I saw there was a plane made to aide cutting the sockets but it is only 10 degrees. Not that I would buy it but wondered what you think minimum degrees for dovetail should be?
I suspect it's much like dovetails in casework. Somewhere around 6° or so the joint becomes more like a finger joint and less of a mechanical interlock.
What is the reason the battens are almost always oriented 90 degrees to the grain of the seat itself? Is it that much harder to saw out the socket with the grain?
The battens allow you to use thinner materials (which are less expensive and generally easier to get) and still have the strength you need around the legs' tenons.
Maybe this is a dumb question, because you already addressed it elsewhere or it just doesn’t matter, but is there any particular reason you didn’t use hide glue or Piggly No Wiggly?
I have made exactly one (1) chair like this (a brettstuhl based on Peter Follansbee's videos), and I did it tapered. I like it because if you make your socket too wide you just push the batten in further until it fits perfectly, so in my mind (a novice) it seemed easier. But that's just a crutch and I should work on just making my socket the right size! Also Follansbee's battens are removable so no glue there and the wedge action helps keep it rock solid. The only tricky bit, and maybe why a special tool would help, is that the one I did is stopped (the dado doesn't go all the way through) so you sort of have to faff it and finish it with some chiseling.
My results weren't as nice as the ones in this post, so I need to keep at it! This method looks really easy to follow, and being able to see the dovetail on the front looks really cool.
When I use my router plane to finish the bottom of these battens I get little tracks on either side- looks like you do as well. Do you remove those after batten is in or do you leave them as a no-show surface sign or handwork? Thanks!
Apologies, abusing this sub stack: is there anyway with Mailchimp emails to add or view comments?
Thanks, Paul
I saw there was a plane made to aide cutting the sockets but it is only 10 degrees. Not that I would buy it but wondered what you think minimum degrees for dovetail should be?
I suspect it's much like dovetails in casework. Somewhere around 6° or so the joint becomes more like a finger joint and less of a mechanical interlock.
I'm surprised at how thin the dovetailed housing is for the battens. It seems . . . Breakdownable. Is that all you have to remove for the dovetail?
What really holds the bits together is the tenon shoulder and the wedge. But you'd be surprised what 1/8" can do (that's what he said).
What is the reason the battens are almost always oriented 90 degrees to the grain of the seat itself? Is it that much harder to saw out the socket with the grain?
The thin seat would be weak if the grain of the battens was parallel with the grain of the seat.
People expect this cross-grain construction to tear itself apart. But it rarely does in the real world.
Ahhhhh, I never realized the battens are also strengthening the seat itself, instead of just providing some extra 'meat' for the leg mortises. Thanks!
Sorry for the dumb question. But are battens added for strength or aesthetic reasons?
The battens allow you to use thinner materials (which are less expensive and generally easier to get) and still have the strength you need around the legs' tenons.
Not a dumb question.
Thank you
Maybe this is a dumb question, because you already addressed it elsewhere or it just doesn’t matter, but is there any particular reason you didn’t use hide glue or Piggly No Wiggly?
I forgot to heat it up before I started working.
Ah. Thank you.
Any particular reason not to taper the batten a small amount?
I have made exactly one (1) chair like this (a brettstuhl based on Peter Follansbee's videos), and I did it tapered. I like it because if you make your socket too wide you just push the batten in further until it fits perfectly, so in my mind (a novice) it seemed easier. But that's just a crutch and I should work on just making my socket the right size! Also Follansbee's battens are removable so no glue there and the wedge action helps keep it rock solid. The only tricky bit, and maybe why a special tool would help, is that the one I did is stopped (the dado doesn't go all the way through) so you sort of have to faff it and finish it with some chiseling.
My results weren't as nice as the ones in this post, so I need to keep at it! This method looks really easy to follow, and being able to see the dovetail on the front looks really cool.
Nope. Feel free.
When I use my router plane to finish the bottom of these battens I get little tracks on either side- looks like you do as well. Do you remove those after batten is in or do you leave them as a no-show surface sign or handwork? Thanks!
The tracking is unavoidable. It doesn't affect the fit of the joint. And they don't show int he end. So I don't do anything about them.