Knowledge Builders

how do you cut a mortise with a chisel

by Ayana Barton Published 3 years ago Updated 2 years ago
image

How do you cut a mortise with a chisel?

  • Mark your mortise very carefully.
  • First cut.
  • Work your way across an 1/8" at a time.
  • Place the chisel definitively on the line, bevel facing towards your mortise and hit down.
  • Work your way back with the chisel at an angle.
  • Define the original edge just like we did in step 4.
  • Clean out the mortise.

Part of a video titled Chiseling a Mortise - YouTube
0:32
2:37
The chisel with a mallet. Moving progressively along the joint I'm going to start at one end withMoreThe chisel with a mallet. Moving progressively along the joint I'm going to start at one end with the bevel facing the direction of travel.

Full Answer

Do I really need Mortise chisels?

Very direct chopping. A decent, vintage, traditional English pattern mortise chisel is excellent. When there's not enough room to use them, a standard bench chisel would be fine. A good rule of thumb is 1/2" and below is best chopped, anything above that is bored and pared.

How to cut mortises for door hinges with a chisel?

To cut hinge mortises on a door:

  • Screw the hinge to the door or jamb.
  • Score around the outline of the hinge with a utility knife.
  • Remove the hinge from the door or jamb.
  • Position the chisel on the scored line with the chisel perpendicular to the door or jamb and the bevel side of the chisel facing toward the mortise.

More items...

What kind of hammer to use with a chisel?

Which Mallet Should be Used for Chiseling?

  • Chisel Mallet Table
  • Metal Hammer. If you have a metal chisel without a handle, then using wood or plastic with it will cause damage to the hammerhead.
  • Wooden Carved Mallet. The majority of woodworkers prefer wooden mallets for chiseling. ...
  • Wooden Square Head Mallet. There are many mallets to choose from when looking for the best wood. ...
  • Plastic Mallet. ...

How to use a hollow chisel mortiser?

Products Used

  • Diamond Honing Plates
  • 3-Piece Mortiser Sharpening Kit
  • Mortise Chisel Sharpening Kit w/ Pilots
  • A=133&amp
  • Task=Click&amp
  • TargetURL=http%3a%2f%2fwww.woodcraft.com%2fProduct%2f2001840%2f616%2fMortise-Chisel-Sharpening-KIt.aspx
  • Dry Lubricant
  • Shapton 1000 Grit
  • camp=1789&amp
  • creative=390957&amp

More items...

image

How do you cut mortise by hand?

6:507:49Chopping a Mortise by Hand - YouTubeYouTubeStart of suggested clipEnd of suggested clipDown. Watching my line back here push that over slightly just to break those fibers free at theMoreDown. Watching my line back here push that over slightly just to break those fibers free at the bottom. And then I would just eventually.

What kind of chisel is used for mortise?

Sash mortise chisels are light mortising chisels that are easy to handle and were originally used for chopping the relatively shallow mortises found in the mullions and muntins of a wooden window. If you consistently drill out the waste when mortising, these chisels will work well even for deep mortises.

How do you cut a mortise and tenon with a chisel?

5:2132:18How to cut a MORTICE AND TENON JOINT by HAND - YouTubeYouTubeStart of suggested clipEnd of suggested clipIt down very carefully centralize. It on that mark. So it's sitting dead center in the timber. AndMoreIt down very carefully centralize. It on that mark. So it's sitting dead center in the timber. And it simply puts a little mark on the left hand so the chisel.

How do you use a Mortice chisel?

2:515:24Mortise Chisels Setup and Use - YouTubeYouTubeStart of suggested clipEnd of suggested clipAlways pick up your chisels by the socket or by the shank. You never just pick them up by the handleMoreAlways pick up your chisels by the socket or by the shank. You never just pick them up by the handle just in case that handles come loose. If it has I'd much rather drop the handle than the chisel.

How do you cut mortise?

Set the plunge depth on the router to cut the mortise to correct depth. Clamp the work piece in place and make the plunge cut. Start at one end of the mortise, and keeping the guide block pressed against the work piece, slide the router to the other end of the mortise. Use a chisel to square the ends if necessary.

What is the difference between a paring chisel and a mortise chisel?

Common Types and Sizes A common variant is the paring chisel, which has a longer, thinner blade. Mortising Chisel (at right): A thick blade allows the tools to be driven with a mallet and to lever out waste in mortises.

How do you cut a square mortise?

0:092:54How to cut a square hole (mortise) with a table saw - YouTubeYouTubeStart of suggested clipEnd of suggested clipInto a row of little evenly spaced tenons. With little wooden spacers. But first we created cornerMoreInto a row of little evenly spaced tenons. With little wooden spacers. But first we created corner posts by beveling the edge of some of the bars. And gluing them together at 90 degrees.

How do you chisel wood by hand?

0:395:09How to Use a Wood Chisel | Woodworking - YouTubeYouTubeStart of suggested clipEnd of suggested clipOff of your work now one thing that happens to most beginners when you chisel is that you end upMoreOff of your work now one thing that happens to most beginners when you chisel is that you end up taking more wood off the back of the cut and at the front.

How do you make a simple mortise and tenon joint?

1:008:47How to Make Mortise and Tenon Joints with Hand Tools - YouTubeYouTubeStart of suggested clipEnd of suggested clipBoard first what we'll do is we'll place the mortise chisel on the edge and Center it by eye. SoMoreBoard first what we'll do is we'll place the mortise chisel on the edge and Center it by eye. So it's in the middle. And then take your marking gauge this is a dual marking gauge.

Can I use a mortise bit in a hand drill?

Pro Tip: Don't attempt to use a mortising bit in a handheld power drill. We've tried it…and it doesn't work. If you attempt to use a mortising bit in your drill press, you're going to need to retrofit your machine quite a bit.

What is the cutting angle of a chisel?

A new chisel has just one bevel, usually 25 degrees. But the tool should be sharpened at 30 degrees, which creates a new bevel.

Mark your mortise very carefully

Many guides cover ways to mark your mortise, so I will not cover that in depth. The standard way is to use a mortise gauge. For this method, you will need to have a chisel the same width as your mortise so keep that in mind when designing your joint.

First cut

Begin by placing the chisel about 1/8" of an inch from the right side of the mortise with the bevel facing the left side.

Place the chisel definitively on the line, bevel facing towards your mortise and hit down

This will be hard and straight down, but still do not kill it. You want to be patient here because over doing it can still create pressure and damage the visible edge of your mortise.

Work your way back with the chisel at an angle

Chop in with the bevel facing upwards. Do this enough to chop most of the wood.

Clean out the mortise

Using a much smaller chisel, pry the waste out of the mortise. It is essential that you do not use the wall as leverage. It is extremely tempting but be patient and do not do it.

Repeat

If you have a specified depth, check your depth after each cycle. If you're going all the way through, eyeball halfway and then come from the other side.

How to square a mortise?

Once the bulk of the mortise is chopped, you square the end walls. Set the chisel in the knife line, back face to the end you’re cutting, and drive it to the bottom of the mortise. Hard blows are unnecessary. It’s more important to keep the chisel aligned with the mortise and at a right angle to make the end square.

How to cut a mortise and tenon?

A well marked-out joint is the first step toward a successful hand cut mortise and tenon. The last step will be to miter the tenons. Knife the horn. The horn helps prevent the mortise from splitting once glue is applied to an already tight joint. You cut the horn off after the glue is cured.

What tools do you need to make a mortise wider?

Levering out waste with a twisted chisel will make a mortise wider than the chisel. A good mortise and tenon joint starts with the right marking out tools. The author recommends, from left to right, marking knife, mortise gauge, cutting gauge, mortise chisel, and try square.

How to properly saw a tenon?

Stand balanced on two feet and far enough from the workpiece so that you can maintain the piston-like alignment and motion. Put your spare hand lightly on the work — don’t lean on it for balance. One Line at a Time. To saw a tenon accurately, you make four separate sawcuts, one line at a time.

How to set mortise gauge spurs?

One of your first steps is to set the tips of the mortise gauge spurs to the width of your mortise chisel. Begin by marking face sides and face edges on all the pieces. Face sides go inside, face edges go down. A well marked-out joint is the first step toward a successful hand cut mortise and tenon.

How deep should a mortise be?

Check the ends and depth of the mortise with a try square. Don’t expect to get a flat bottom on a hand-chopped mortise, but you shouldn’t be more than 1/16″ – 1/8″ deeper than necessary.

How to remove a second layer of mortise?

Repeat Cut 5 until you have removed the first layer. To remove the second layer, repeat Cuts 1 – 5 and then finish the job with Cut 5.

How to Cut a Mortise

Mortises are almost always cut before tenons because there is more flexibility in sizing a tenon to fit a mortise than the other way around. The general rule for thickness, when joining a frame, is that a mortise should be approximately one-third as thick as the wood into which it is cut.

Wood Choice Affects the Joint

The experience of cutting a mortise and tenon is affected by the species of wood. A soft hardwood, such as poplar, cuts and assembles relatively easily; the wood compresses enough to forgive some fatness in the joint.

Step 1: Mark Out the Mortise

First, decide which of the two pieces of 3/4-in. by 2 1/2-in. by 12-in. wood is for the mortise and which is for the tenon. Position them with the tenon piece butting against the mortise piece to form a corner. Mark the face of each board so you’ll remember how they go together.

Step 2: Pare Back to the Knife Line

Hold the wood between bench dogs, in a vise or clamped to the benchtop. Working from the waste side, pare back to the knife lines at each end of the mortise with a sharp 1/4-in. chisel. Pare with the bevel down for greater control. Paring creates a straight-backed groove that will guide the chisel while chopping the ends in step 6.

Step 3: Drill Out the Waste

Drill out the waste with a 1/4-in. or smaller brad-point bit. Begin with holes about 1/8 in. from each end, then connect them with a series of (ideally) contiguous holes. The small amount of wood left at each end gives you something to pry against when chiseling out waste without denting the finished lip of the mortise.

Step 4: Chop Down Just Shy of the Ends

Hold the wood on the benchtop with bench dogs or a clamp. Locate your 1/4-in. chisel at the edges of the holes closest to the ends (see the photo at right) with the bevel facing inward. Drive the chisel with a mallet until it hits the bottom of the mortise.

Step 5: Pare Down the Sides

Set your 1-in. chisel in one of the small grooves left by the mortise gauge. The bevel should face into the mortise. Position yourself so you are looking down the length of the board, which enables you to see if the chisel is vertical. Gently tap the chisel with a mallet to cut straight down the side of the mortise.

image

1.Videos of How Do You Cut a Mortise with a Chisel

Url:/videos/search?q=how+do+you+cut+a+mortise+with+a+chisel&qpvt=how+do+you+cut+a+mortise+with+a+chisel&FORM=VDRE

31 hours ago To cut a mortise with a chisel you first need to mark its width with a mortise gauge. Once you do that, place your chisel perpendicular to the marked area. Make sure the bevelled edge is facing away from the edge of the line that you marked for the mortise by 1/8-inches.

2.Chisel Demo: How To Cut Mortises • Complete …

Url:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WmhqpZR8n2w

18 hours ago How do you cut a mortise with a chisel? Mark your mortise very carefully. First cut. Work your way across an 1/8" at a time. Place the chisel definitively on the line, bevel facing towards your mortise and hit down. Work your way back with the chisel …

3.Chiseling a Mortise - YouTube

Url:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B13t6B377HQ

1 hours ago  · How To Cut A Mortise http://AskWoodMan.com/ In this video I use sharp chisels to square up my mortises.This is the 34th video in my complete sharpening serie...

4.How to cut a mortise by hand - Howchoo

Url:https://howchoo.com/woodworking/how-to-cut-a-mortise-by-hand

15 hours ago In this woodworking video I use the drill press to cut a mortise to make a through mortise and tenon joint. I make a round corners mortise, and then I use a chisel to get a rectangular mortise so I can fit the tenon inside it. So we can use a drill press as a mortiser machine and we don’t need a hollow chisel mortiser or a chain mortiser. But both a hollow chisel mortiser and a …

5.How to Hand Cut Mortise and Tenon Joints | Woodworking

Url:https://www.woodworkersjournal.com/hand-cutting-mortise-and-tenons/

15 hours ago  · How to cut a mortise by hand Mark your mortise very carefully. Many guides cover ways to mark your mortise, so I will not cover that in depth. The... First cut. Begin by placing the chisel about 1/8" of an inch from the right side of the mortise with the bevel facing... Work your way across an 1/8" ...

6.How to Cut a Mortise – Mother Earth News

Url:https://www.motherearthnews.com/diy/how-to-cut-a-mortise-ze0z1307zwar/

24 hours ago  · You cut the horn off after the glue is cured. Knife all round the shoulders of the tenon. Then, using the marking gauge, mark the top and bottom edges of the tenon. You can now transfer these distances to the leg to mark the top and bottom edges of the mortise. Set the tips of the mortise gauge spurs to the width of the mortise chisel.

A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9