Corner cupboard progress--bottom doors

[JimReed2160]

My day job is pretty stressful and this project is how I relax. It is more of a journey than a destination. Sorry for the slow progress--it may take another year to finish. This weekend's task was to cut up the rails and stiles for the doors.

I was able to get all pieces cut out of some scraps and shorter boards from the stack. It is always my mission to finish the project with hardly any waste or scrap. It is one of the few things that my dad taught me. Carefully select grain for appearance, cut around defects, put cosmetic flaws where they do not show, cut wise, cut often, leave tiny bits on the scrap pile.

Anyway, I got the pieces cut out. Then I used some scrap to make a test joint. I always make test joints to try things out. It is easier to change your mind using test pieces. It is also easier to do markups if you have a test joint.

Here are the rails and stiles:

 

[JimReed2160]

Here is the test M&T joint.

 

[JimReed2160]

And here is the final joint. The wood is 5/4 planed down to 4/4. I used a 3/8" mortice. It fits well and is strong. I think a 1/2" mortice would be too big.

 

[Travis Porter]

Are you doing all of the joinery by hand, ie no power tools?

 

[JimReed2160]

This work is a hybrid of processes. I am using a mortice machine to rough out the mortices and a bandsaw to cut the oversized tenons. Those machines only get me close. I trim out my mortices my hand with a chisel and then fit the tenons using hand planes.

I have chopped many a mortice by hand and have to say that the machine is really nice to have. It is pretty rough, however, and hand work makes a much better fitting joint.