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  • What is a Mortise and Tenon joint?
  • What do I need to make it?
  • What steps do I take?

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  1. Making
  2. Step-by-Step
  3. Joining

Mortise and Tenon joint

This article will cover what are mortise and tenon joints, required equipment, and one way of making them.

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Last updated 4 years ago

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What is a Mortise and Tenon joint?

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.

What do I need to make it?

What steps do I take?

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 , , and .

router
router table
drill press
table saw
Figure 1. Mortise + tenon joint with pin, between table rails and aprons/ stretches. Designer: Nikari
Figure 2. Mortise + tenon joint with pin. Designer: Nikari