A tenon is a male component of a mortise and tenon joint used to create a strong connection point. There are different types of tenons, including stub, through, tusk, and feather. Tenons are used in various fields, from furniture making to wooden frame construction and have been used for thousands of years.
A tenon is the male component of a mortise and tenon joint, used to create an extremely strong and durable connection point for many materials. While there are different styles, the concept is basically the same: the end of one material is inserted into a hole in another material. Generally the tenon is made by narrowing a portion of the rail from which it is cut, creating a “shoulder” which determines the depth of insertion into the mortise. After insertion, the tenon can be glued, fixed or left alone.
There are several types of tenons that perform a variety of functions. Some styles are used for strength, while others are used as part of the overall design. Common styles include tenon, stub, through, tusk, and feather.
A stub, or hidden, tenon is shorter than the width of the material it is inserted into. This type is used when no evidence of the joining method is desired. If the stub is tight enough, it can only be held in place by friction. If not, it can be reinforced with glue or pins.
Through tenons are longer than the width of the material it is being driven into and are visible. The joint can be mortised, glued, or left alone. The exposed end can be secured with a dowel. This type of interlocking is often seen on handcrafted furniture.
A tusk tenon, or wedge, uses small wedges to separate the final grain of the wood, clamping it against the sides of the mortise. This type of joint rarely uses glue or pins. If it passes through the mortise, the wedges can take on a decorative effect.
Feather, or loose, tenons are separate pieces of wood, inserted into mortises cut into both pieces of the material to be joined. These tenons are normally fixed with glue or pins. This type of tenon is also a variation of the biscuit joint, commonly used in frame construction.
To ensure the strongest possible joint, the tenon should be one-third the thickness of the rail. While the shoulders don’t have to be trimmed on all sides, they can help hide imperfect mortises. Rails are most easily cut using a table saw or router, and special bits are available for cutting round tenons.
While more common among carpenters, this type of joinery is also employed by stonemasons, metalworkers, and machinists. It is used in everything from furniture making to wooden frame construction, and evidence of its use has been discovered in ship ruins dating back to 4800 BC. Stonehenge’s stone lintels, supported by mortises and tenons, are still standing after 4,500 years. Even the famous Khufu vessel of the Giza pyramid complex, built around 2500 BC, shows signs of mortise and tenon joinery.
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