Mortise and tenon

Simple and strong, the mortise and tenon joint has been used for centuries by woodworkers around the world to join two pieces of wood, most often at an angle close to 90°. Although there are many variations on the theme, the basic idea is that end of one of the members is inserted into a hole cut in the other member. The end of the first member is called the tenon, and it's usually narrowed with respect to the rest of the piece. The hole in the second member is called the mortise. Glue, dowels, wedges, nailss, or a combination of these fasten the tenon in the mortise making a more or less permanent joint.