How to Cut a Mortise and Tenon

Step-by-Step Guide

1. 1

   Step 1: Select two pieces of lumber you intend to fit.

   For the examples in this article, standard 2X4 dimension lumber is used.
2. 2

   Step 2: Mark the tenon cut.

   For the greatest strength, you will want the tenon to be one third of the overall thickness of the smaller of the two members being joined. ,, Any errors here will be visible when the two pieces are joined later. ,, It should be wide enough for the tenon to fit into it, but not loosely.
   
   For a blind mortise, you will need to drill a hole on each end of the mortise then chisel the wood out between these two holes with a wood chisel, but if the edge of the board you are tenoning into is not exposed, you can simply saw out the mortise with a circular saw. , Apply glue to the tenon, then join the two pieces together for the permanent assembly. ,
3. 3

   Step 3: Set your saw to the depth you need so the blade will not over-cut and weaken the tenon before cutting the first square crosscut.

4. 4

   Step 4: Cut each side or face of your board

5. 5

   Step 5: being careful to make sure the cut follows the line.

6. 6

   Step 6: Chisel or rip cut the two side of the board

7. 7

   Step 7: so only the tenon is left on the end.

8. 8

   Step 8: Mark your mortise on the second board.

9. 9

   Step 9: Test fit the tenon into the mortise to make sure the mortise is wide and deep enough for the joint to fit correctly.

10. 10

    Step 10: Clamp the two pieces together after gluing and fitting to hold them in place until the glue is completely dried and cured.

Detailed Guide

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