Mortising W/Out Mallet

[Greg Cole]

I'd read somewhere awhile ago about mortising & not being mean to your tools ie not hitting the chisel. I never really thought too much about it.... until I recently had a mishap with a tailed jointer and my pinky got a gratuitous manicure.
Anyway, working on a hallway table of all mahogany for a gift for my sister on some time off work this week.... wanting to hand cut the M & T's was not good with a boo boo on the chisel holding hand (stitches came out yesterday ;), the one thru the fingernail bed was a treat :cool:). Anywho, I had the dead brain cell come to life @ mortising without a mallet.
The mnahogany isn't hard & with a good scary sharp chisel (5 micron final for me), I cut the cleanest & straighest mortises I've ever done by hand today. I'm going with mitered tenons so it's much easier to not blow things up where the mortises meet in the leg. Also the chisel stays sharper longer I think.... but I hone mine as I work every so often.
If you haven't tried mortising witout a mallet, give it a try on a softer wood, you might just like it.

Cheers.

Greg

[Matt Bickford]

How long did it take to do all 8?

[Greg Cole]

Matt,
Less that an hour at 1+" depth and that's still somewhat slowed down (rapid stops & bumping things with the bad hand are a no no still) although I won't really admit to that.... being slowed down that is.

Greg

[Marcus Ward]

Did you drill all the waste out first?

[Mark Stutz]

Did you drill all the waste out first?

I'm also having a little trouble visualizing this. Not sure how I would go about chopping a mortice without using a mallet.:confused:

Mark

[Marcus Ward]

Well I figure if you drilled most of it out then a paring chisel would do the job, but I wasn't sure. I always use a mallet.

[Dusty Fuller]

I'll stick with beating my chisels. They said they like it. At least until I have a hand injury... nothing like "ow" to help us find new ways to do things. Sorry about the manicure!

Dusty

[Greg Cole]

No drilling, just lean on it a little. Left hand guides the chisel and the right hand goes on the butt end and I put my shoulder on my hand on the butt end. Like I said, with soft wood the nice sharp chisel sinks in plenty deep. Not over driving the chisel lends to nice straight walls too..... I'm not one that drills out waste, dunno why just don't.
I will not leave the mallet in the cabinet forever, but for delicate applications (and for those like me who can't sit still while "recouping".....:D). The table was supposed to be a Christmas gift so... I'm sorta making up for the delay already incurred from the "manicure".

Greg

[Marcus Ward]

Ooooh, softwood. ;)

[Mark Stutz]

Didn't think of that! Chris Schwartz has written an article on that particular chisel technique. Has pictures of him demonstrating it to cut a rabbett. Did not look very comfortable and also looked rather awkward. Did you you a morticing chisel?

[Greg Cole]

Mark,
Hirsch mortise chisel..... I am also pretty tall which helps with the sighting down the chisel & using my technique of right hand on the butt of the chisel & lean on the butt of the chisel with the right shoulder.
I could have gleemed it from Chris Schwartz.... not real sure as I've selpt a few nights since then ;).
Can't say as I'll try to "chop" any mortises in hard maple or anything... but in softer woods it's amazing how effortless it really is. And I really spent little time paring the mortises for fit after "chopping" them, a couple adjustments to the tenons during dry fitting was all.....
Hoping to sneak out of work early and get the base glued up and pegged today & maybe work on the breadboard ends on the top some this afternoon-evening (no New Years plans here so no hang over tomorrow...LOL).
Never worked with mahogany before, but I managed to "steal" some 8/4+ for $3 a bf... and have 40bf or so left after this project.

Happy New Years!
Greg