Keywords
Architecture
Joints
1 An extremely strong joint that uses a blind wedge-split tenon warikusabi hozo 割楔ほぞ to join two timbers at a right angle. The joint is used for a lattice door or a window frame in the corners of the sills *dodai 土台. Shallow cuts are made in the tenon *hozo ほぞ, and wedges *kusabi 楔 are inserted just far enough into the cut to hold the wedges in place before the tenon and wedge are driven into the mortise. It is important that the tenon not start to spread until it is in the mortise. The mortise must be tapered so that it will correspond to the shape of the tenon as it expands when the wedges are forced into the end of the tenon.
2 A variation of the blind wedge-split tenon that is used for finishing or for cabinet making jigoku kusabi 地獄楔.