Upscale wrote:
"Doug Winterburn" wrote in message
Mortise & Tenon.

Yeah, I considered that right away, but I don't currently have the skill or
facilities for M&T.


You can do the mortises using 3/4" material glued and laminated together
after ploughing out 3/8" deep on each half to receive the tenon. You
could use 1-1/2" material for a beefier look and make the mortise
ploughs about 1/2" deep for 1" tenons. The ploughing out can be done
with multiple cross cuts with a hand saw and clean up with a chisel, a
router or multiple crosscuts with a tablesaw or RAS. The 3/4" thick
tenons are pretty easy using a piece of 2x8 or 2x10 with hand tools or a
TS or RAS. It won't matter that the M&Ts are through as nobody will see
the through part. Glue with titebond 3 for outdoor use.