Wedged tenons - part 1

After yesterday's post I thought it would be nice to write a little more about the wedged tenon I'm using to attach the side rails to the posts on my crib project.

This wedged tenon is usually called tusk tenon, where a wedge shaped key crosses the through tenon to lock things in place, making the joint sturdy and allowing the piece to be disassembled.

Also, the image above is much more clear then yesterday's which was just a close-up of the joinery detail with the x-ray feature in SketchUp turned on.

When making this type of joint there are a few points to consider:

• The angle on the wedge should be between 3º and 5º
• The mortise for the wedge is located slightly inside the post
• The wedge should be made from a wood that is as hard or harder than the stock they wedge
• Single loose wedges are usually oriented vertically and double loose wedges are usually oriented horizontally

Attached files:

• wedged_tenon_01.skp