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Mortice
and Tenon
A
mortice is the cavity cut to hold a tenon. Because of the
grain structure of wood, a mortice goes through the side of
a timber, while a tenon is cut on the end. Tenon comes from
the same root word as tendon, tenant, and tenacious, all in
the sense of holding. A tenon is any extension that fits into
a socket or mortice in another piece to help hold the two
together. A tenon is usually a continuous part of one of the
two pieces, but it may also be an independent part, or a "free"
tenon. In this last sense, a dowel joining two boards is a
free tenon.
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Plane, jack
Jack-of-all-trades,
the jack plane is the handiest size and generally the first
one on the job for smoothing timber. Depending upon how you
grind the iron and how much of it you expose, your jack plane
can quickly scrub down a rough timber or deliver the final
glass-like smoothness.
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Plane, router
With
a wood or iron body that rides on the existing surface, the
router plane holds its blade extended below to shear a level
surface. Wooden-bodied versions, using a stout iron from a
plow plane, were unkindly referred to as an "old woman’s
tooth."
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