Meeting rail joints and joggles 59on double- hung sliding sashes can be found to vary,
usually according to the period of time in which the
sashes were made. In the Georgian period, through-
dovetails were used on the meeting rails of both
sashes, but this changed to having mortise- and- tenon
joints supported by joggles in the Victorian period.
In the period of time between these two, a mixture of
dovetail joints, mortise- and- tenons and joggles was
used, the former on the bottom, inner sash – the latter
on the top, outer sash. Note that – although shown
here – the rebated splay on the joining edges of the
rails (used to reduce draughts) changed over the years
to an un- rebated splay, shown in illustrations 4.6(d)
and (e).section B- B – can be produced by hand- skill tech-
niques, the job is very tedious and demands at least
the use of a fixed circular- saw bench with which
to reduce the sill to a manageable rebated- and-
weathered sawn shape – as illustrated in Figure 4.5(a).
By hand, the sill could then be completed by planing
the weathered slope(s), with such tools as a rebate- or
shoulder- plane (giving relief against any raised steps
for completion with an 05 jack plane), or a bench
rebate plane (which looks similar to a 05 jack plane,
but has a 56mm- wide T- shaped cutter that protrudes
very slightly through small side- apertures to give
a full- width rebate- cut). Of course, if preferred, or
wanting to save time, the approximately- shaped sill
could be finished with a portable electric planer and a
portable powered router.
The end housings in the sill, as seen at 4.5(b), to
accommodate the wedged pulley- stiles, should be
crosscut to depth initially, before any shaping of the
sill takes place – ready for paring down to their gauged
depth after the sill has been shaped. Also, the ends of
the sill can be ripped down initially and – after the sill
is shaped – crosscut and removed to accommodate the
inner- and outer- linings. Similarly, the shallow hous-
ings required on the face- side of the pulley- stile head
can be crosscut ready for the pulley- stile housings and
then pared out after the edges have been rebated to
form tongues.
MEETING RAIL JOINTS AND
JOGGLES
Figures 4.6(a)(b)(c)(d)(e): As previously men-
tioned, the jointing of meeting rails to sash stiles
Figure 4.6 (a) Part side elevation of sashes showing
the bottom meeting rail of a top sash and the dovetail
arrangement to suit the rail’s glass- rebate (shown with a
broken line); and (b) A similar view of the top meeting rail
of a bottom sash, showing the dovetail arrangement to suit
the rail’s glass- groove. These joints were usually reinforced
with 6mm Ø dowels through them. Note the 1mm step
between the rail and the face of the sash stiles; this was to
prevent the acute- angled edges of the meeting rails from
scraping against the faces of the stiles and edges of any
glazing bars.
(a) (b)Figure 4.6 (c) The splayed meeting rails (whether rebated
or not) have to be relieved, as shown above, to house the
parting beads. Note that although the relief work is shown
shaped to suit the round- edged beads, it is usually cut
squarely in practice.(d) (e)Figure 4.6 (d) Part front elevation and side eleva-
tion of a sash- corner showing a mortised- and- tenoned,
single- splayed meeting- rail for a top sash with a shaped
joggle; and (e) similar views of a bottom sash – but with
a glass- groove in the meeting rail, instead of the glass-
rebate shown at (d).