How to Make a Wedged Through Mortise and Tenon Joint - Part 1

How to Make a Wedged Through Mortise-and-Tenon Joint - Part 1

In this video, you will learn how to how to make a wedged through mortise and tenon joint.

This joint is typically used where a project receives a lot of stress, such as on door frames.

The tools and materials you will need are a pencil, a marking knife, a marking and mortise Gauge, a try square, a ruler, chisels, a mallet, a ratchet brace, handsaw, a depth gauge, handplanes and two workpieces of the same thickness.

This video has been split into the following key steps: Marking, Cutting the Mortise, and Cutting the Tenon.

STEP 1: Marking.

Take two workpieces, 2x2 inches thick with sides that are square.

We have marked one side of both pieces for reference.

Place the Tenon piece up against the Mortise piece, as shown, and mark its thickness on the mortise piece with a marking knife.

Highlight the lines with a pencil.

Transfer the lines to the opposite side.

Mark one and half centimeters from either edge of the mortise piece to define the side walls of the mortise.

Set a mortise gauge to the side walls of the mortise and scribe lines on both sides.

Place the mortise piece at the end of the tenon piece with about a centimeter of extra space and scribe a line with the marking knife to set its position.

Transfer the lines to all sides.

With the mortise gauge still set to the side walls of the mortise, scribe the cheeks of the tenon.

Highlight the line with a pencils.

Do the same on all three sides of the tenon.

STEP 2: Cutting the mortise.

Now that both pieces are marked, you can continue to cut the mortise and the tenon.

Clamp the mortise piece and drill three holes all the way through the mortise and out from the opposite side.

This makes it easier to remove material.

Clean up the mortise to a halfway point using a chisel and mallet.

Use a wide bevel edge chisel to straighten the length and a narrow mortise chisel to cut the width.

Turn the piece over and do the same from the other end.

Clamp the mortise piece horizontally, as shown, and pare the walls with the flat edge of the chisel to remove finer shavings.

Use light taps of the mallet if needed.

STEP 3: Cutting the tenon.

You may now cut the tenon to the size of the mortise.

Clamp the tenon piece and saw down from the shoulder line to the cheek.

Now do the same from line marking the cheek to the shoulder line.

Dont forget to leave a little extra wood for chiseling.

Straighten the cheeks and shoulders with a chisel and mallet.

Refine the sides by paring them.

For the remaining steps, continue watching How to make a Wedged Through Mortise and Tenon joint part 2.