Cutting hole in frame joinery with festool domino


Another variation of a mortise-and-tenon joint is the loose-tenon configuration. It's a tried-and-true option that has served woodworkers for decades.


Bill Hylton created a jig for making mortises with a plunge router. Then he milled loose-tenon stock on his router table to match the round-ended shape of the mortises produced by the routing jig. His system was repeatable and accurate, and it's still a viable option. But this article is about machines that make mortise-and-tenon joints faster in and of themselves.


Wood biscuits for joinery
Biscuits are great for aligning long edges during glue-ups or strengthening mitered corners for picture frames. They are not up to the task of joining table legs to aprons.

Some might consider wood biscuits to be a loose-tenon option, but they have serious limitations in that regard. A table apron joined to a leg with biscuits simply will not hold up unless reinforced by additional joinery. (Biscuits have their place ... it's just not here.)


Festool domino 500 cutter
The Festool Domino is one of the most innovative and game-changing tools for woodworking in recent years. It creates strong loose-tenon joints quickly and easily.

Another machine that is similar in application is the Festool Domino, but the strength of its joints is impressive. The Domino has been around for many years now, and I have rarely seen a tool become as popular as fast as this German-made machine. Festool came up not only with the machine, which forms the mortises with a reciprocating bit, but also manufactures high-quality loose tenons to go with it ... the Dominoes.

This system is fast, accurate and makes strong, durable joints. Its only downside is the price. A Festool DF 500 kit is just north of a thousand dollars ... not chump change. And yet thousands of woodworkers deem the cost worth it. That is because the speed and quality it provides are remarkable. (I've got both sizes of Domino machines and regret nothing.)

On the other side of the price equation is the Beadlock loose tenon system from Rockler. The basic Beadlock kit comes in at around $100 and creates rock-solid loose-tenon joints that are also accurate and repeatable.


Rockler beadlock joinery cutting kit
The Beadlock system from Rockler offers woodworkers an effective loose-tenon system at a very affordable price. The jig enables a series of overlapping holes to form a mortise for Beadlock tenon stock.

The Beadlock jig allows you to drill a series of slightly overlapping holes into end or edge grain to form a uniquely shaped mortise. Tenons are machined to match that shape and fit tightly into it, thus creating a super strong joint. The jig can accommodate several different diameter drill bits for thicker or thinner stock and is dead-easy to use. If you can make holes with a drill/driver, you can use the Beadlock system.

Despite its low price and effectiveness, it has the downside of requiring you to drill LOTS of holes. This can feel kind of pokey. But its good results are nevertheless repeatable and simple to achieve.