The legs of the workbench and the upper stretcher are connected with a mortise and tenon joint. The leg is two-piece, and the tenon on the stretcher goes completely through the inside piece of the leg but doesn't go into the outside piece of the leg. When assembled, the end of the tenon isn't visible.
The top of the stretcher (blue) has to be flush with the top of the leg (brown) so that the top of the workbench will rest on both.
I don't think there's a hard and fast rule about the thickness of the shoulders of the tenon. I'm going to make the tenon square with the center placed so that the tops are flush.
From a technique perspective, I'll drill a hole with a Forstener bit on a drill press, and then clean the mortise out with a chisel. I have a nice tenon saw, so I'll cut the tenon with that rather than using the radial arm saw or the table saw, even though both of those saws would be quicker (for me).
Measurements for the stretcher ...... tenon length 1-1/2", stretcher length from inside leg to inside leg 19-1/4", total length of stretcher 22-1/4".
The good thing about this joint is that it's quite strong and nearly invisible.
CHEERS!
Phil
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