# Slip/loose tenons



## revanson11 (Jan 5, 2012)

Okay, this is going to sound really dumb to some of you but I have a question concerning tenons. I am familiar with mortise and tenon joinery but I am a little confused with what is called slip or loose tenons. I am working on a project that calls for slip tenons and I am a little confused about gluing them. If it is called a slip/loose tenon are they still supposed to be glued in place? If so why would it be called loose/slip? Thanks for any clarity on this issue.


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## bondogaposis (Dec 18, 2011)

First they are not called "loose tenons" because they are loose, they should fit snug like any other tenon. The reason for them being called loose is that there are 2 mortises and the tenon is a separate piece of wood attached to both mortises by glue. Clear as the plot in a Faulkner novel?


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## endgrainy (Mar 25, 2013)

A slip or loose tenon is just a tenon that was not originally part of the workpiece, as opposed to an integral tenon. Yes, the loose tenon should be glued into place in the mortises on each workpiece of the joint. A Festool Domino is an example of a loose tenon.

http://www.popularwoodworking.com/projects/loose-tenon-joinery


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