The Chairmaker’s Mortise & Tenon Joint Chairmakers live and die by their Mortise & Tenon joints. The average panel door does not get stood on, climbed by hyper toddlers or get rocked back and forth with the weight of a full grown adult perched only on the rear legs. A chair with poor Mortise and tenon joints is firewood in waiting. I make handmade chairs (Take a look at some at https://www.tchair.org or https://www.instagram.com/rtchernis/ ). In order for them to survive in this harsh cruel world I have learned the crucial elements that facilitate a strong mortise and tenon joint. A well made six pound chair can support a 250 pound person and will stay strong well after the glue has failed. A recipe for a long lasting strong mortise and tenon joint: 1. The fit of the joint. A tightly fitting joint is very important. Any movement in the joint will be exacerbated during the life of the chair. Given the variety of stresses the joint will be put under, gaps will let the te