Self Tightening Joint

[YellowHammer]

I have never done any timber framing but am planning on building rustic slab benches using timber framing joints because they look real nice and are very strong.  Problem is, (I may be mistaken) that the joints I was considering such as big dovetails and mortise and tenon joints will get loose when the green slabs from my sawmill start to dry.  My customers will then have rickety benches.  I may use the tusk tenon as describe in the other post, but would rather use a flush joint that "self tightens" as the wood dries and shrinks as opposed to loosening up.  Is there such a timber framing joint? I searched the archives but didn't have any luck.  This is a picture of what I'm trying to get from a woodworking magazine but the author of this article used big lag bolts to keep the joint tight, which is something I would prefer not to do.  I'd like an all wood joint. Is there a better way or a better joint? I appreciate the help if someone could point me in the right direction.
Thanks
YH


 

[shelbycharger400]

Watchin this thread.

Mortise and tennon works.
take a look at trestle tables, some of them have small wedges that you push down and will tighten it all up.

[Jay C. White Cloud]

Hi YH,

Advice so far is really good.  Through tenons with gravity wedge is very usefull for "out side-green wood," furniture.  Outside furniture, with joints design to be re-tightened and drain water, last ten times longer than other furniture subjected to the same extremes.

Try doing a search in google images with "japanese joinery," it will give you some great ideas.  They have one of the strongest "wood cultures," in the wood, and tend to ask more of it, (the wood and joinery,) than other cultures do.  Good Luck!!

Regards,

Jay