Mortise and Tenon joint

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

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.

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

Figure 2. Mortise + tenon joint with pin. Designer: Nikari

What do I need to make it?

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.

What steps do I take?