Crest Rail Tenons

Out, out, brief candle!
Life's but a walking shadow, a poor player
That struts and frets his hour upon the stage
And then is heard no more: it is a tale
Told by an idiot, full of sound and fury,
Signifying nothing."
- William Shakespeare, Macbeth, 5.5

I'm gonna touch briefly on the crest for the rockers I make, specifically on forming the tenon that goes into the post.  I cut the mortise on a hollow mortiser,  which does a great job quickly.

Here's a look at the finished tenon where it goes into the post, nice and neat.  The crest is rough cut on the bandsaw and then steam bent and dried.  The tenon is formed after the drying, otherwise the size would be off.

I find the shavehorse is the best way to hold the crest, but you could use a vise.  The layout is done and the tenon is lined out at 3/8".  The back side remains flat.  I cut the cove with a drawknife, just proceed carefully and leave the tenon a little thick, then shave or scrape it to size when you assemble the chair.  You want a good fit, but believe me you don't want to have to beat it in with a hammer, a tight slip fit is best.

On another note, please check out a great blog by Wilson Burnham, an luthier from Allen Park, CO.  He had a great blog here, check it out.  I got the idea for the literary quotes from him, by the way.