learning to make M&T's

[Christopher Kanda]

What book or video would you recommend to learn the basics of making mortise and tendon joints?

[Steve Rozmiarek]

Christopher, the easiest to find, and probably the most widely watched source for mortise and tenon construction basics may be Norm Abrahms and the New Yanke Workshop, if you want to use power tools. If you want to use hand tools, the guys in the Neander forum can give you more specifics.

[Mike Cutler]

Christopher

Is there something specific about the joint you are looking to learn?

The "basic rule of thumb" for Mortise & Tenon joints works on the 3-3-5 rule. The tenon is 1/3 the thickness of the mortised member. It is 2/3 the width of the mortised member( japanese style goes deeper though) and the width of the tenon is no greater than 5 times it's thickness. Remember though that it is a rule of thumb, and not an etched in concrete law.
There are many good books available on this joint. Taunton press has some really good ones, I personally like Gary Rogowski's explanation,and of course the 3 book set by Tage Frid is a must.
There is also a ton of info right here on Sawmill Creek that is free. There is also the floating tenon method,and the integrated( traditional) tenon method. Both yield an incredibly strong joint.

[Paul Ryan]

I just did my first project with a lot of mortise and tendons. 52 of them to be exact. What would you like to know or learn. I am no expert but there are a lot of people here that woule be willing to help. There are dozens of ways to make mortise and tendons. It all comes down the what tools to you have to work with.

I mortise and tendon slats for a mission style bed in the the top and bottom rails. And then did the same for the side posts on to the upper and lower rails. The slats are 3/4 x 2" stock and have 3/8 think tendons that are 1 1/2" long, and 3/4" deep. Those go into the rails that were 5/4x 6" stock. It worked really well. I cut the tendons on the table saw with the miter guage, a screwed on fence, stop block, and a dado head. The mortise were cut with a mortiser. The mortises could be done with a router, by hand, with a drill press, with a drill and a chisel, and a whole bunch of other ways. If you do an internet search on mortises you can find out the best way to do them with the tools you have.

[Matthew Hills]

Free videos:
Woodworking online: Podcast #2: Mortise & Tenon (http://www.woodworkingonline.com/2006/11/15/video-podcast-2-mortise-tenon/)

The Wood Whisperer: 10- Tenons Anyone? (Pt. 1) (http://thewoodwhisperer.com/episode-10-tenons-anyone-pt1/) and (Pt. 2) (http://thewoodwhisperer.com/episode-10-tenons-anyone-pt2/)


Overall, I like the videos put out by Taunton -- Frank Klausz has one specifically on M&T, and Kelly Mehler has one on building a shaker table in which he uses M&T joinery.

[Christopher Kanda]

thank you for the help. The proportions are good to know. I will check out the videos and get back. What a great place the Creek is.

[Matthew Dunne]

I like this book; lots of info on both hand and power tool methods for that joint:
http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/513Cas0dZIL._BO2,204,203,200_PIsitb-sticker-arrow-click,TopRight,35,-76_AA240_SH20_OU01_.jpg (http://www.amazon.com/gp/reader/156158620X/ref=sib_dp_pt#reader-link)
http://www.amazon.com/Woodworking-Basics-Mastering-Essentials-Craftsmanship/dp/156158620X/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1239637127&sr=8-1

[Kirk Poore]

I learned to do them by hand out of one of Roy Underhill's books, probaby The Woodwright's Shop. I was pretty much on my own on the power tool side, though.

Kirk
who made 132 M&T joints on Saturday using a tablesaw w/tenoning jig, autofeed mortiser, bandsaw, and radial arm saw.

[Jeff Wright]

Get Rob Cosman's DVD on making M&Ts. It's over two hours long and well worth it:

http://robcosman.com/dvd.php

Once at this site, scroll down to the M&T DVD.