Thread: N00b Mortise Question

Originally Posted by Wongdai

Hi all,

I've just ordered by spiral upcut router bit from McJings, but I don't get how to use it.

Am I suppse to use it in hand-held mode, and just plunge it into the stock, and then drag it along?

OR

Do I fit it to my table router, and somehow carefully drop the stock down onto the top of the bit, and then feed it along?

Your advice is appreciated.

Wongdai

Personallly I would use it in the plunge mode controlled with the aid of the template guide (suggest 40mm) plunging in various stages
Tom

Originally Posted by Wongdai

Hi all,

I've just ordered by spiral upcut router bit from McJings, but I don't get how to use it.

Am I suppse to use it in hand-held mode, and just plunge it into the stock, and then drag it along?

OR

Do I fit it to my table router, and somehow carefully drop the stock down onto the top of the bit, and then feed it along?

Your advice is appreciated.

Wongdai

I'd prefer the upcut bit in the router table. Make sure that it is well tightened in the collet and that the router lift is locked because there is a fair amount of force trying to screw the tool into the work. The first time I did it I thought it was getting hard to move the work along and then I saw the end of the cutter emerging from the wood. Luckily it was a practice cut on scrap.

I cut about 6-10mm depth at a time, depending and, as you say, drop it carefully onto the bit making sure to slide it vertically down the fence. I find marking the start and end of the cut with a pencil line on the fence is accurate enough although I clamp a stop block to the fence if I can.

Hey Wongdai,

I've only started using spiral router bits as well. I use them in my hand held router. I've done mortices for two different projects now and tried them two different ways. The first time I did a series of full depth plunges right along the mortice width, then ran the bit back and forth at the end to clean it up (full depth). The second project I only plunged about say 5mm then ran back and forth, then plunged some more, back & forth etc. Till I reached the mortice depth. Both techniques worked fine for me, but I found the second one did end up with a more consistent cut, flatter bottom and was just a bit neater.

In terms of using the bits in a router table; I prefer a hand held plunge router and a morticing jig as I feel I have more control on the router, especially in those deep mortices with the bit exposed quite a bit. Just feels safer for me. But that's just me remember

Hope that helps

Cheers,

WILL

Wongdai,

For cutting mortices, it is essential that the router is guided by a fence of some sort, an edge guide, or a template guide. You cannot rout mortices freehand. You can either use a clamped on fence, or a router-table fence, or a fence that forms part of a router jig. I have attached the two parts of an article on a precision router morticing jig to this post and the next.

It is diffficult to rout mortices safely and accurately on a router table. It is possible for an experience router-table user, but it is preferable to use an edge guide, template guide, or jig such as I describe in the attached article.

Rocker

Here is the second part of the article. You can also download the whole article free from my blog - see below.

Rocker

Or of you wish to use something less elaborate try this simple Morticing Jig
Tom

Cool. Thanks all. The router bit arrived tonight, so I've got some reading to do tomorrow.

Thanks again all

I ended up using Tom's method.

I did try the router table first, but the damn thing spat the router bit out at me, which was a bit scarey.

Then I realised I don't actually have a 1/2" plunge router, so I had to go and buy one. (SWMBO was not impressed.)

But by the end of the weekend I had two lovely through mortises 105mm deep. I'm quite pleased.



edit: I will definitely be making myself a jig like Rocker's down the track though.