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Thread: Large mortises?

  1. #16
    Join Date
    Feb 2014
    Location
    Lincoln, NE
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    168
    Well, I've seen bit brace recommended more than once. Gotta come from some handed-down tradition. I imagine old timers had it down pretty fair.
    Last edited by Kurtis Johnson; 12-08-2017 at 8:18 PM.

  2. #17
    Join Date
    Apr 2010
    Location
    Tokyo, Japan
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    1,550
    Quote Originally Posted by Kurtis Johnson View Post
    Well, I've seen bit brace recommended more than once. Gotta come from some handed-down tradition. I imagine old timers had it down pretty fair.
    It is indeed traditional. But unless you have lots of experience with brace & bit, I suggest you practice on scrap first to see how close to the edge, and how straight you can drill.

  3. #18
    Join Date
    Jun 2010
    Location
    twomiles from the "peak of Ohio
    Posts
    12,109
    Or..buy one of these...
    beam augers 3.jpg
    For those really big jobs...can even be tilted for an angled mortise....

  4. #19
    Join Date
    May 2006
    Location
    Jacksonville, FL
    Posts
    110
    When I took a timber framing course, we scored the line with a knife, then hogged out the material with a drill, then cleaned it up to the scored line. If you leave about a 32nd of an inch you can get a nice clean line slicing down with the edge of the chisel in the score line.

  5. #20
    Join Date
    Jan 2017
    Location
    Saratoga NY
    Posts
    64
    I use a drill press with a forstner bit, then break out the chisels. Just finished making 12 for my Roubo workbench.

  6. #21
    Join Date
    May 2006
    Location
    Leander, TX
    Posts
    210
    Thanks everyone for the advice. I went with defining the mortise with the chisel, hog out the bulk of the waste on the drill press, and finish with the chisel. It worked great.

  7. #22
    I found different techniques useful in different situations.

    Another way you can try if you are amenable to a hybrid approach:

    Define the walls of the mortise down about 1/4". Then use a top-mounted bearing pattern bit on a router to cut to depth. This gives quick and clean sides and a bottom that does not require paring.

    This also works well on pieces too large to take to the drill press.

    My mind wants me to become quick and facile with chopping. But my elbows and shoulder don't think so on anything north of 3/8".

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