Mortise and tenon joint

Mortise and tenon joint

These are made by forming a recess or mortise in one place of wood to receive a projection or tenon on another piece of wood. The mortise and tenon joint is one of the most common joints used in woodwork construction. It is the strongest form of joint in wood construction. There are many forms of mortise and tenon joints. These include common or through, haunched, and bareface mortise and tenon joints. They can be altered to meet the requirements of a particular job.

Mortise and tenon joints are used in general joining work. They are found in leg and rail construction, such as tables, chairs, benches, and doors.

Procedure

Step 1:

Prepare the piece of wood to the required length, width, and thickness.

Step 2:

Using a pencil, mark lines showing the position of the mortise on one piece and the position of the tenon on the other piece of wood.

Step 3:

Select an appropriate chisel and chisel out waste halfway through from both edges, leaving about 3mm waste at each end of the mortise. This waste will prevent damage to the edges of the mortise during final preparation. The sides of the mortise should be slightly tapered to allow fitting into the tenon.

Step 4:

Cut the sides of the tenon along the pencil lines of the waste side made earlier.

Step 5:

Assemble with glue and wedges.