Thread: Hand-cut Mortices

Hi Paul

I'd like to see the chisel chop as easily on Australian hardwoods!

Methods change when necessary.

Regards from Perth

Derek

Derek said it well.

To be fair to Roy Underhill, his programme - The Woodwright's Shop - is all about demonstrating woodworking techniques to those who want to learn them.
Everything is carefully prepared so that the programme will fit into the time-slot that the programme runs for.
I get the impression that it is live - with no re-do's or re-takes. You often see and hear Roy hurrying towards the end - like he is watching the clock.
He often has - one I've prepared earlier - waiting for the next step in each process.
The mortice cutting demo had to be done in a short time and was set up to do so.
He is a good teacher - knows his stuff and is well prepared.

Having said all that - I rarely hand cut mortices now.
They are fun the first few dozen times - but ..............
I use my router when I have quite a few to do. One-offs - no trouble with the mortice chisel though - and I rarely have to hand cut them in hardwood.

Cheers
SG

Originally Posted by derekcohen

Hi Paul

I'd like to see the chisel chop as easily on Australian hardwoods!

I think all we had same thinking. That wood seems deform itself when the chisel simply touch it!
When I have only few mortices to cut, so I utilize mortice chisels. For bigger number I use to hand drill holes before, then complete the job by chisels.

Ciao,
Giuliano

He says its Poplar - if you're ever seen a poplar tree, you'll know they are dead straight and relatively fast growing. They also snap easily too.

Richard - I doubt it's Lombardy Poplar as shown in your pic. - not native to Nth America! A very popular wood for structural parts in the north eastern part of the continent is "yellow poplar", which isn't a Poplar at all, actually, but is a very straight-grained, soft wood that nevertheless cuts quite crisply with sharp tools. I imagine it would be a prime choice for demonstraing woodwworking techniques....

As to hand-chopping mortises, I think I have almost forgotten how since I got my Delta bench-tp mortiser. It's so easy to set, I often use it to cut a single mortise. How's that for bone-laziness? ......

Cheers,

Almost all my joints are still hand cut. With hardwood mortises I do usualy drill them out first as I am trying to earn a living too. If I have a lot to do (10 or more) I will sometimes set up the drill press with the x/y vise. My standard mortice and tenon is usually around 60mm deep 40mm high and 20mm thick. All good fun though.

Originally Posted by Claw Hama

...
If I have a lot to do (10 or more) I will sometimes set up the drill press with the x/y vise. My standard mortice and tenon is usually around 60mm deep 40mm high and 20mm thick. All good fun though.

That's interesting. I had thought of using an "x/y/ vise" for this but have not got around to acquiring one. I have tried a half inch router bit in my bench drill set on its highest speed and it seemed to work well, at least as a drill bit. One advantage of a router bit used as a drill is that is does not tend to slip into the neighbouring hole so easily.

I have a project in mind using through mortises which I think are harder to get right than blind mortises.

Yep, router bit is the go. You can pick up a cheap xy from gasweld etc for about $70 and they work fine.

I'm currently in the process of cutting M&T joints in bluegum for outdoor chairs. Each chair has 18 M&T joints. I am building 5 chairs....

From various other projects I know that using the chisel and tenon saw is a true labour of love, and I just don't have the time. The first chair I cut tenons on the SCMS, then mortises by using a bench drill then chisel. I've now build a tenon jig for my router table, and also a mortise jig as well. Gave the tenon jig a workout today and cut 20 tenons in a couple of hours, mainly due to spending a lot of time stuffing around with the fence.

I'm due to update my thread with a few more pics shortly and will post pictures of the jigs there.

I would agree with the previous comments. Softwood - no problems with a chisel. Spotted gum - mortice chisel, hammer hard and re-sharpen every mortice.

Cheers,

Tom

I'm pretty sure I saw FK in one of his videos cutting mortices, ...

but this is from youtube ... obviously a reasonably hard wood ... <<Hmmm .. think he says it is poplar .. >>

I guess one thing I like seeing is when someone is so well practised at something that there is an "able casualness" to their actions. Cf FK doing his bowsaw dovetails.

Paul

VIDEO – Three-Minute Dovetails with Frank Klausz | Popular Woodworking Magazine


[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k0__5IukABc]Frank Klausz Cutting A Mortise by Hand - YouTube[/ame]