Tenon Width query

Divided tenons puzzle me. If they're all attached to the same board, what's
really gained? Answer, I feel, is less chopping in the days before routers.

You glue/fast pin the dimension you want to keep constant. In the case of a
door, it would be the bottom. Check the grain orientation, but you could
have to allow for over 1/4" of movement floating up into the panel. It's
the shoulders of the tenon that count for strength, so draw-pinning the
tenon in a slot is as good as glue.

Hell, if you're a Normite, sliding dovetail.

"John Moorhead" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> Folks -
>
> I am making some screen doors out of QS Doug Fir. The bottom rail is
almost
> 10" wide. I am going to go with MT joints, but I am wondering if I should
> divide it into two or three tenons to allow for wood movement, also, I am
> wondering if I should glue the middle section of each tenon if I do two
> tennons, or glue up only the center tenon if I do three. The tenons
> themselves will be 1/2 wide in stock that is about 1 1/8 thick, and they
> will fit the depth of the mortise, just under 3" in a stile that is 3 1/2"
> wide. So, is this long enough, or should I flip the stile over and drill
> the mortise through, giving me a joing that is the full width of the
stile?
>
> The wood is kiln dried and the doors are outside, though covered and out
of
> the direct elements.
>
> I'd appreciate any remarks... well, ON topic anyway...
>
> Thanks in advance!
>
> John Moorhead
>
>