Jig for Mortising with router

[John Branam]

Do you use a jig for cutting mortises with a router, if so do you have pictures to share? Or do you "freehand" cut them with a router. I n the past I have used a drill press to make the motise and cleaned them up with a chisel but the one I need to cut are on some long boards that would be tought to handle on the dp.

[Jon Eckels]

I'll probably get bashed for saying so, but I use the EZ Guide for doing a lot of mortises. I find it's a lot easier than using the drill press and then cleaning up with the chisel. I've done several screen doors with this method and am very happy with the results. It's not as fast as having a dedicated hollow chisel mortiser, but it's easily the next best thing. It's also handy at jobsites to do hinges lock box mortises quickly and cleanly.

Theres a forum for the EZ Guide at the bottom of SMC. heres some pictures as well: Gallery (http://eurekazone.com/gallery/album05)

[Maurice Ungaro]

John,
Here's a simple, effective and VERY easy low cost way of doing repeatable mortises (mortii?)

http://www.highlandwoodworking.com/index.asp?PageAction=Custom&ID=29

[Allen Bookout]

I use this system. It works well.

http://patwarner.com/morticer.html

Allen

[Mark Berenbrok]

I second the jig Maurice suggested. Some pieces of plywood just smaller than the jig base are useful for raising the piece so its just below the edge.

[Steve Wargo]

I use the box that Tage Frid used, but I like the one on Pat Warner's site. May have to try that one when I get some time to spend on jigs again.

[Steve Beadle]

John, I usually do mortises on my router table, if they're not too awfully deep. Otherwise, I do them on the drill press and clean them up with a chisel. If the mortise is the same size as my one mortising chisel, I'll do them by hand and enjoy the peace and quiet. Kinda depends on what mood I'm in, too!
Steve

[John Branam]

Thanks for the replies. I like the Tage jig seems pretty simple. I had not considered using my router table, that might be a good option I'll have to try that out on some scrap.

[Maurice Ungaro]

John, a few issues back, FWW had a really cool shop built horizontal slot cutting/boring table that you put rour router on. All made with MDF and t-track. Another thing I've got on my list of things to do for myself.

[Mark Hulette]

Our very own moderator extraordinaire Ken Salisbury has a neat horizontal mortising set-up that uses floating tenons that was posted long ago. Sorry, didn't have a chance to do a search for the thread.

I've used the same method and it works well.

Maybe Ken will respond with that link or related pictures.

[John Branam]

John, a few issues back, FWW had a really cool shop built horizontal slot cutting/boring table that you put rour router on. All made with MDF and t-track. Another thing I've got on my list of things to do for myself.

Do you know what the exact issue was thath had that? I would like to see the article. I have seen something in shopnotes with the horizontal set up.

[Andy Fox]

Do you know what the exact issue was thath had that? I would like to see the article. I have seen something in shopnotes with the horizontal set up.

It's FWW April, 2004

Also, the book Woodworking With the Router has a nice horizontal table. I'm thinking of modifying that design to fit on the back of my existing router table. I have the first edition, but have ordered the new updated edition.

[Allen Bookout]

I thought that this looked like a really good setup so I ordered the plans. I have not had a chance to build it and try it out but the plans are very complete and appears to me to be a real good answer.

http://plansnow.com/dn3081.html

[Steven Peters]

I threw together a simple jig made of scrap teak for making the mortises for Soss hinges today. Basically it's two flat pieces of 1/2" solid nailed together in an L. Very simple and should work well for the 240 hinges I have to mount this week?

[Danny Buie]

John,
Attached are a couple of snapshots of my Tage Frid jig in action with a couple of minor additions. The base of the jig is four layers of 3/4" plywood. The bottom layer is for clamping in the bench vise. The top layer is removable for height adjustment. The white stuff is iron on edging for low friction and no snags. It also makes layout marks in pencil standout.

Inside are a couple of blocks and two wedges for clamping. I tried a bunch of different clamping arrangments and settled on the wedges. A quick tap with the hammer snugs them up or loosens them. Other clamps seemed to hook the cord on the router at the worst possible time. The little red clamp is on the inside for the same reason. It clamps the stop for the end of the stock. The paintbrush is to keep the dust swept away. Also note the sliding stops on the top are undercut on the ends to keep dust from building up.

Thats an upcut spiral bit (high speed steel) in my 1988 vintage Makita 3612B plunge router. What a workhorse.

What makes this work for me is the jig, efficient clamping, and the edge guide on the plunge router. I've used this method for about 15 years.

Thanks
Danny Buie
Baton Rouge

[Corey Hallagan]

Nice looking set up Danny! Thanks for posting.

corey

[jonathan snyder]

Here is a mortise jig I made. It is not my design, it was designed by a fellow in Australia. I e-mailed him and he was happy to share his plans. It only cost a couple of bucks in build, but it took me a while. I went with this jig because I do not have an edge guide for my router, and it looked like it would be fun to build! It is quite easy to cut repeatable mortises dead center, or off center if you need. It usually takes 3 or 4 test cuts to position a mortise. The dial caliper allows you to measure how much you move the fence. I'm not sure that precision is necessary, but it looked cool to a newbee who never cut a mortise before.

The fence and stop blocks run on UHMW rails and the threaded rod advances and retracts the fence.

I recently completed my first m&t project, a face frame and set of four cabinet doors for my camper trailer.

I also made a tenon jig that the same fellow designed.

JOnathan

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[John Branam]

I made the Tage jig last night I need to make the stop blocks and will just use temporary ones for now. I will be using it tonight. Thanks everyone for the help.

[John Stevens]

should work well for the 240 hinges I have to mount this week?

Used the same thing to mount Soss hinges on some CD cabinets last summer. Will work fine if they don't loosen up and allow the router to rock or wobble when you plunge it--seems obvious, but try a test run to make sure. (I ended up using threaded rods with double nuts to stop the slippage.) A little UHMW tape on the contact surfaces will help you keep it a little tighter while still leaving it loose enough to slide.

Good luck with the 240 hinges--tedious work.