End grain is not the best gluing surface, so it’s fortunate that Chinese artisans in the twelfth century perfected an ancient joint that today allows us to maximize gluing surfaces while also permitting a more mechanical approach to joint making. In short, a finger (called a tenon) is milled on the end of a workpiece,
In this article, you will learn the different types of wood joints and their working. Their Advantages and Applications are explained [PDF].
How To: Make a Mortise & Tenon Joint on a Router Table: Using proper joinery can take your new furniture build from a cool 5 to a gorgeous 10. Adding a professional touch like mortise and tenon joints looks great but is also practical in making the furniture stand the test of time. I'm going to lay out s…
Follow these rules for mortise and tenon joinery so you can ensure that the pieces will fit together properly for your woodworking projects.
One of the oldest carpentry basics, knowing how to cut a mortise and tenon joint is a valuable skill to have when woodworking.
Making mortise and tenon joints is, with the proper tools, a straightforward process.
The tried-and-true mortise and tenon comes in many forms.
Mortising on the drill press can be done with a relatively simple setup. Watch and learn for a few tips and techniques you can use in your shop.
The mortise and tenon joint has been used for thousands of years by woodworkers around the world to join pieces of wood.
Find out how to make a mortise and tenon joint that can be used for a variety of woodworking projects that are long lasting and ultra strong
The router table works well for mortises up to 1x4" wide. With mortises larger than that, I find I have better control by plunging the bit into the work with a plunge router rather than plunging the work onto the bit.
Understand the parts of a mortise and tenon joint. Plus, we share Ian Kirby's ten rules for making a perfect mortise and tenon joint.
What is a timber frame without the joints and joinery that allows them to stand up on their own? Explore the over 125+ timber frame joints in this online resource.
This Federal style demilune table is Kutner’s interpretation of a period reproduction by Ohio furniture maker Rob Millard. He built it over a year in his garage shop. “The table […]
One of the oldest carpentry basics, knowing how to cut a mortise and tenon joint is a valuable skill to have when woodworking.
A good way to fasten tenons is to wedge them. This can be done whether the tenon goes through the mortise piece or only part way, as in a blind mortise and tenon joint.
This is Part Two of the fan bird tutorial I posted last week. I’ll pick up where we left off. We were just about to slice the feathers… First, put the bird’s body into a handscrew clamp and pin it with your waist into a stop of some sort so that it doesn’t slide around. Use a small drawknife (this Flexcut 3" model was designed for this exact operation) to carefully slice the feathers. Fan carvers call step this “riving” the feathers, but don’t let that make you think you should follow the grain wherever it wants to take you. Really, you should be thinking “slicing,” not “riving.” If you mess up a few feathers along the way, don’t worry, because they can just be pulled out and discarded. Work from one end to the other, slicing as thin as you can manage. Don’t worry about the quality of the first few and the last few feathers because they’ll be cut off anyway. Carve the bird’s body, making sure to bevel its back down to the hinge. Also, thin out the hinge to make sure the feathers are able to bend side to side. It shouldn’t be more than 1/16" thick. A rough-and-ready bird carving. Count an odd number of decent tail feathers. I chose the number seven and separated them from the wing feathers with a scrap piece. Begin to bend the wing feathers alternating left and right. If your hinge is thin enough, they should bend easy. Bend to the right, then to the left, then to the right, and so on, making sure to snug each feather into the interlock groove on the proceeding feathers. The tail starts at the far end, with the first feather being the center. Subsequent feathers lap behind that one. Because this is green, riven wood, the wings and tail are supple enough to manipulate into a shape, but the individual feathers are strong enough not to break off. Because the material is so thin, these things dry quick. After a couple days, they get a string so they can hang to be admired. – Joshua
Through-mortise-and-tenon joints typically go together one of the two ways.
When a mortise and tenon joint comes together with gaps, it's a common misconception that fitting the joint means methodically paring the entire area until all the surfaces match perfectly. But in many cases, wood needs to be removed only from certain surfaces to allow a joint to close completely. I call this technique