Made a new Woodworking tool today..

[c_mccann]

I know wood is second to cars here, but I made a new Mortise cutter today for my shop. Anyone that works with wood knows that a mortise and tenon joint is the standard for making face frames that last, and cutting mortises can be tricky and dangerous. After 20+ years of cutting these things and having to setup and takedown my router table each time for this, it was time to have a dedicated mortise jig. I also always hated sitting the wood down on a plunge as many bad things can happen when you sit down on a fluted or sprial bit, the least of which being you miss your mark, the worst being the wood jumps on the bit and you are missing a finger tip and you have a face frame piece out of whack.

So, I decided to mount a router horzontally and go that direction. I made the box, table top with miter track and a plexi-glass adjustable mount for the router to hang on. The construction was simple Birch ply jointed together, some hardware and wingnuts for my adjustable assembly and finished with PPG automotive urethane clear, polished to a slick shine.

And it works perfect. It adjusts for plunge depth and the height of the mortise, and the operator can see everything while plunging the mortises with his hands behind a 3/16" thick plexi guard that holds the material down for a clean, straight channel. I made marks to mark the diameter of the bit on the plexiglass guard.

Total materials and everything- under $100, with the cost of the router. Here it is:

 

[TheMonge23]

I feel like there's a chicken and the egg joke here about making word working tools with wood working tools.

Anywho, that's looking very well made. Good job.

 

[7th Kahuna]

Complements from the woodworking camp. Job well done. Any jig that protects the fingers is a worthy addition to the shop.

 

[McFarmer]

Very nice work. Do you think the wing nut fastener will hold the router at the right height with repeated use ?

 

[c_mccann]

So far so good, I have a lock washer and another washer on it, I have run 50 feet of material through it so far and no problems. I also took a mallet to it when I put it together and it stayed. It is on my mind, but so issues as of yet.

 

[woody 73]

Fantastic job

 

[Thumper68]

Nice job,

I went this way on sale 150

 

[zkling]

Great job.

 

[e-tek]

Who says wood is second to cars here??

At least we can appreciate the skill involved in either - nice work!

 

[rick carpenter]

Nice job C McCann, you don't see that many horizontal borer/router setups even in the dedicated woodworking sites anymore. That's mostly an old timer way you have it and I've always wondered why that went out of popularity. As far as easily ensuring the plexiglass doesn't slip you could glue sandpaper to the plexiglass, or both to surfaces, and let the grit help lock it in place.

 

[c_mccann]

I've got a mortising machine as well- it is great for mortise and tenons that show on the other side, Stickley designed stuff is famous for that look. The bolts holding the plexi are huge (1/2") and hold it well, but I'm never past having to improve that design when it needs it.. This jig also can grove rails and stiles for cabinet door construction when there is no ogee.