The Maynard mortise technique

[lowell holmes]

The Maynard technique is spelled out by Chris Schwarz in the Spring 2007 Woodworking Magazine. You can Google it and download a .pdf file of his article. I'm curious how many of you use it. I've tried it and like it, but often I just chop away.

I sure miss the Woodworking magazine. I'm sure it is a chore to keep fresh content.

[Jim Matthews]

I was taught to use much the same method,
where the "bevel leads the way" to the bottom.

I think the shearing action of the flat chisel back is
aided by the bevel being "pushed" be reaction force
that develops in the compressed wood fibers.

For me the challenge of mortising by hand is twofold:

Keeping the blade driving perpendicular to the face side of the leg being mortised.

Predictable elbow pain from chopping.

I've migrated to a method using a Jessem tenoning gizmo
and cleaning up the ends with a few paring strokes.

I can saw by hand, all day.
I can plane until the late afternoon.

Chopping - that's right out.

[Daniel Rode]

I'm curious about the elbow pain from chopping. Is it from swinging the mallet, holding and levering the chisel or something else?

I occasionally aggravate elbow tendinitis when planing but it's normally caused by poor technique when working out. As for chopping, I've never felt anything. It doesn't even bother the tendinitis. Perhaps it's just that I haven't done enough mortises in a day to feel the effects?

[ken hatch]

The Maynard technique is spelled out by Chris Schwarz in the Spring 2007 Woodworking Magazine. You can Google it and download a .pdf file of his article. I'm curious how many of you use it. I've tried it and like it, but often I just chop away.

I sure miss the Woodworking magazine. I'm sure it is a chore to keep fresh content.

I kinda tried to google the CS article, ended up here: http://www.wkfinetools.com/contrib/c.../mortChis3.asp .

Which confirmed my thoughts on mortices. Nothing beats an English pig sticker for chopping mortices. How you use it....that's technique, I tend to start in the middle with the bevel vertical and work towards each end but working from end to end works as well.

[Derek Cohen]

I did not know this method by a name (Maynard), however this is how I do it.

There is a tutorial on my website if Chris' is not enough: http://www.inthewoodshop.com/Furnitu...gByChisel.html

[img]http://www.inthewoodshop.com/Furnitu..._m4bc31133.jpg[/img]

Regards from Perth

Derek

[Justin Green]

The project I'm working on now has called for a fair bit of mortising, and I have been learning what I saw Mr. Under hill do, which is start a bit out from the near side of the mortise with the bevel away from you. Progress the chisel a little at a time, working your way to the far end of the mortise, then reverse the chisel and march back down the line. With the moderately priced Narex mortise get chisels, this went rather fast for me. In fact, a few bloopers were almost through mortises before I checked the depth. Will be interesting to try one of the other methods.

[Tom M King]

For those with any kind of arm pain from chopping mortises, get a Wood-is-Good mallet, or one of the other urethane head mallets. I have used one all day several times, and never had any kind of pain, or damage to a chisel handle. I use a 12 oz. for bench chisels, and a 30 oz. for timber framing.

[Jim Koepke]

My experience with pain came from trying to hold the mallet too tight and making my arm do the work. Easing the grip and letting the mallet have a little free swing has helped a lot. Now there is less transfer of shock from the mallet swinging freely and less pain in my wrist, elbow and shoulder.

it is similar to how one grips a saw. A light grip allows the saw to follow its own path instead of a super grip steering the saw.

Strong grip transfers unwanted information.

Light grips let the tools take the punishment or follow their path.

jtk

[lowell holmes]

I like Derek's method of sizing the width of the mortise with a chisel and then marking the edges. I'll try it tomorrow while waiting on the turkey.

[Jim Matthews]

I play tennis, frequently. I'm careful, and can chop dovetails or dadoes or pare without discomfort. I think it's the "back swing" and dead stop at the bottom of the swing that set me off.

[Kees Heiden]

I use this technique shown by Paul Sellers. But whatever he sais about bevel edged chisels for this work, I vastly prefere real mortising ones.



Drilling a straight hole exactly in between two marking lines isn't my forte. Just using the chisel is easier for me.

[Roger Rettenmeier]

Hi Derek, I have looked at several of your tutorials, and always find them helpful.

Thanks , and thanks to the other veteran SMC woodworkers for the great information

Roger

[Derek Cohen]

Thanks Roger.

Regards from Perth

Derek

[Jim Matthews]

I like Derek's method of sizing the width of the mortise with a chisel and then marking the edges.

That's the way I was taught, too.
The only thing that needs adjustment with this method
is the mating tenon. That's easier to do, being out in the open.

[lowell holmes]

I have always set a mortise gage by holding a chisel up to it,and then marking the mortise.
Dereks method of placing the chisel where you want the mortise to be and making a mark
that is used to set the gage to both width and offset looks much smarter. I will be playing with it today.