Timber Framers Guild Forums General General Forum Questions Through Tenons

Hi Guys,

I am wondering if there is a guideline for through tenon length and depth? I have looked through my research material and have been unable to find anything besides discussion topics regarding this subject. Any help with this would be greatly appreciated by a novice framer.

Thanks,
Gord

If the tenon is taking a tension load - its thickness, length, and peg / wedge requirements need to be calculated based on species and forces applied to the tenon.

If a standard tenon passes the engineering requirements but you want to make a through tenon - I use the following:

5X material - 1 1/2" thick tenon
7x material - 2" thick tenon
10x material - 3" thick tenon

Length beyond:

Minimum 1/3 (+/-) of the height of the beam the tenon is passing through.

Note - these guidelines do not replace a thorough engineering review...!