mortise and tenon

**aus_07** · 24th September 2011, 09:21 PM

Hi all,
Well I'm fairly new to the woodworking scene, but am wanting to work out the best way to cut mortise and tenon joints. I'm trying to decide on either buying a jig for a router (saw one on carbatec), or buying a mortiser ($299 from carbatec) and having to cut the tenons on a mitre saw (don't own a tablesaw yet).

If someone can give advise on the best and most resonably priced way to do this, that'd be great. Whether to buy a jig (if so which are recommended) or are there any other ways?

Any tips you'd like to give aswell are much appreciated.

p.s if this is in the wrong part of the forum, please move it.
cheers

**yowie** · 24th September 2011, 10:58 PM

If you are in Carbatec, have a look in the book section, there are some great books on woodworking for beginners that will show you haow to do them easily by hand. You will get some great hand tools for the same price as a morticer and a saw. This is how I started and haven't looked back.

**China** · 24th September 2011, 11:37 PM

If you only have a small number to produce you could also use a mortice chisel a hammer and a tenon saw

**Glennet** · 24th September 2011, 11:53 PM

There are literally hundreds of ways of making mortise and tenon joints, depending on the tools you have and personal preference.

I think the mortiser is more for people who make a lot of them, or already have a well equipped workshop - certainly not one of the first things to buy.

I agree with the others that you should start by learning to make them with hand tools. But another option is to use a router. There are many designs for shop made jigs for both the mortise and tenon. Or you can use a router table.

**Phil Hansen** · 25th September 2011, 01:22 AM

How you do it depends on quantity.
One or two - do by hand.
Today I did 364 tenons for dining room chairs.
Tomorrow will do 364 mortises.
I have a Leigh FMT and it just keeps producing perfect joints and
has paid for itself over and over.
Doing something like that by hand would be madness.
Not to mention time consuming.

Phil

**derekcohen** · 25th September 2011, 02:55 AM

Phil

Hoe gaan dit?

Doing it by hand is only madness if you have 364 to do!

On the other hand, if you only have a couple, doing it by hand makes a lot of sense.

Here is a tutorial on using hand tools: http://www.inthewoodshop.com/Furnitu...ndMortice.html

Regards from Perth

Derek

**Phil Hansen** · 25th September 2011, 03:36 AM

[QUOTE=derekcohen;1378575]Phil
Hoe gaan dit?/QUOTE]
Kak in hierdie land. Corruption supreme. Als is vrot.
Jammer ek is te out om te PFP.
Thanks for the tutorial but as said fine for a few.
Phil

**wun4us** · 25th September 2011, 11:29 AM

Originally Posted by China

If you only have a small number to produce you could also use a mortice chisel a hammer and a tenon saw

Nought like the original, way to go!

**Christos** · 25th September 2011, 01:41 PM

I like the idea of doing them by hand, and only a few up to 20 at a time.

**munruben** · 26th September 2011, 02:53 PM

Good learning experience to do it by hand if you haven't got too many to do.

**AlexS** · 26th September 2011, 06:38 PM

I've just done 16 sets by hand, through tenons are 100mm long x 75mm wide. If I was doing them often enough I'd get a morticer, but usually I'm doing much smaller and fewer.

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