A method of mortising

[Mark Rainey]

Many have trepidation hand mortising and succumb to the bench top mortising machine. Not in Neaderland. In the past some have advised lining up a try square to help you stay square..but that is cumbersome especially when your solid blows send your fine tuned try square to the concrete floor. Others suggest attaching a piece of wood further down the board at right angles...more out of the way, but still a pain. I submit my technique to the annals of hand tool woodworking ( along with Roubo et al ). As you begin mortising, sight straight down the mortising chisel and the board. Once in a line your chops will be square. Chop away without hesitation. ( The mortising chisel is placed at the far end of the mortise only for illustrating purposes - it normally begins at the near end.)

mortise 1.jpgmortise 2.jpg

In this pic the chisel is not lined up with the board

mortise 3.jpg

[Jim Koepke]

For some of us setting a mortise chisel square is done easily by eye. For others clamping some guides is helpful.

jtk

[steven c newman]

I always set by eye...except that I start at the far end and work my work back....mainly to watch the layout lines better, without the chisel getting in the way...Layout lines are my guide.

[Mark Rainey]

I always set by eye...except that I start at the far end and work my work back....mainly to watch the layout lines better, without the chisel getting in the way...Layout lines are my guide.

I can see how starting at the far end would make your layout lines easier to see.

[Tom M King]

I start in the middle and work towards both ends. End cuts are only slicing cuts- no prying.

[steven c newman]

And...when one has a bunch to do...
A Chopping Day, 9 done .JPG
9 out of 14 needed for this rail....plus another 14 for the matching rail...

[Tom M King]

A 20 foot board doesn't fit in 20 foot square rooms to work on it. The client that bought the board, who took the picture, asked me if all I was going to use was a chisel. 20 foot clear Heart Pine boards don't come easily or cheap.

[Mark Rainey]

A 20 foot board doesn't fit in 20 foot square rooms to work on it. The client that bought the board, who took the picture, asked me if all I was going to use was a chisel. 20 foot clear Heart Pine boards don't come easily or cheap.

Proof that hand tool skill is still valuable.

[Ben Ellenberger]

Many have trepidation hand mortising and succumb to the bench top mortising machine. Not in Neaderland. In the past some have advised lining up a try square to help you stay square..but that is cumbersome especially when your solid blows send your fine tuned try square to the concrete floor. Others suggest attaching a piece of wood further down the board at right angles...more out of the way, but still a pain. I submit my technique to the annals of hand tool woodworking ( along with Roubo et al ). As you begin mortising, sight straight down the mortising chisel and the board. Once in a line your chops will be square. Chop away without hesitation. ( The mortising chisel is placed at the far end of the mortise only for illustrating purposes - it normally begins at the near end.)

mortise 1.jpgmortise 2.jpg

In this pic the chisel is not lined up with the board

mortise 3.jpg

Great post! This really helped develop an eye/feel for chopping square. I also set a square up next to the piece to help when learning. As I’ve gotten more used to chopping mortises I don’t find the need to do this as much, but if I’m making a frame and panel door or anything else that needs to be spot-on I’ll still set up so I can sight in-line with the chisel and mortise.

[Jim Koepke]

The client that bought the board, who took the picture, asked me if all I was going to use was a chisel.

Did you say, "no, need to also use a mallet to to drive the chisel"?

Back in the old days, high schools would have coordinated classes. Students would make their own drafting tools like a T-square and triangles in their wood shop class.

I made a few and one was made rather fat.

Triangle Guide.jpg

Before learning to saw well, it came in handy.

There are a lot of small thing like straight edges, winding sticks, shooting boards and triangles a lot of folks don't want to "waste" time building and would rather purchase.

The best reason to spend some time on such projects isn't so much as to have the item but for the skills learned in the process of making them.

Making my own straight edges and winding sticks has vastly improved my ability to plane straight edges on boards to be glued together into a panel.

Learning to see square has made mortising not only faster, but also easier.

jtk

[Thomas McCurnin]

We spent nearly a solid day at school learning hand and eye training. It is absolutely amazing how accurate one's eye is for spotting something at an improper angle or out of square. This reference book confirmed what we already learned.

https://www.leevalley.com/en-us/shop...4aAiNEEALw_wcB

[steven c newman]

There are 3 chisels I usually use to chop a mortise..
Mortise chisel, as close to the size mortise I am doing
1"/24mm wide chisel, to clean the side walls to vertical..IF needed
I have a clean out, curved chisel, to clean out the bottom of a mortise...sometimes call a Lock Mortise Chisel

Since I make the tenons first...I usually use that tenon to lay out the mortise..and leave the lines when done. Otherwise, I do have 2 Mortise Marking gauges to use. There is also a combo square on hand....to square up any lines( shaky hand holding the pencil..) and to check the depth.

1st Mortises, getting there .JPG
12oz hammer...I am chopping Ash, after all..
April Rust Hunt, two points .JPG
One of the 2....
Weds. Mortises, NO GAPS .JPG
Trying for a no gap fit...front leg mortise to the seat rail tenon...
PIP Bench, Test Drive .JPG
I think I gave up counting how many mortises this has...seat slats and the end of the arm rest to seat back are about the only places where screws were involved...

[Mark Rainey]

Yes, it is nice having a 1 inch wide chisel when the mortise is a tad out of vertical. And I can see how the lock mortise chisel would be a nice convenience when
doing a lot of mortises.

[Jim Koepke]

Yes, it is nice having a 1 inch wide chisel when the mortise is a tad out of vertical. And I can see how the lock mortise chisel would be a nice convenience when
doing a lot of mortises.

Lock mortise chisels are very helpful. The sharp edge can smooth the bottom of a mortise. They are also helpful for levering out chips. It is nice having chisels up to 2" wide for working the sides of mortises.

This is most of my mortising chisels.

Mortise Anything.jpg

From the left they are a 1" heavy timber chisel, 1/2", 3/8", 5/16" & 1/4" pig stickers. A 1/8" & 1/4" lock mortise chisel.

There is also a 3/4" heavy firmer chisel and a 1/2" lock mortise chisel used when needed.

Leg Mortise 3:4%22 USN Chisel.jpg

Of course if a different size is needed one of my firmer chisels can do the job.

For me it is usually easier and faster to cut mortises first. If a lot are to be made the same size, a test tenon will be cut to check fit and square.

Mortise Marking Gauge.jpg

A good mortise gauge is also helpful. Though it is possible to lay out the joint without a mortise gauge.

Here is a link to one of my projects with a lot of mortises > https://sawmillcreek.org/showthread.php?262272

jtk

[Mark Rainey]

Completed 8 hand chopped mortises, then 8 hand sawed tenons. Edge jointed top for 36 by 48 table in Pennsylvania cherry. Donated table to Landis Valley Museum Harvest Days Auction coming October 7 & 8 near Lancaster Pennsylvania.

table 1.jpgTable 3.jpg