Hey all, I am curious how everyone cuts their mortise's. I have tried a couple of different methods (hand cut, router, drill press) and not really been satisfied with ease and/or accuracy. I know that there are probably as many different ways of cutting mortises as their are LJ's; how does everyone do theirs?
I really depends on the type of mortise for me. Larger ones I will drill out and square up with a 1/2" mortise chisel. Other ones, I'll use a mortising machine for, especially when I have a lot of them to make.
I use a router to the depth of the haunch, then take out the full depth of the tenon with a benchtop morticer. This works for me because the hold down and fence on my morticer are pretty lame, the groove cut with the router keeps the mortice chisel in exactly the right place.
I use a bench top Jet mortise machine. Were I do do it now, I would strongly consider the Domino. It has greater flexibility. I did once use a PM floor model mortiser and that was quite nice as well. Both of these are pricey however.
Larger mortices I drill out first with forstner bits and then use bench chisels to clean up the waste. Smaller mortices I use mortice chisels. I have done a few each way and they definitely require practice and experience to get them right. Mine are not at the level I would like, but getting there.
Depends on size and type of wood. Soft wood, I crank up the hollow chisel mortiser. Smaller, it can be a lot easier to do by hand. Depends on how I feel as well. Sometimes it is fun to chop them out by hand.
Benchtop mortising machine. Mine is a Delta. Never Looked back.
Funny, I hate mine. I just do them by hand with mortising chisels, I have the RI chisels, took the double bevel away and it takes me almost just as long to do a mortise than it took with the machine if you count set up time, and clean up of the mortise.
If I have a lot, I'll drill out the bulk and clean up with a mortise chisel, but if it's just a few, I'll cut the entire thing by hand which makes staying in the lines and maintaining a squared mortise easier for me.
I have mortise chisels, a slot mortiser, a chain mortiser
and a hollow chisel mortiser… plus some plunge routers.
For a couple of mortises the plunge routers are the
quickest way to go. The hollow chisel machine
is quick to set up too. I have to move machines
around to pull mine out though.
If you are looking for reasonably quick setup, decent
accuracy and modest cost, get a 1/2" plunge router, fence,
and spiral upcut bits. A few simple to make jigs make
mortising with a plunge router reasonably quick
if not a barrel of fun due to the noise, dust, and mental
focus required.
Had a benchtop mortiser…it was fine and a good option for the price range. Now, Domino.
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