How to mortise for lots of spindles

[Kenneth Walton]

Hi folks. I’m making a king sized bed soon, and my wife wants it to match the rest of the furniture. So that means mission style, QSWO, with lots of spindles. Like probably 45 for the headboard alone.

When I made the rest of the furniture for the house, I had a hollow chisel mortiser to make the series of square holes that the square tenons go into. I’ve since gotten rid of it as I’ve gone toward hand tools for more of my work. But this sounds like a pretty big challenge. How would you do it?

I have a domino still, but even the smallest domino width comes close to the 3/4” of the spindles. I could get a square hole punch thing from lee valley, but that seems like it might be a ton of work? I could also plow a groove across the pieces and fit the tenons to the groove, and put spacers between the tenons, but that seems inelegant. Any thoughts?

Thanks
Ken

[Graham Haydon]

Hi Ken

The last idea you have is pragmatic and effective. I'd make the groove the same width as the component. It works well for handrail and balustrade so would be effective.

Otherwise it's not that bad to just chop a mortice. They don't all need to be deep, perhaps just a couple to keep it tight.

[Reed Gray]

Well, there are several ways to make them with a router. Another alternative would be to cut a dado, then fill inbetween the tenons. I guess you could take it to a drill press and drill the mortices out, then clean those up with a chisel. That would take a bunch of work out of it.

robo hippy

[John Keeton]

Assuming the spindles are square or rectangular, if it possible to turn 1/2” round tenons on them so they can be seated in 1/2” holes? They can be aligned as installed with a straight edge and with good glue there shouldn’t ever be an issue.

[Edward Weber]

Without knowing what equipment you have, it's hard to give any advice. Plus, as John just mentioned, square or round makes a difference.

[Kenneth Walton]

Thanks for all the replies and ideas. The spindles will be 3/4" square. I don't have a lathe so I hadn't considered making a round tenon.

As for equipment, I have a jointer/planer, a bandsaw and a table saw. Small tools include a track saw and domino. Along with the usual hand tools:

IMG_2286 (1).jpg

[Kevin Jenness]

You could mortise with your Domino and cut shouldered square tenons to fit inside the rounded mortise ends. If the slat thickness matches the mortise only two shoulders would be needed and the long grain cuts could be split out with a chisel jig to save time. If working strictly by hand a groove and fillets would be easiest. Consider leaving the fillets slightly proud with a chamfer.

[Warren Mickley]

If you have a mortise chisel I think that would be the fastest way. About a minute and a half per mortise. They don't need to be very deep.

Drilling out takes extra time.

[Jim Koepke]

I could also plow a groove across the pieces and fit the tenons to the groove, and put spacers between the tenons, but that seems inelegant. Any thoughts?

Lots of good ideas above. A stopped groove could be made elegant by having rounded or other shapes of the spacers. As Keven mentioned, this could be as simple as a chamfer all around a proud spacer to give it the look of a faceted stone. One species of a contrasting wood or multiple species for a more colorful look.

A slot across the support board could actually be decorative. You do not have a lathe, but a hollow auger:

f Hollow Auger Cuts Tenon.jpg

could cut round ends on the spindles. They are not terribly expensive when found in the wild or ebay.

Do you have a combination plane to cut some beads or reeds?

jtk

[Rob Paul]

Easiest would be to use dowel pins

[Mel Fulks]

Spindles are round.

[John Keeton]

Kenneth, I would check Craigslist for a used mortise machine. I just checked a few major areas in the country and there are a LOT of them for sale. Spend $250-300, build the bed, sell it for $200-300. Makes more sense than trying a work around.

[Malcolm McLeod]

Where are you located? ...might have a mortice loaner? Depending on timing and your willingness to go powered.

[Ron Selzer]

Where are you located? ...might have a mortice loaner? Depending on timing and your willingness to go powered.

I could help out with a loaner in Central Ohio

[Derek Cohen]

When I built this bed, about 25 years ago, I used a router to create the slots for the spindles (I think that you mean slats, as spindles are round).



The mortice ends were later squared with a chisel. The slats and mortice was the same size. With the curved section, the mortices were routed while all was square, the curve cut, and then the mortices completed.

Regards from Perth

Derek