Reply by Mark Mazzo

Betsy,

As others have said, Loose Tenons are basically as strong as a traditional mortise & tenon if done accurately. I just wrote about how I do them (inexpensively) with a plunge router, edge guide and a simple jig on my blog. Look here for the post.

P.S. I had a comment on the blog from a “Betsy” and that may have been you…so you may have already read the post. If you try the technique that I describe, please let me know if you have any other questions.

-- Mark, Webster New York, Visit my website at http://thecraftsmanspath.com