if you like this you will love how to make a wedged mortise and tenon: https://youtu.be/VE11nB4pnhM

An excellent lesson, many thanks. The last time I did these joints was on a much smaller scale. For the wedges I used 1/2" oak dowel and cut holes in the end of the tenon to match. Using a pillar drill with 1mm drill bit i could set the platform at 10° to get a repeatable pilot angle, then slowly with an augur. Taking the side of the dowel off at the same angle I managed a good fit which has lasted these 40 years.

I love how even on demonstration pieces you leave no room for error down to the point where you take an extra ½° for the perfect fit. It just shows how good of a teacher you are and the standards you maintain.

Firstly, it's not a Tusk tenon, it's a wedged through tenon. A Tusk is a bare faced tenon usually with the face down carrying a vertical load say in heavy timber framing.
Horizontal wedges work fine but it's usually better to use two to apply pressure at the ends of the shoulder if you want maximum stability.
To avoid splitting of the tenon it's advisable to make it as long as reasonably possible. At least three inches past the wedge. Especially if it's a softwood. The problem with Horizontal wedges is shrinkage in low humidity. They will loosen. A vertical wedge will drop under gravity and avoid a dangerously loose condition that you won't notice until you damage the joint under a shock load.
Never shoulder the tenon across its width if you don't have to. The wider it is, the stronger and more stable.
Even better if you shoulder two edges a nominal amount and leave the tenon thicker.
The wider the wedge, the more it will shrink. The steeper the wedge angle the more it will pop loose. Wide wedges do not apply as much pressure unless you drive them in very hard. Narrow wedges crush slightly and grab the end grain of the tenon better. This is traditional practice, not just my opinion.

When I made my bed frame a few years back, I had no idea about methods or planning joinery. Still don’t really. But, in second try I’m learning by watching first, then practice joinery on scraps. Someone asked me why not just buy. Of course my answer: Girl just likes the fun!

Disassemble-able furniture is the future! Please make more! 🤩

Excellent tutorial Rob, appreciate your talent and generosity in sharing this. It’s always nice to watch a professional at work and how they go about working through steps of a project.

Just come across this when I was looking for a good tusk tenon method as I going to build a outdoor 2.4m oak table and install  the cross beam between the legs using a branch from a Mirabelle Plum tree that fell down this summer due to the dry weather the UK has had this year, absolutely beautiful wood  and I though the beam that joins the two cross legs will look amazing using a tusk tenon and now I know how its done .Mr Cosman you are a man that pays attention to perfection, thats for sure, which is very refreshing and when I do my wedge tenon I may use the SOHCATOA  trig formulae to get the perfect width for the 5 deg wedge. Excellent video

useful video, you can tell this is not something he  does very often (the wedge layout part) , but he got through it.  always useful stuff on this channel

Fencing contractor, I loved doing massive cedar gateways where the gates and structures could be disassembled for maintenance or repair, utilizing joinery like this. I loved hiding unessential handwork on components that take the most wear, knowing they will only be seen many years from now during a repair.

Enjoy watching you use the table saw as a precision instrument,  great skill you have.

I imagine the reason for having the wedge go vertical (through the tenon the long way) is related to the amount of extra wood you need in the tenon for strength. Going the long way, you'd have to shear off a lot of wood when driving in the wedge for it to fail. The way you did it, you need to make the tenon a little bit longer to give it strength. Like you said, that's probably worth it for the ease of making it.

Also, a vertical wedge maybe just "feels like" it won't loosen up and fall out. Probably nothing to worry about but maybe that's part of why people do it.

I was watching another one of your videos last night and noticed the 'different' tusked tenon and wondered about it. I used one on my bench to join the stretchers to the legs, but in the traditional vertical down way and thought that this/your way would have been easier to cut and maybe even stronger, then in looking through I found this, thanks.

Best tusk video!  Step by step hand and power tool processes. Especially the measure and marking detail. We don't usually get that yet it is so important.

I plan on trying this joint out on a project I’m working. I’m glad I found this video!

This is by far the best tusk tenon video I’ve seen

In building my workbench I followed Rob's construction of his own bench. This included the tusk tenon. It's been something around 6 years, and it's still rock solid. Thanks Rob.

Definitely makes more sense to have the tusk going laterally like that, Rob. Thanks for putting this out here for us.

I just know that this is going to come in handy sometime soon...

Thanks Rob!

It's like watching Michelangelo as an expert wood craftsman