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Mortice and tenon
- joint where a projection, the tenon, fits into a socket, the mortice, also mortise.
(Mortice is the verb, a morticed joint is one where two members are joined by a mortice and tennon).
The tenon should never be more than one-third of the width of its member. A barefaced tenon
has only one shoulder. A stub tenon does not project through the member into which it is
morticed, while a mortise which has not been cut all the way through a beam is a blind or
stump mortise. Tenons are usually fixed by wedges. Stub tenons frequently have wedges
inserted into saw cuts in their ends which then secure the joint as the tenon is driven
into the mortice. An oblique tenon is used when the two members to be joined do not meet
at right angles. Any joinery described as framed, uses mortices and tenons.
A bridle joint
is formed where a tenon fits into a U-shape formed at the end of a member. Where the ends
of members are simply reduced to half their width and bought together, a halving joint is formed.