Looks like a great project. Will you make another for the challenger?

The joints look great and your approach is sound. I am currently working on mortise and tenons for the back legs of a pair of chairs with carved wooden seats. The mortise will be hidden and attached with glue and a long screw. The front of the leg is tapered about 2 1/2 degrees to the seat surface. The edge of the leg to seat joint will show and the rest of the shoulder will be fussed over with chisels to get a solid fit.

I try to stay away from the shoulder edge to prevent slight damage to the surface grain. Did you have any problems with protecting that edge as you pared away?