It’s one of those fundamental joints that nearly every woodworker has to master. The mortise and tenon joint has been around for millennia, and it is one of the hardest working joints out there. It holds stubbornly in chairs, tables, post and beam construction and a million and one other projects.

Of course, the challenge is finding a way to cut the components in a manner that is fast, easy and accurate. So, this week, let’s focus on one half of the equation… the mortise. I’m sure we have all cut them several different ways, and maybe our preferences have changed over the years. But, for today, tell us what your current preferred method is to cut a mortise.

How do you cut mortises in your shop?