With so many joints in woodworking, its sometimes difficult to know where to begin. But there is one joint that stands out in my mind as the first joint every woodworker should learn: the mortise and tenon. This is the joint that separates our work from Walmart’s. Are there faster ways to get the job done? Sure. But as woodworkers, with a focus on FINE woodworking, its our obligation to seek out the highest level of quality possible and to go beyond the “get ‘er done” mind set. So with that in mind, check out Part 1 of the mortise and tenon episode where I discuss and demonstrate two common ways to cut a mortise.