There's a reason the mortise and tenon joint has been used for thousands of years—it can be carved using basic woodworking tools and it'll last for ages. John - Flickr CC Wikimedia 2.0 Gear-obsessed ...

The “mortise” is the recess where the tenon goes. It can be cut by hand with a mallet and mortising chisel, or mechanically with a mortising machine and a hollow chisel bit. If you don’t have those ...