Board end mortising

[Mark Versprille]

I am building a bed for my son and I got some Rockler bed rail mounts http://images.rockler.com/rockler/images/28589-01-200.jpg
I have never flush mortised the end of a board before. I don't have a horizontal mortiser. What sort of ways have you folks used for this job? Is there a jig I should build/buy or is a mallet an chisel the best way?

[Eiji Fuller]

mortising end grain is a bit trickier than edge grain. I would make a template and rout it out. you could make a template in about 5 min with mdf glued together with 2P10.

[Prashun Patel]

If you only have a few to do, I'd do it with a chisel; Score the outline with a utility knife, and then use the chisel. You'll get passable results.

[Mike Henderson]

I'm with Eiji. Mortising end grain, especially if you're making a deep mortise, is tough with a chisel, and you risk breaking the side if you pry too hard. As you pointed out, a horizontal slot mortiser is the absolute best, fastest way but a router with a jig will also work. If you decide to go with a chisel, just go slow and be careful. Try some scrap first.

Mike

[glenn bradley]

+1 for router. I use a Mortise Pal but if your only doing this now and then, make a quick jig.

[Brad Patch]

Make a L shape fence out of scrap wood 3/4 stock will work, 1 inch stock is better. Make the legs about 3 or 4 inches wide. Make it any length you want, mine is about 18 inches. Just be sure that the legs are 90 degrees to each other. Clamp one leg onto the bed rail use the other leg as a base for your router and use the router edge guide to get a good parallel mortise. Have used this method for years, and have found numerous other applications, especially when I need mortises on oddly shaped material.

[Mark Versprille]

Cool idea Brad. Thanks. And I am going to practice this a few times on some # yellow pine before I get near the black walnut. And even then I'll practice on some scrap ends first. This wood is too pretty to waste.

[Thomas Pender]

Cut two 1/2" boards - about 4" inches by 10". Cut a slot the size of the item to be motised in one. Then dado out the width of the second board so that if you use it as a fence to the side of the rail and into the first board your cut out hole with. Needs to be centered over the end board and it will fit tight - use paper to shim as ncessary. Buy Freud or Amana 1/2" (1/4") shank dado (Amana 45460-S) or bottom.dado clean out bit with a rub collar that will match the sides of the rectangular hole you cut in your first board. Clamp the jig to your board and fasten in the side vise of your bench and then figure out how deep you need it and set that depth for two or more adjustments (passes) in your plunge router - I use a Bosch, but anyone will work. Then lightly put the bit in there (use a test piece first) and watch how you can rout out that end grain without damaging anything. (You can make it slightly deeper with common bench chisels.) Then use a skew or bench chisel to cut in your corners. Pencil in the screw holes once it mounts and then drill holes. Then use square or star drive 1.5" or 1.75" #10 good screws (like from McFeelys) with an impact driver. (Some guys say use epoxy as you drive them so they will not work out, but I have never had that problem.) If you cut your mortise too deep, you can use tiny little washers around the screws as they penetrate the bed rails (on top of the wood) :o. You want the thing perfectly flush with the end of the rail and I mean perfectly flush.:D

I have used my jig several times for big bed rails and it works a treat. I use the Rockler board mounting hardware you mention - great tough stuff and it is invisible once clicked in. (Mallet is sometimes necessary to get in and out and I fit them together out of the wood to make sure they will work - a little persuasion is not unexpected.)

OH - don't forget the receiving end will require some deeper holes for the hooks to go through (in the post) when you use that kind of system. I use a 1/2" Forstner bit over what I have marked and account for how the hooks will drop. Some practice helps.

Send me a PM if you need some more info.