Corner joint question

Rob Keeble

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Location
GTA Ontario Canada
I am in the process of preparing lumber to make a top for our outdoor table.

Decided i will use the wood i have on hand, story for a different post.

So this morning i am checking on the joints i have in mind and after going through a few from my book of joints i found myself at a fork in the road and good old mr doubt crept in to delay me.

I am looking at a quick build, relatively speaking, but dont wish to end up wasting the lumber or my efforts.

My post last year, got scuppered so decided to try a different tack this year.

So flat sawn lumber coming together at the corner my thought was to use a bridle joint.

https://www.google.ca/search?client...YIGCgA&biw=768&bih=1024#imgrc=dEr7VsdXSEQBDM:

I figured with a good glue up a joint like this would have plenty of flat open grain to flat open grain surface and would make for a good frame corner joint. Easy and quick to cut on table saw could even pin it for good measure and aesthetics if i wanted.

Then in my book i spotted a Haunched mortise and tenon.

https://www.google.ca/search?q=haun...UICSgB&biw=768&bih=1024#imgrc=aAHCXy2fDiSI5M:

And i got to wondering ....am i doing the right thing.

This is a great deal more work where accuracy would be required to pull it off and i am not really looking to hide the mortise tenon effect so that has me asking those that know better than me, what joint.

I was figuring the bridle joint going through each board would help with the woods desire to cup. Lots of surface area.

So what joint would you use and why?

Wood to be used is Cherry. Outside frame is going to be somewhere around 4 to 5 inches wide.

Thought at this stage is to fill center with pieces half lapped at an angle seated in a rabbet on the full length of the long sides but with the half lap underneath the table. These pieces would be screwed in with brass screws not visible with small gaps between.

Thought is any moisture can drain through and off on downward angled half lap and no glue to worry about.

This table top will be loose fitted to an existing metal frame, removed and stored inside in winter.

Any comments welcome. Will try post a sketch of what i have in mind.
http://cloud.tapatalk.com/s/5922d3f3bba3a/sketch1495454596225.png?
 
Last edited:
Not to rain on your parade, but...

Flat sawn lumber will cup. Maybe not at the joint, especially a mechanical one such as you are suggesting, but depending on the length of the pieces, it could cup midway. Quarter sawn would be much better. The issue then is how long do you want this thing to last?

As for the corner joint, any mechanical joint will work, even doweled. Choose the ine that gets the job done with the least effort. Certainly the haunched tenon doesn't make that list! I'd consider a stubby tenon and mortise. Pin the tenons and you're done. Least effort, same esthetics, plenty stout.

Dos centavos, my friend. :)
 
A bridle joint entails cross-grain gluing. It will eventually fail - especially outdoors. I'd consider using a splined miter joint, or perhaps a butt joint with floating tenons.

Cherry is not a very good wood for outdoor furniture. It doesn't weather well.
 
Thanks Carol and Jim on that lightning response.

I hear ya on the cupping joint and wood.

Wood will have to do, cupping i can live with, maybe i will try mitigate some of it by stripping and gluing it together again. This is not a heirloom piece if it gets me a couple of summers i will be happy.

Jim i was thinking of mitered joint but concerned about it opening up.

Jim when you say butt joint but floating tenon, are you thinking of something equivalent to the domino's that festool tool uses as tenons? So i cut a mortise in each side of butt joint and glue a tenon in.
Won't that result in same cross grain joint for glue up as bridle joint?
 
...Jim when you say butt joint but floating tenon, are you thinking of something equivalent to the domino's that festool tool uses as tenons? So i cut a mortise in each side of butt joint and glue a tenon in.
Won't that result in same cross grain joint for glue up as bridle joint?

Yeah, I was thinking of a 'domino,' but actually home made ones, in the same wood as the piece is made of. It'll still be a cross-grain glue up, but it'll be reinforced by the tenons.
 
Ahh never thought of the mechnical side of the tenons. Cool idea.

I will use Carols jig to rout the slots. I call it my woodworking milling machine. :)
THANKS Jim thats just the answer.

I have been moving ahead and got two big bags of sawdust cleaned up a bunch of this cherry and now it dont look half bad.
 
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