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 ...

Mortisers come in several different types, but they all have the same purpose: to create holes in wood pieces for tenons to fit into. These “mortise and tenon” joints are popular because of the ...