The “mortise” is the recess where the tenon goes. It can be cut by hand with a mallet and mortising chisel, or mechanically with a mortising machine and a hollow chisel bit. If you don’t have those ...

It’s the quintessential order of operations in woodworking, and it’s nearly always true. Usually, you’ll cut the mortise first, then size the tenon to fit. There are good reasons for this rule too. If ...

DIYer and woodworker April Wilkerson demonstrates how to cut mortise and tenon joints for strong woodworking connections.