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Wednesday, May 28, 2014

Window mortise and tenon

Gary asked how the mortise and tenon in these windows works. It wasn't quite clear from my description. So, here is a picture where you can see how the tenon from the rails inserts into the mortise of the style.


But it is still not quite clear where the angled part of the style is, so I made a quick sketch, a crosscut through the mortise and the tenon.

Hopefully it is clear now?


Tuesday, May 27, 2014

Windows, almost there.

Tonight I have planed all around the windows to make everything presentable. Removed the glue from the corners. Rounded over the edges. And planed a drip profile in the bottom of the movable window and relieved the same with an angled cut, so it has room to swing out of the frame.



And that's where I am at the moment. Next job is fitting the hinges and putting the first primer coat on the wood.


Window joints

The windows are made with mortise and tenon joinery. Because the rails and styles are not simple rectangular pieces of wood, they need to be coped to each other, which is a bit involved.

After mortising the style, I hold up the rail to the style, so I can mark where they are going to meet.


At this mark I scribe the slanted edge of the styles and cut with a tenon saw.


This part is now offered up to the style to mark the position of the other shoulder. The width of the tenon is transfered directly from the mortising chisel, without further measuring.


And when everything has been executed with care this results in a nice fitting joint.

Overall I am very happy with how it turned out. It's certainly no fine furniture making, but the two windows are square, flat and parallel, where they need to be square, flat and parallel. The second one is now glued up and in the clamps, waiting for me to find another bit of time in the shop.


Monday, May 19, 2014

And even more windows. Mortising

The wood for the real windows is Meranti too. The same kind of preshaped profiles, which are too large for my little shed. So I had to rip and plane them (all electric!) to a smaller size. For cutting things to length I don't have an electtic chopsaw, I usually do that by hand. Now I remembered the old Ulmia mitrebox, restored last year. It's a great "machine". Pretty fast and very acurate.




Some time ago I bought a couple of typical Dutch mortise chisels. They are huge! The blade tapers in all directions, in the width, thickness and length. The handle is ton-shaped. In fact they look a lot like the ancient chisels in Roubo from the 17th century. The Dutch, and I think the Germans too, just kept on making them like that. The largest one is a nice size for the windows, so I sharpened it up.


You can see two styles in this picture. Both are sold as Meranti, but one is quite soft and the other is hard and britle. I've heard that Meranti is one name for many species of wood from Asia. The two are totally different. The softer one is very easy to mortise. The other one is more work.

Her you can see my setup. Style clamped to the bench. An extra clamp on the end to prevent spliting and the chiseling spot above a bench leg.

When working from this side you can see very well if you are keeping the chisel vertical. It is in fact quite hard to make the mortise not vertical.especially because I have the rabet wall to the left, giving support and direction to the chisel. It is best to grip the chisel quite high on the handle, so you have the bulge in the palm of your hand. I first had my hand lower, but that is very uncomfortable.

And the result, 4 mortises for one window. The chisel works as advertised.


Wednesday, May 14, 2014

Windows continued

With my usual snails pace, I am still working on the new windows for the gardenshed. The two outher frames which fit in the brick wall openings are now ready. Because the profiles are no simple rectangels, but, indeed, profiled, I have to cope the styles to the rails. I am sure professionals have all kinds of smart techniques for this, but being a beginner in this particular trade I just measure and make simple cardboard templates to mark the shape of the rails on the styles. Then I cut them with handsaws and chisels. No pictures from this process, just a picture of the glue up. I use the workbench to make sure that I end up with a flat window frame, and measure the diagonals to keep the frame square.


There are no real joints in the corners. Just the cope and some strong two part PU construction glue. The frames are going to be fixed permanently in the wall, so they aren't stressed much in use, but still. To make them stronger I drilled some long 10 mm holes through the corners and drove oak pegs in these holes. Make sure to put a clamp on the corners to prevent them splitting while the peg is hammered down! Don't ask why I make a special remark about that....


The two frames are finished now. Next job is making the actual windows. Wood has been cut and planed down to size. Here I want  to use real mortice and tenon joints, so stay tuned for the next installment. First I have to repair the car though, the windshield wiper mechanism has broken down.


Sunday, May 4, 2014

Greek doors

We're just back from a short holliday to northern Greece. Traveling is sure one of my favorites besides woodworking. Just for fun, some pictures from old Greek entry doors, some houses, some churches.