Timber Frame Mortising Tool Options

[Dean Arthur]

I've long since wanted to do some timber framing work and I've decided to start by framing the roof of a stone barn I'm restoring.

The barn is in a remote location. There is power, but I primarily use hand tools there. It's hard to get tools there, and storage space is an issue right now.

Timber framing doesn't seem particularly tool intensive, but I'm kind of kicking around some ideas for how to do the mortises (1 1/2" size).

A chain mortiser is of course an option, makita being the most obvious. What size chain would you suggest? Anyone bought chain mortisers used? Is it worth the risk or better to just go new?

Drilling and chiseling is an option and I'm wondering if this approach makes the most sense for the scale and location of this project. I don't enjoy mortise work, but the compactness of the tools is tempting.

Anyone use the woodowl self feeding forstner bits (perhaps with extension for deeper mortises)? https://www.timbertools.com/WoodOwl-...d-Wood-Boring/ Or are the auger bits a better option? https://www.fine-tools.com/auger-bits.html

Is something like this ZOBO system worth considering for the mortises? https://www.timbertools.com/ZOBO-Cen...lling-Systems/

What type/size of drill would be the recommendation to pair these bits with? Freehand or build some sort of guide?

A vintage boring machine looks like an intersting neander approach, but as with most antique tools of late - the prices are ridiculous.

[Jamie Buxton]

Timber framing is crazy labor-intensive. Add to that using only hand tools, and it gets double crazy. It you want to finish the barn before you die, use power tools. Get a small generator. Figure out how to get tools there, and store them. Or else hire a whole team of builders.

[Richard Coers]

Easier to give advice if we knew the wood species you are using, how many mortises you intend to cut, and what your time schedule will be like.

[Patrick Kane]

Second what Jamie said. Do not underestimate the labor involved--i know i certainly did. I raised my first small frame about a month ago, and i initially set out on the build with a 7-1/4" circular saw, 1.5" barr chisel, 6" makita planer(used), a 1" wood owl auger bit, and a cheap ryoba. Oh, i had a big vintage slick too. Like you, i thought, 'ill just drill and chisel out the mortises. im not in a race', and then i began my first mortises into the sill corners. Im a competent furniture maker and pretty fit, but you want your butt kicked? Go whack some mortises out in the blazing sun and low 90s. After that afternoon, i did the simple math in my head and determined i would be chiseling mortises till Thanksgiving, and immediately looked at my options for a chain mortiser. The Mafell is stupid expensive, and the makita is the slower but affordable option. I ended up buying a 12ish year old Protools/Hema/Festool mortiser. 2" bar and 230v. This was a couple grand, but it is lightning fast. It seems almost identical to the Mafell, and i honestly have no idea how they differ in design. They both do cross grain cuts without a clamping attachment. You didnt ask about saws, but i would get a 16" saw if i were doing it all over again. The Super Sawsquatch looks like a real winner for the money.

The chain mortisers are really expensive and i dont see any way around that other than getting really really lucky on a great deal. I look at it this way, im probably going to build 1-2 more frames in the next year or two and then maybe resell the mortiser. Maybe i lose a couple hundred on the resale and maybe i break even, but 'renting' that tool for a few builds is something i would gladly do for a couple hundred bucks. Honestly, the ideal situation is to lay out your mortises, rent a chain mortiser from a local builder for a day and knock them all out. If you dont temporarily want to invest a grand or two in a tool, then a drill and a chisel will be your companions on a trail of misery.

How many mortises do you need to create for the barn restoration?

[Dean Arthur]

The timber framing will just be for the roof - so mainly rafters. Bridle joints for the peak joint, mortise and tenons for the bracing. Still working out the plates and how the rafters will seat, but step laps for those joints. The rest of the structure is stone. Wood will either be pine or cedar.
Don't have the number of mortises yet but footprint of barn is about 22' wide by 28' long.
No intention of not using power tools, there is power there, just weighing a chain mortiser over drilling and chiseling out the waste, and when it makes sense to get the former. Also what size chain. I guess the 18mm is standard, is it worth it to get a larger chain?

[Bradley Gray]

Another vote for a mortiser. I have a Hitachi that I bought about 30 years ago The chain is 2 1/8 x 11/16" but the machine can cut 1 3/8 x 5" by tilting and shifting without moving the base clamp.

It is also possible to make a cut at the corner of the cheek and shoulder of a tenon which could eliminate needing a big saw.

I have found a lot of uses for the mortiser over the years making furniture and doors.

[Patrick Kane]

This hurts to post.

https://maine.craigslist.org/tls/d/e...180138060.html

More than half off what i paid for mine : 0 This is a $4,000+ tool new with a spare chain that is $400-500, and i would jump all over that deal if you can handle moving it to where you are. If you are worried about Protool/Hema not being around anymore, dont be. Festool supports parts for the mortiser. I needed two bits for mine, and i was able to order them from a UK festool dealer. America never saw the chain mortiser, so the american parts dealers cant support the tool for some stupid reason.

To clarify my initial suggestion about a 16" saw, i would strongly consider the saw if you are doing a lot of 6"+ thick timber. Cutting a 6x6 in one go is enormously time saving versus cutting from both ends, finishing with a ryoba, and then cleaning up the face of the cut with a chisel(if its a show face). It would also let you do drop cuts to create tenons much faster than the kerf n' whack method. The latter works, but its pretty time intensive and requires a fair amount of paring work to clean up. If your rafters and braces are only 3" thick, then this size saw wont be as valuable to you.

[Dean Arthur]

Nice find Patrick. Did some quick research. Appears Festool discontinued these about two years ago but you can still find them new for about $2300 - https://www.ebay.com/itm/FESTOOL-CHA...21913#shpCntId.

The one you posted is tempting. Do you prefer this style over the Makita style? Wondering if the smaller chain makes the tool more versatile - using it for joints on larger furniture pieces, perhaps doors?

I wasn't familiar with drop cutting tenons with a circular saw so I looked it up... https://timberframehq.com/how-to-mak...op-cut-method/

Similar to how I cut smaller tenons on my bandsaw but way sketchier The video I saw was done freehand - how do you maintain the accuracy (particularly if they're holding onto a 30lb saw)?

[Tom M King]

I have an old Makita 16-5/16" saw, that I bought new in the '70's, or early '80's-don't remember. I never had a blade that would cut true on it until a few years ago. I bought an Oshlun, which is far from the most expensive blade, but it not only cuts true, but leaves a slick surface. I did some compound angle cuts on 4x6's, and every one came out perfectly, with a surface that looked like they were cut with a Forrest blade on a table saw.

I don't want to jump in front of Dean, but Dean, if you don't want that mortiser, I'm going to get it, if the seller will ship. I don't really need it until next Spring, so if you buy it, I'll buy it from you when you finish with it. Thanks for posting it Patrick.

As far as the drill bits, I don't own any of the wood owls, but have Milwaukee self-feed multi-spur plumbing bits. They work fine. The self-feed bit is interchangeable, and available in a couple of different thread types. The spur part of any of them is easy to sharpen. I wouldn't pay any more money for any other type of bit. They come in sizes up to 4-5/8". For timber frame mortises drilling, I like a spade handle 1/2", or 3/4" drill. I find it easier to eye the hole plumb with one of those, over a right angle drill.

[Tom M King]

The large circular saw is very stable, once you get it in place to start the cut. You have to start straight, and stay straight though. There's not much steering once you get into the cut some. If I have to make a vertical, or horizontal cut with it, I'll make a cut with the 10-1/4" Milwaukee first. They both turn slower rpm's than you are used to with a 7-1/4" saw.

[Dean Arthur]

Tom, that makes sense with the slower RPMs on the larger saws. I've only ever used smaller saws and they of course scream.

And thanks for the heads up. Don't worry, I had already contacted the seller to see if they'll ship so fingers crossed. Otherwise I'll have to find a generous creeker in Maine who wouldn't mind shipping it onwards

The only thing I could see was that it appears to be missing the front plate at the top of the chain so I will ask if it's laying around. Patrick, is there anything else you notice or does everything else look like it's there?

[Patrick Kane]

Yep, front cover is missing. If you are doing deep mortises, that exhaust port will clog. Deep mortises into wet wood, I should say. For the most part, the tool puts out a stream of chips. In 25-30 mortises, I had it clog once. I assume this owner is more pro-oriented and dealt with a few too many clogs and threw away the front plate. It looks like he is missing the plunging fence accessory. It connects to the upper bar that comes off the back of the tool parallel to the main handle. I have this and I don’t know why you would use that fence over the lower fence/guide.

As Tom kinda alludes to, that is a monster deal. I didn’t see a used makita in that price range and I searched for months. This thing will eat the makita’s lunch. The makita is more versatile for sure, but this Mafell-style machine is so much faster. Just means all your tenons will be 2”, if that matters to you. It’s a bit of a pain to have a 220v tool in a remote situation, but I made it work here. I see your link, but I remember reading a bunch of complaints about the festool price. It didn’t include a chain or it didn’t come with the fence/guide and associated mounting bar. Anyway, festool gets you for another grand or so on top of that base price, ya know, “The Festool Way”.

[Dean Arthur]

Thanks again Patrick for the great find. Agreed with the gentleman selling it to ship it out to me. Will let you know when it comes in!

[peter gagliardi]

Pine or cedar, are super easy to work. A wood framed boring machine will make very quick work of that job. The standard figure is 1 hour per joint average with only hand tools. In pine or cedar, you could probably halve that. Sounds like about 100-150 joints , so I wouldnt waste the money on a chain mortiser- especially a makita , which is a painfully slow machine. We did hardwood and softwood frames- all softwood, all hand tools. Hardwoods we went to the Protool chain mortiser, as the wood framed boring machines suffer greatly in hardwood. The steel Miller Falls units did much better in hardwood.
Sharp tools, and green wood, and the softwood is a real breeze to do.

[Dean Arthur]

Well Peter, might be looking into that after all! The seller of the mortiser agreed to sell it to me and then sent a message an hour later saying he had sold it to his friend instead. Oh well, these things happen some times!