Start from scratch: What mortise / joining method would you go with

[Rob Will]

I'm guessing Rob just needs a little push to pull the trigger on a domino & CT vac? Greg

I'm busted (in more ways than one ).
I ordered a Laguna horizontal slot mortiser and then went to Woodcraft and bought a Domino combo kit with a CT 22 vac. Yep, two in the same day (teeter, faint, thud) It looks like I'm committed to loose tenons huh?

If nothing else, I feel that my kids can be more involved with this loose tenon approach - as opposed to cutting tenons on a table saw.

I sold my Maka oscillating chisel mortiser. It was a good machine but my gut feeling is that the slot mortisers will be better for me right now.

Now I may have to live in a cave to pay for this stuff.

Thanks,
Rob

[Bob Genovesi]

I like my hollow chisel mortiser. I use my tenioning jig on my table saw to cut the tenons to fit the mortises perfectly. I'd love to have the Festool Domino machine but right now it's just a we bit pricey for my blood...

1. Hollow Chisel Mortiser
2. Biscuit Jointer
3. Kreg Pocket Jointer

[J. Z. Guest]

Interesting that the humble pocket screw joinery is in the lead, even though it isn't even a M&T?

Not good for everything, but damned versatile nevertheless.

[Brian Kent]

"Ray Iles Mortise chisels", said he, with no sense of shame whatsoever!

[Matt Bickford]

I guess that you're not that much of an advocate for renewable fuel if you won't even consider something that doesn't consume electricity.

[Mike Cutler]

Hollow Chisel Mortiser for me.
The M&T joint has been in use for centuries, upon centuries and had proven the test of time. There's nothing new to learn about them that hasn't been learned already.

Wilbur.
You'll need to make some room in the cave for me, my chisels, the mallet and my shoulder plane. I'll bring the beeswax candles.,

[Rob Will]

I guess that you're not that much of an advocate for renewable fuel if you won't even consider something that doesn't consume electricity.

My wife has to pedal the on-site generator anytime I work in the shop.

Rob

[Rob Will]

Really depends on the work at hand for me. I consider kitchen cabinets to be the woodworking equivalent of tennis shoes, so any method that holds them together is fine by me. I've used biscuits, pocket holes, screws and glue, dowels, even duck tape once (oh. no, that was my tennis shoes)! The framing of the house is bearing most of the weight anyway.

When I rebuilt the mud sill on the basement entrance of my old house to accept new wooden bilco doors I used a hammer and chisel to chop the mortises. Not going to trust pocket screws there (do they make 6" pocket hole screws?)

When I made carriage house doors for the garage I used dowels because I need them to last about 5 years till I rebuild that structure, and thats about how long I give a dowel door in the weather. They were 5 1/2" X 1/2" spiral maple dowels, not those little short ones, but still at 2-3 per intersection, my hopes aren't high and my experience says no bueno para mucho tiempo. The next set will be true M&T as they will be the last set.

I've been making storm windows for a restoration project and on those its loose tennons. I've been using the router and simple jig, just ordered a slot mortiser to speed it up a bit (and quiet things down). Something about glass hanging 45' in the air in a frame held together with screws or dowels I just don't like, but integral mortises would have pushed the bid for the job beyond acceptable fiscal tolerances. Those loose tenons go pretty quick.

Guys who do period reproduction furniture seem to have to use period joinery or its not really authentic. If I purchased a high end reproduction furniture commission and found the shop using dominoes I'd be pissed.

What I'm saying is there is room for all these systems of joinery and more in the wide world of wood, so I can't pick one without knowing the other variables.

Very interesting post Peter, thanks for the details and insight.

Rob

[maurice charitat]

I'm fairly new to woodworking (3 months) and I'm trying to build an end table. I cut my first 2 mortises by hand with a chisel yesterday and it took almost 2 hours. I brought the legs to a friend's house and in 10 minutes we had done 6 more with a drill press. I'm all for learning the old ways and respect them but a domino is in the cards for me
Maurice