Mortice and tenon joint

An enjoyable experience at a Scripture Union NSW Beach Mission has been facilitating the adult's section. At the Beach Mission site that I attend the adults enjoy instruction, and participation in, a craft activity. While the children are occupied in vigorous games, the adults enjoy less strenuous activity. Where the children are drenched in sun, the adults reside in shade.

I've facilitated some interesting activities for the adults over the years. They have included:

- car maintenance,

- lawn mower maintenance,

- laying a concrete slab,

- making a lolly dispenser,

- making a velvet-lined storage box.

This year's activity was themed to the day's Bible reading. The adult's section follows the same reading assigned the children. The reading was from Matthew; the wise and foolish builder. The words of Christ from Matthew 7:

The Wise and Foolish Builders

“Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall, because it had its foundation on the rock. But everyone who hears these words of mine and does not put them into practice is like a foolish man who built his house on sand.  The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell with a great crash.”

The link to Biblical theme was formed by choosing a building activity. That activity was a mortice and tenon joint that was fixed by dowel. The adults where required to handle three pieces of timber as indicated in this image:

The three pieces of timber were prepared prior to the event. The tenon was deliberately concluded in a rough state so that the participants would need to shape it further before it sat neatly into the mortice.

The dowel acts as a pin that is tapped through the fitted tenon-in-the-socket - & holds the two pieces together. So, the joint can be dismantled and reassembled. In the assembled state the item looks like a mallet.

Participants had to make final cuts, sanding, fitting, hole drilling & insert the dowel. Equipment was provided including a bench dill.

A group of approximately twenty people enjoyed the activity. A skilled instructor  capably handled all enquiries and offered sound assistance.

Shalom,

Ozhamada

P.S. The Beach Mission site has a plant that is at time of renewal at the time that I am at site. You can read about that plant here.