View Full Version : Chopping Some Mortices This Week
Tom Bender
02-02-2024, 5:21 PM
Before laying out I sand to 300. This is especially helpful on oak which wants to steer the line. Layout is with a ballpoint pen. This is a new tool for me. It makes a bold line. I made a paper template, from a manila folder, one of my favorite materials.
I've drilled 5 holes from one side and 3 from the other. Three leaves enough bridging to prevent splitting out inside the double mortice. After the first is chopped I drill the other two holes.
The red clamp (and caution) prevent blowing out the end.
514921
John TenEyck
02-02-2024, 7:17 PM
My hat's off to you Tom, but I found out that power tools make that a much easier job. Keep the Ibuprofen nearby.
John
Thomas McCurnin
02-02-2024, 9:03 PM
I find using a sharp layout knife and a knife wall prevents wandering mortise lines/walls. I use a ball point pen to accentuate the knife wall, just so I can see what I am doing, but its the knife wall that rules.
Derek Cohen
02-02-2024, 11:45 PM
Here is a morticing guide I designed and built. From my website:
Morticing Guide
Paul Sellers created a set of saw guides with different offsets for the beauty shoulder. My version is similar, with a few exceptions:
(1) The fixture adjusts for any offset (it is not a fixed distance from the edge), replacing several fixtures with one.
(2) It is held in a face vise, but the chopping takes place on the bench (in my case, over a leg). Paul chops his in the vise (not so good for the life of the vise?).
(3) The fence also acts as a hold down, preventing the work piece to be lifted by the mortice chisel.
The front ..
https://www.inthewoodshop.com/ShopMadeTools/MorticingGuide_html_m1cd6b9df.jpg
The rear …
https://www.inthewoodshop.com/ShopMadeTools/MorticingGuide_html_211eacaa.jpg
The fixture is simply a long fence with a fine sandpaper as non-slip, against which the stretcher is clamped, and a short sliding fence, which will act as the depth control.
The marked mortice ..
https://www.inthewoodshop.com/ShopMadeTools/MorticingGuide_html_m64c5ec79.jpg
Place the stretcher on the bench and drop the fixture on top of it. Clamp the fixture in the bench …
https://www.inthewoodshop.com/ShopMadeTools/MorticingGuide_html_m1594e988.jpg
Now adjust the sliding fence alongside the registration side of the mortice …
https://www.inthewoodshop.com/ShopMadeTools/MorticingGuide_html_37f5fddb.jpg
Clamp the stretcher against the long fence and begin chopping with the chisel against the sliding fence ..
https://www.inthewoodshop.com/ShopMadeTools/MorticingGuide_html_m776897dc.jpg
The aim here is to achieve perpendicular sidewalls.
https://www.inthewoodshop.com/ShopMadeTools/MorticingGuide_html_ma9e4d1a.jpg
Another way to use this fixture is to drill out the waste, and use the sliding fence to pare the remaining waste ..
https://www.inthewoodshop.com/ShopMadeTools/MorticingGuide_html_m8a33be7.jpg
Regards from Perth
Derek
September 2022
Tom Bender
02-03-2024, 6:20 AM
Derek that's a nice fixture. The flat topped cap screws look amazing, and are those washers stainless? Nice looking tools set a high standard for the work.
Derek Cohen
02-03-2024, 8:54 AM
Thanks Tom. The washers are stainless but the cap screws are simply anodised steel.
Regards from Perth
Derek
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