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Mortise and Tenon Calculator

PostPosted: 05 Nov 2019, 03:12
by Blocklayer
I've just added a mortise and tenon calculator to blocklayer.com some of you may find useful.

It's pretty basic, but might help in visualizing the layout of the joint, with scaled (and full scale) animated diagrams.
You can select between a single centred tenon, 2 tenons horizontally and 2 tenons vertically, and set tenon thickness, shoulder width etc, with sliders to animate the diagrams and see the results with possible tenon and mortise spacing.

Please let me know if it needs editing, additions or fixing in any way.

It lives here: https://www.blocklayer.com/woodjoints/m ... oneng.aspx

Re: Mortise and Tenon Calculator

PostPosted: 05 Nov 2019, 07:01
by RogerS
That's very elegant, Greg.

Could I suggest that you make it a bit more obvious where the metric versions can be found as I had to hunt about a bit and only stumbled on the fact that the top row is metric by chance. The link you give goes to the imperial version.

I like you metric vs metre poll :D

Re: Mortise and Tenon Calculator

PostPosted: 05 Nov 2019, 08:06
by Mike G
I think your site is generally excellent, and extremely useful, but this particular page is confusing and unhelpful. What on earth is meant by "piece height" and "piece thick(ness)"? If I want to join a 300 x 20 x 45 mid-rail to a stile 600 x 20 x 45, what numbers do I enter under which terms? And your diagram is completely misleading, in that it shows a mortice in what appears to be the end of a workpiece, with the implication that this is in fact a scarf joint, not a M&T. You could do with a 3D projection.

Re: Mortise and Tenon Calculator

PostPosted: 06 Nov 2019, 02:35
by Blocklayer
RogerS that's been a problem for ages. I've tried various different ways to select Imperial or Metric, but never come up with anything that really worked well. And labeling everything Imperial or Metric just fills the pages with labels. So it ended up as it is now, as by far the majority of site users are from the US, so Imperial (inch) is the 'default'. If you have any suggestions, I'm 'all ears', thanks. The Metric Imperial poll results seem to suggest the US is winning.

MikeG Point taken - thanks for pointing it out. Now looking at clarifying it (as best I can) and adding a 3D image. The terms Width, Thickness, Depth and Length can be confusing. Normally I'd use Width and Depth for a 'piece' of timber (or a tenon), but changed it with the mortise and tenon as I thought Depth might be confused with the 'depth' the tenon protrudes into the mortise (tenon length)?
I'd thought the diagrams were pretty self evident though, as all they do is give a visual representation of the layout, with dimensions labeled. But all suggestions appreciated, especially for better labels.

Re: Mortise and Tenon Calculator

PostPosted: 06 Nov 2019, 06:09
by RogerS
Ah, yes.. I can see your dilemma.

Does this work ?

blocklayer.png
(157.63 KiB)

Re: Mortise and Tenon Calculator

PostPosted: 06 Nov 2019, 14:15
by chataigner
Much better, bit I still find your terms a bit odd.
I would use width and thickness for the rail dimensions, then width and thickness (in the same planes of course) plus length for the tenon. If I used the word depth at all it would be for the mortise - essentially the same dimension as the length of the tenon.
However, it's easy to criticise and this looks useful to me. Thanks.

Re: Mortise and Tenon Calculator

PostPosted: 01 Dec 2019, 22:21
by PitchPine
Fantastic website Blocklayer, bookmarked for later use!

Re: Mortise and Tenon Calculator

PostPosted: 02 Dec 2019, 12:34
by Woodbloke
Useful but not needed if you just go by the 'Rule of Thirds' and even then it's not too critical - Rob