Mortise and Tenon joint
This article will cover what are mortise and tenon joints, required equipment, and one way of making them.
Last updated
This article will cover what are mortise and tenon joints, required equipment, and one way of making them.
Last updated
A mortise and tenon joint is a very strong joint often used in the construction of chairs and tables. It consists of an elongated hole (mortise) and a plug (tenon) on the end of a piece of wood that is accurately sized to fit in the mortise.
This joint has a very high mechanical strength and is often found used in high stress applications where it resists twisting and rocking motions. A blind mortise and tenon is unseen but the more decorative version, a through mortise and tenon, is visible and can be wedged with contrasting timbers as a focal point.
There are a few machines you can use to make a mortise and tenon and in the link below you'll find a video on how to cut one by hand (he makes it look far easier than it is). We would recommend using a combination of a router, router table, drill press and table saw.
