Mortise Chisel use?

**Jason Beam** · 07-24-2007, 3:37 PM

It just occured to me that I've never SEEN anyone actually chop a mortise in action. I've read about it, I've seen pictorals in magazines and books, but I've never actually seen one ...

I tried searching youtube to no avail ...

So ... who's got a video of someone hacking out a mortise?

**Brian Kent** · 07-24-2007, 5:25 PM

I tried chopping mortises with a pig-sticker chisel (Ray Iles Mortise Chisel) after watching this video - though it may not be available without a fine-woodworking subscription:

http://www.taunton.com/finewoodworki....aspx?id=26994

Not only was it a treat to watch, it also worked the first time I tried it on some ash workbench joints.

Previously I had used bench chisels and a drill press. It eventually worked, but it was not pretty or fun. Chopping with mortise chisels without drilling first was pretty fun.

**Andrew Williams** · 07-24-2007, 6:00 PM

Frank Klausz "Making Mortise and Tenon Joints" is what you want.. they sell it at most WWing places.

**Jason Beam** · 07-24-2007, 11:57 PM

Brian, that video's perfect. Incidentally, i didn't have to be a member to get that one.

Thanks very much!

**Peter Gavin** · 07-25-2007, 8:58 AM

Bob Smalser did a tutorial on chopping mortises that was great. I am not sure how to locate it now though.

Peter

**Alan Schwabacher** · 07-25-2007, 3:17 PM

Here's a link to the first part of Smalser's excellent tutorial. There's a link at the bottom to the second part.
http://www.cianperez.com/Wood/WoodDo...nd_Tenon_I.htm

**Don C Peterson** · 07-26-2007, 6:50 PM

Brian, that's a great video, I wish I'd seen that before I essentially figured it out on my own after much experimentation (and frustration).

This method is the quickest and easiest way to cut mortises along the grain in straight grained wood. If you find that you have a piece that isn't so straight grained, or the grain is running at some diagonal, I have found that I need to use a very sharp bench chisel to cut the sides as I hog out the middle with the mortise chisel.

I'll also use the more time consuming method if I'm doing a wedged through-mortise that will allow dissassembly and I want the sides of the mortise to look clean.

**Doug Littlejohn** · 07-27-2007, 12:51 PM

I haven't seen either of the 2 videos posted (yet) but can relay my own experiences. I had been doing it the drill out and then pare to size technique but never really got a nice even size, clean flat side walls, etc.

I saw a tutorial by Chris Schwarz or Adam C. on chopping and tried that myself. WOW, worked like a charm, clean mortises, quick. Now I do them all that way. I don't have to worry about trying to keep drilled holes perfectly aligned, etc..

Most interesting to me is that the other day I had a fairly large one to make in hardish material so figured it would be fastest to drill holes and then pare (remove most of the material first). SHessh, what a pain !! Did the second one the blind, mortise chisel way, no problem.

So, FWIW, just grab a good and stout mortise chisel and poud away. Note, it also works best when the mortise is the same width as the chisle is so you don't have to do multiple rows. That works but not as well for me (of course sometimes you have to do rows, like workbench leg mortises.

Doug

**Carl Crout** · 07-27-2007, 4:59 PM

Roy Underhill does it all of the time. Don't you ever watch his show?

**Jason Beam** · 07-27-2007, 7:50 PM

i watch it constantly ... but i can't say i've seen him chop a square mortise in awhile - so i guess he doesn't do it ALL of the time :P

**Wilbur Pan** · 07-28-2007, 6:59 AM

Originally Posted by Andrew Williams

Frank Klausz "Making Mortise and Tenon Joints" is what you want.. they sell it at most WWing places.

Curiously, I went to a seminar with Frank Klausz at his workshop recently, and in the tour of his workshop, after doing his hand cut dovetail demonstration, he showed off his mortising machines, used for making mortises, of course.

I asked him, "Everyone talks about cutting dovetails by hand. When would you chop a mortise by hand?"

He answered, "Never." And this is coming from someone who made a video on chopping mortises by hand.

Now, this hasn't stopped me from trying out making mortises by hand, and maybe he was just being a little grumpy.

**Michael Schwartz** · 07-28-2007, 11:42 AM

Or sarcastic

I often chop out small mortises of which it would take longer to tighten the collet on a router, or let alone chuck a bit in my cordless drill.

**Jim Shaver, Oakville Ont** · 07-28-2007, 2:04 PM

Originally Posted by Alan Schwabacher

Here's a link to the first part of Smalser's excellent tutorial. There's a link at the bottom to the second part.
http://www.cianperez.com/Wood/WoodDo...nd_Tenon_I.htm

That is an Excellent Tutorial...well done Bob!!

**Mike Henderson** · 07-28-2007, 2:41 PM

Originally Posted by Wilbur Pan

Curiously, I went to a seminar with Frank Klausz at his workshop recently, and in the tour of his workshop, after doing his hand cut dovetail demonstration, he showed off his mortising machines, used for making mortises, of course.

I asked him, "Everyone talks about cutting dovetails by hand. When would you chop a mortise by hand?"

He answered, "Never." And this is coming from someone who made a video on chopping mortises by hand.

Now, this hasn't stopped me from trying out making mortises by hand, and maybe he was just being a little grumpy.

Perhaps his reason for saying that is that a dovetail is exposed - so that people can see it as long as the furniture exists - but a mortise is hidden unless the furniture falls apart.

I guess I feel the same way. If I have access to a good slot mortiser, and if I can cut the mortise on it (some odd location mortises can't be cut that way), that's what I'll use to cut the mortise. But if I don't have access to a slot mortiser, or if the mortise is in an odd location, (and especially if I only have a few to cut) I'll cut them by hand because I can do it faster than I can jig up for a router cut.

Mike

**Bob Smalser** · 07-28-2007, 3:00 PM

Originally Posted by Jim Shaver, Oakville Ont

That is an Excellent Tutorial...

Oh, you don't have to go all the way over to Cian's or Wood Central to find them.

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