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#mortise and tenon

Plans

A heavy 19th-century wooden joiner's workbench with vises in a museum

Expert

Roubo-Style Workbench

A massive, laminated-top workbench with legs flush to the front edge, through-tenons, and a leg vise — built from construction lumber. About 84" × 22" × 34".

  • Time40–70 hours
  • Est. cost$250–$600
A historical watercolor rendering of a simple Shaker table with slender turned legs

Intermediate

Shaker-Style Side Table

A clean, timeless side table with tapered legs, mortise-and-tenon aprons, and a top that floats on wood buttons. 18" × 18" × 26" tall.

  • Time15–25 hours over several weekends
  • Est. cost$80–$200

Tips

A wooden mortise gauge scribing parallel lines on the face of a board

Expert

Mortise and Tenon by Hand

Layout with a mortise gauge, chopping a clean mortise, sawing and fitting the tenon, and drawboring for a joint that stays tight.