise can be built with slack for expansion and still be tight in use. The tusked tenon is my favorite for this sort of thing however, especially if you use a tusk that can be compressed a bit.

If you do a multiple joint such as the double bolt shown here or a dovetail however, it is best to match grain to grain. This is one of the reasons you will see dovetails on the sides of a box, but not typically on the bottom.

Bob

Thank you for reminding me of this issue. A quarter inch is certainly enough to split the wood. I need to consider that in the joints for my cedar bench. I guess wood pegs are not appropriate for this useage???/ I really do like drawbored M & T’s…..

Thanks!

Skip