The Case for Cylindrical Tenons

For the last 22 years, I have switched back and forth with the type of mortise-and-tenon joint I use to join the legs to the seat in chairs.

At first, I used cylindrical joints, because I couldn’t afford a tapered reamer, and I didn’t know how to make a tapered tenon cutter.

But after Lee Valley began making reasonably priced reamers and tapered tenon cutters, I embraced them. Why? Because it was possible to sneak up on the perfect angle with the reamer. And the way the tapered tenon compressed to fit the mortise was pretty darn thrilling.

During the last two years, however, I have returned to cylindrical tenons. And I’ll probably stay with them from here on out. Here’s why.

When I find an antique stick chair that uses tapered mortise-and-tenon joints, it will be my first. Every old folk chair I’ve inspected has cylindrical tenons. This makes sense. Folk chairs were typically made by farmers during the off-season, or by village carpenters who made a variety of goods.

Cylindrical joints don…