Grooved doors, aprons
Haunched mortise and tenon
A short haunch fills the panel groove at the top of the stile and keeps the rail from twisting.
Use when
- The stile is grooved for a panel.
Don’t use when
- Do not leave the groove open at the end of the stile.
- Keep
- Waste, hatched on the drawing
- Dimension
- Long parts are broken. The 1 in bar is true scale.
Stock
Thickness steppers move by 1/16 in, or 0.5 mm. You can type 3/4 or 1-1/8.
Sizes
| Mark | Size | Rule |
|---|---|---|
| Tenon thickness | 1/4 in | Nearest bit to 1/3 of the rail. 1/4 in (matches a 1/4 in bit) |
| Tenon length | 1-1/4 in | 2/3 of the stile, snapped down to the nearest 1/8 in |
| Tenon width | 2-1/2 in | Under the haunch. Shoulders stay on the other edges |
| Haunch length | 1/4 in | Matches the groove depth, or 1/4 in if there is no groove |
| Mortise depth | 1-5/16 in | Tenon length plus 1/16 in |
| Cheek | 1/4 in | Keep both cheeks even |
Cut sequence
1Mortise, then the haunch slope
Mortise depth 1-5/16 in. Haunch 1/4 in long, the rest of the groove width.
Setup: Tenon 1/4 in.
2Saw the tenon with the haunch left on
The haunch fills the panel groove so it does not show on the edge.
Stop when: The haunch seats and the shoulder closes.
3Dry-fit, then glue
Close the joint dry. Check that shoulders and faces meet, then glue. If this is a frame or a box, check both diagonals before the glue grabs.
Stop when: Dry-fit is tight with hand pressure, square, and the diagonals match.
Glue
Long grain to long grain
Strength
structural
Movement
The haunch fills the groove at the top of a door stile so the panel groove does not show, and it keeps the rail from twisting.