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put it together
Mortise and Tenon
Use this joinery method for strong, long-lasting furniture.
T
he mortise and tenon is one of the strongest joints in fur-
niture construction. That’s why it’s used almost exclusively
for connecting high-stress or high-load parts, such as the
sides of a chair or bench. The mortise and tenon joint has two
parts: A square hole called a mortise is cut in one part, and a
tenon, or protrusion, is cut on the mating part. The tenon, which
fits into the mortise, can be glued in place or attached with dowels,
fasteners, or even a wedge.
Where to Start
The best way to fit a mortise and tenon
together tightly is to cut the mortise
first, and then cut the tenon to fit. That
is because it’s easier to resize a tenon
than to recut a mortise. Tenons can be
cut using a manufactured or shop-made
tenoning jig that’s attached to a table
saw or router.
Cutting the Mortise
A simple way to cut a square hole for
the mortise is to use a drill press with a
mortising attachment. The attachment
consists of a fitting that presses the
workpiece against the table and holds it
steady as a square-edged hollow chisel
moves up and down to cut a hole. With
a specialized bit in its center, the chisel punches the corners square.
Both parts must be very sharp for a precise mortise.
Squaring the Hole
Chisels come in a wide variety of sizes; the most common include
the
1
4-inch,
3
8-inch,
1
2-inch,
5
16-inch, and
3
4-inch. Although a mortising
bit quickly removes most of the wood from the piece, the chisel that
shears the sides square requires good old-fashioned elbow grease,
supplied by you.
Cutting the Tenon
Once the mortises are ready, you can
cut the tenons to fit. The quickest way
to do this is to use a tenoning jig on the
table saw. You will want to measure and
mark the shoulder and cheek lines,
which represent the wood that will be
removed from around the tenon. The
shoulder lines indicate the tenon’s width,
while the cheek lines indicate its length
and depth. Test the fit of the tenon in
the mortise, and adjust the jig as neces-
sary to get a tight fit.
For step-by-step instructions on how
to create mortise and tenon joints—
including a short animated video, visit
Lowes.com/Mortise.
PHOTOGRAPH: JOHN O’HAGAN