Through Mortises

[Russ Massery]

I'm currently working on a craftsman style table. Calls for through mortise and tenons. Care to share your method of cutting through mortises? So they come out clean and sharp. Thinking on using a router then squaring the corners with a chisel. Thanks, Russ

[tod evans]

russ, i use a hollow chisel mortiser entering from the show side and cut smaller than the finished mortise then pare to fit..02 tod

[Brian Hale]

Tod has right. You can also leave the stock a bit oversize and rip off the excess after the mortises are done.

Brian :)

[Mark Singer]

Russ...I just created a new thread today

http://sawmillcreek.org/showthread.php?t=40703&highlight=tenon

[pat warner]

This one (http://patwarner.com/images/hemlock.jpg) done with a templet & trimmer, no collars. Waste the field with drill or jigsaw, locate templet and trim to templet.
Sample was done to show that any stick can be tenoned to another even if neither was milled. Moreover, the templet (mortice) can be located anywhere.

Routers (http://www.patwarner.com)

[Jeff Horton]

Lay them out. Drill out most with a forstner bit. Square them up with a chisel.

[Bruce Page]

Russ, I always use a backer board of scrap MDF to prevent any chance of blowout.

[Travis Johnson]

I have to go with Jeff Horton on this one. I would use a Forstner Bit and a drill press as well, and then chean up the edges with a chisels. Its simple and easy. If your outside walls are a bit thin, or you are worried about a blow out, try using a wooden parrellel jawed hand clamp to keep the wood in check.

[Kirk (KC) Constable]

Tod has right. You can also leave the stock a bit oversize and rip off the excess after the mortises are done.

Brian :)

Might wanna be careful doing this if you use a mortiser, because the inside of the mortise will almost certainly be 'ragged' to some extent, and any ripping will expose this on the 'show' surface. As someone else suggested, I cut from the 'show' side, with a backer underneath the exit cut.

KC