Question
When making face frames I usually leave the mortises a little wider (1/8") than the tenons for ease of assembly, but sometimes the frame is not as aligned as I want and have to make adjustments. Is that the way most are made, or is it better to try and make the mortise close enough in width that it will only go in one place. If I were doing a lot of the same size, I could use cleats on my bench to line things up, but it’s usually several different sizes.
Forum Responses
If you can achieve the precision necessary to get accurate alignment with tight fitting tenons (with reasonable effort) then I think you should go for it.
On the other hand, it's fairly easy to push parts into alignment even in complex frames if you allow a bit of space at the ends of the mortises *and* .010" overall clearance between the surfaces of the tenon and the mortise wall. That .010" precision is easy to get since it only depends on your tooling diameter and your initial set-up. If you're using loose tenons in slot mortises you get the .010" when you plane the tenon stock to fit the mortises made by the current mortising bit.
Comment from contributor A:
I use that little beadlock gadget for loose tenons, or sometimes Porter Cable faceframe biscuits. The Beadlock tool will fit in your pocket and will let you fix a tenon that came out wrong. Porter Cable's little biscuits aren't the perfect answer to any one particular question, but they are quick and good for lots of things. I cut biscuit slots with a router about as often as with my biscuit cutter on square stuff, and you will get absolutely flush joints that way. I also use an old time cabinet scraper on occasion, so when the above don't quite come true, I can make it come true.
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