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Copyright 2002, Thomas Rettie

MAKING A TUSK TENONFOR KNOCKDOWN FURNITURE

BY THOMAS RETTIE

In the Middle Ages, like today, peo-ple sometimes needed portablefurniture. While we tend to thinkof medieval furniture as usuallylarge, massive, and immobile, therewere many instances when furni-ture needed to be broken downand moved from place to place. Inthe home, space was at a premium

and bulky items such as tables wereput up when not in use. In theworkshop, a table might be movedto where the light was best, or tak-en to market for use as a counter.Even in death, prized furnituremight be sent with the deceased tothe afterlife, as with the Vikingburial ship uncovered at Oseberg.

A 16th Century German work table with tusk tenon joints(after examples in Jost Ammans Book of Trades).

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Copyright 2002, Thomas Rettie

VVVVVARIATIONSARIATIONSARIATIONSARIATIONSARIATIONS

There are variations of the tusktenon that can be used when thetenon is too thin to accommodatea vertical key. Instead, pegs or hor-izontal wedges can be used,although this is usually a less se-cure configuration.

Assembled Joint Tusk Tenon Used with a Bed Rail

If using horizontal wedges, use twokey-mortises per joint to preventracking (that is, where the jointis no longer perpendicular). Eithertaper the key mortises to matchthe wedges, or use two wedges(one from either side) per mortise.

Joint with One Wedge perKey-mortise

Joint with Two Wedges perKey-mortise