A mortise is a cavity or hole cut into a piece of wood to accommodate a tenon. The tenon is usually shaped at the end of timber and cut to fit inside the cavity of the mortise. The mortise and tenon joint can be locked in place with the use of glue or pins. This is very useful in woodworking to combine two pieces of wood for frame construction, especially when building tables and chairs. Although there is a multitude of ways to make a mortise and tenon, there are two very common methods. Does this Spark an idea?
Instructions
Stopped/Blind Mortise and Tenon
1. Make a mark on the wooden board to create a mortise.
2. Select a mortising bit for the benchtop mortiser that is similar to the width of your mortise. Do this by measuring the width.
3. Position the mortising bit by setting the tool's fence on the piece of wood. Determine the depth of the cut on the benchtop mortiser tool.
4. Make the first hole on the end of the mortise by drilling slowly. Make the next pass on the other end of the mortise. The rest of the mortise should be drilled or chiseled out, overlapping the mortise bit by half its width.
5. Clean the mortise hold using a chisel to remove unwanted bits of wood.
6. Mark the piece of wood on both sides. Determine the depth of the cut according to the thickness you prefer at the center of the wooden board.
7. Line up the cut and push the wood through the saw using the miter gauge.
8. Do the other side by turning over the wooden board. After you are done, clean the tenon with a chisel if necessary.
Through Mortise Tenon
9. Measure the depth of cut you want to make. The usual requirement is one-third the thickness of the board.
10. Make marks on the measured areas of the wooden board for the tenon cuts.
11. Run the wooden board through the saw using the miter gauge found on the left side of the slot. This will create a wide, single blade cut right at the mark.
12. Cut the other side of the board by replacing the miter gauge with a tenoning jig. The wooden board should be clamped vertically.
13. Raise the saw blade to match the height of the tenon, and then feed the board through the saw. Repeat steps 1-5 on the other side of the board.
Tags: wooden board, miter gauge, other side, piece wood, benchtop mortiser, board Make