mortise making techniques

[Mark Kosmowski]

I'm going to be making some mortises soon. Trying to decide whether to invest in a mortise machine, a mortise pal type jig or some better chisels. For that matter, let me know if I'm forgetting some other technique for making mortises.

How do you all like to make mortises and why?

Thanks!
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[Jamie Buxton]

Plunge router, with an edge guide.

It is a tool with many uses, not just one.
There are no extra parts to buy.
It is accurate and fast.

[Peter Pedisich]

Mark,

What's your budget?

Low cost: Drill press then clean walls with chisel, I did it early on and it works well.
Medium cost: Plunge router with edge guide (two edge guides on one set of bars works better)
Higher cost: Depends on what you like...some like mortisers for the low noise level and durability and square corners...I like a plunge router + mortising jig for clean mortises and great dust collection.

The mortise pal is well regarded by many.

Pete

[Mike Henderson]

The best is the horizontal slot mortiser.

Mike

[Mark Kosmowski]

I guess that means zero cost is to use the drill press or plunge router that I already have. You folks take the fun right out of tool shopping. (joking)

Actually, now that I'm thinking more rationally, a nicer set of chisels than the cheap set I picked up at TSC (Tractor Supply Company) some time ago might be the best investment.

I looked through my "Illustrated Guide to Joinery" book yesterday and am leaning towards multiple tenon joints for extra face grain - face grain surface, so the drill press might be the best bet.

If I'm not planning to use the drill press other than for mortises for my upcoming project, would it be worthwhile to look into a mortise attachment? Or is the best answer for spending money still a set of better chisels?

Thanks!

[Nelson Howe]

I like my plunge router, and use the mortising jig Michael Fortune made (March/April 2008). You can find it at Fine Woodworking.com (though you have to join and pay--money well spent for me--to reference the article.). But any kind of rig including just a fence will work. Then you either chop the corners square or round your tenons.

Nelson

[Mike Henderson]

I guess that means zero cost is to use the drill press or plunge router that I already have. You folks take the fun right out of tool shopping. (joking)

Actually, now that I'm thinking more rationally, a nicer set of chisels than the cheap set I picked up at TSC (Tractor Supply Company) some time ago might be the best investment.

I looked through my "Illustrated Guide to Joinery" book yesterday and am leaning towards multiple tenon joints for extra face grain - face grain surface, so the drill press might be the best bet.

If I'm not planning to use the drill press other than for mortises for my upcoming project, would it be worthwhile to look into a mortise attachment? Or is the best answer for spending money still a set of better chisels?

Thanks!
I think you will regret getting a mortising attachment for the drill press. Most of them sit in drawers and never get used. Well, they get used one time and then they go into the drawer.

Mike

[Peter Quinn]

I've done it a few different ways, DP and chisel, DP with mortiser attachment, dedicated chisel mortiser, plunge router with edge guide or bushing guided template, chopped by hand with a chisel, drilled by hand with a brace and cleaned up with a chisel. I'm with Mike H at this point, horizontal slot mortiser is my favorite. I paid for one with some side work, its quick clean and accurate, but probably the most expensive option, it only does one thing, and it eats up a pretty big foot print. Chopping by hand is my least favorite method, fraught with danger on delicate work.

I guess you need to pick a method that fits your current budget, space and personal preference, and one that suits our needs in terms of production speed. A good set of bench chisels is a good call in any event, but if you are going to chop mortises by hand, a machine might actually be cheaper than a fine set of mortising chisels.

[Joe Scharle]

I like my Woodrat.

[Greg Cole]

I think you will regret getting a mortising attachment for the drill press. Most of them sit in drawers and never get used. Well, they get used one time and then they go into the drawer.

Mike

I have one I'd give to someone if they wanted it, waste of time, money and frustrating IMO. Attempting to use the DP mortise attachment shoved me to learn how to chop'em the old fashioned way. It's not the fastest method, but it's a skill not many ww'ers have in their proverbial tool box. You don't need to buy a complete set of chisels, especially if you aren't much of a hand tool user. One or 2 sizes (1/4" and 3/8") would get you going.
I also have a Domino for projects that require numerous M & T joints albeit loose tenon joinery. I was close to buying a dedicated mortiser but on an impulse I went with the Domino.

[Brad Townsend]

I disagree with the comment about drill press mortising kits. Rather than being used one time and going in a drawer, mine was used one time and went on a garage sale.:D

I have a very good dedicated mortise machine (PM701) that I rarely use and should probably sell. The Mortise Pal jig and my plunge router are my preferred tools for speed and accuracy.

[george wilson]

I just cut mine with a milling machine,and square up the ends with a chisel afterwards. I would like to find an old pedal operated mortiser,but they don't pop up very often.

It seems that woodworkers are discovering how useful milling machines are by now. Grizzly has been offering one for woodworking for several years. I've used mine for both metal and wood for many years. It's just a VERY rigid router.

[Al Navas]

I'm going to be making some mortises soon. Trying to decide whether to invest in a mortise machine, a mortise pal type jig or some better chisels. For that matter, let me know if I'm forgetting some other technique for making mortises.

How do you all like to make mortises and why?

Thanks!
http://familywoodworking.org/forums/images/misc/progress.gif
Mark,

If you envision many in your future, the Leigh FMT is hard to beat - I posted a thread (http://sawmillcreek.org/showthread.php?t=100020&highlight=Leigh) about it:

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.

[Frank Drew]

I've done it a few different ways, DP and chisel, DP with mortiser attachment, dedicated chisel mortiser, plunge router with edge guide or bushing guided template, chopped by hand with a chisel, drilled by hand with a brace and cleaned up with a chisel. I'm with Mike H at this point, horizontal slot mortiser is my favorite.

Ditto, but before I got mine I did lots of mortises with a plunge router, end mills, and a shop-made jig (Tage Frid design originally in FineWoodworking; looks like a wooden miter box.) Easy to use and got fine results.

But a horizontal slot mortiser will make you think you've gone to mortising heaven :D.

IMO, rounding the tenons is much easier than chopping the ends of mortises square.

[Greg Hines, MD]

I use the Woodsmith jig for mortising. (See http://www.sawmillcreek.org/showthread.php?t=79953 ). (http://www.sawmillcreek.org/showthread.php?t=79953)

You can build it in somewhere near a half hour, with some basic hardware, and it works great.

Doc

[Chris Tsutsui]

For me, a chisel takes too long and requires skill making the mortises, and sharpening the chisels.

I have the latest Delta Hollow Chisel Mortiser that I got with a nice set of Lee valley hollow chisel mortisers from a guy on CL.

I just setup the fence, mark off the mortise area and cut away.

Make sure you cut the ends of the mortises, and then cut away the material between the two ends because if you leave just a little bit of wood to be remove cutting from one end to the other, the bit might not cut straight down.

[Al Navas]

Mark,

Will there also be tenons?


Al

[sean m. titmas]

cutting mortises for doors, tables and other large type pieces i clamp the wood to the table and use a plunge router with the homemade sub base shown below. the bars are T-track from Kreg and are adjustable by way of knobs on the topside.

for smaller, more delicate sized pieces i use my router table with stop blocks to cut the mortises.

also i am designing a jig similar to the wood rat and other jigs that clamp the piece below a table with an adjustable slot for use with a hand held router, guide bushing and a spiral up cut bit.

my goal, when i can afford it, is to purchase a stand alone slot mortiser or the Multi-Router by JDS.

i am try to use slip tenons for my joinery whenever possible because i like process and the freedom it allows with complicated, multi-angle glue-ups.

there is a good article in the latest FWW about mortisers that covers all catagories.

[Cliff Rohrabacher]

Slots & floating tenons
I made my own slot mortiser using a commercially available X-Y milling table and retro fitted it with lever handles instead of the dials. The tilting power head is a Triton big dog router.

[Mark Kosmowski]

Mark,

Will there also be tenons?


Al

There sure will be. Figure to do those with my RAS. It's the square holes that I'm trying to figure out. The thought of rounding off a tenon seems to me just as problematic as making a square hole.

[Peter Quinn]

There sure will be. Figure to do those with my RAS. It's the square holes that I'm trying to figure out. The thought of rounding off a tenon seems to me just as problematic as making a square hole.

Not sure I agree with you there. A quick set up on the router table with a half round or quarter round that matches the tenons thickness and a few seconds with a chisel/rasp to get the last 1/4", and your done. You have perfect cheeks where the strength and glue bond are and pretty good shoulders too. I've never split a board rounding the tenons, wish I could say the same for chopping mortises square.

[Frank Drew]

I agree with Peter; rounding over loose tenon stock can be done easily by the running mile, if needed, and rounding over an integral tenon isn't much more difficult (maybe a chisel, then a rasp... done and done.)

[Joe Scharle]

I find that rounding over an integral tenon is real quick with a box cutter. And if you're not too precise, you have a nice little glue relief channel.

[Jerry Olexa]

I've done many methods including buying a dedicated mortising machine. I used it so seldom, i sold it last year. When I need to now, I use a plunge router with a simple jig I built that adjusts to size and material.Mortises are an important part of WWing joinery IMHO...

[harry strasil]

George Wilson wants one of No.1, Uses No. 2.

[harry strasil]

And could probably build this bench model. LOL:eek:

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