Since just looking at how to make one of my top three connections would be pointless without practicing the techniques, I began to work on the Mortise and Tenon joint along with the Dovetail joint. I scavenged wood from a recently fallen pine tree and found some old cruddy wood that would be perfect for this job. I got my trusty handsaw and chisel and got to work.
I started with the Mortise and Tenon, as I predicted it would be the more simple of the two connections.
An example of Mortise and Tenon:
I began by tracing the width of the chisel along the end of the hardwood beam. About half an inch was trimmed off to create a much skinnier link.
There is about a .75'' width to the peg.
Next I traced an outline of the peg onto a solid piece of pine. With a chisel and the piece of hardwood I cut out a 1'' deep slit.
The two pieces fit together very well, and formed a very solid connection which easily held itself together when I picked it up.
Overall, this was an amazing learning experience as I understood how sturdy these connections really are. Tomorrow I plan on finishing the Dovetail joint, so far it's been troublesome and very hard to precisely cut.
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