HELP!! for an idiot

[Reed Wells]

Hey guys, I have a large problem of my own making. I have an order for 66 bar stools. After cutting all the parts I started doing all the mortising on the legs that run all the way from the floor and incorporate the back rest. There are 4- 1 1/2" ( 1 at 90 degrees to the other 3 ) mortises that I use a forstner bit to drill. Half asleep I grabbed the 1 9/16" bit and drilled all 132 legs the wrong size. Is there any way to salvage this $400.00 mistake or do I have a pretty pile of cedar kindling. There will be a very large prayer in my nightlies for anyone that can help fix a dumb mistake.
Thanks a bunch, Reed

[Guy Germaine]

Got a lathe? Turn some plugs and glue them in. Then redrill the holes after the glue dries.

[Phil Winn]

I can't really picture the stool in my mind, but how about:
1. Filling each hole with a 1 9/16" contrasting plug-and redrilling;
or
2. Drill out the holes to make a larger hole-than fill & glue them with solid wood-contrasting wood perhaps, and then re-drill with 1 1/2" hole?

Please let us know how it turns out. Good luck. I have made plenty of mistakes in my life....
Phil

[Phil Winn]

Guy Germaine is quicker with a keyboard than I...
Phil

[Walt Caza]

Hi Reed,
Anyone who secures a paying order for 66 barstools is nooo idiot !!
hehe,
Walt

ps like your humour...

[Rick de Roque]

I would glue a 1/16" thick piece of the same wood to each side of the tenon and then trim the tenon to 1 9/16". Then when done there will be nothing showing.
Rick
OOPS... thought it was a flat tenon. I see its a round tenon. Carry on....

[Cliff Rohrabacher]

I would glue a 1/16" thick piece of the same wood to each side of the tenon and then trim the tenon to 1 9/16". Then when done there will be nothing showing.
Rick
OOPS... thought it was a flat tenon. I see its a round tenon. Carry on....

You can do that with a round tenon too. Use little strips.
Old chair repairer's trick.

[Russ Filtz]

Not sure if I picture it right, but maybe oversize the tenon and then taper it down? Could become part of the overall design. This would require a lathe though.

[Don Henthorn Smithville, TX]

I am assuming that the tenons are already made. If they have a shoulder then I would cut thin veneer to glue around the tenon using rubber bands to hold the veneer tight to the tenons. The grain of the veneer should run in the same direction as the grain in the tenon. The length of the veneer wrapping should be just a tad short of the circumference of the tenon so that the ends of the veneer wrapping do not over lap. After the glue is dry, fit the tenon to the mortise. The first one will take a while; a little planning to make it production operation should cut down greatly on the time for the rest. Example the veneer could be cut into strips as wide as the tenon is long. These strips could be stacked and cut to the proper length for the tenon. Gluing might require two, one gluing the veneer pieces and the other wrapping and clamping with the rubber bands. You may be able to find a veneer which will give a pretty decent fit of the tenon without too much adjustment. Just another idea