
- Milling a mortise on your router table is essentially a “blind” operation, because you’ll cut the mortise by plunging the wood down into the bit. ...
- You can use a straight bit, mortising bit or an upcut spiral bit to rout mortises with this method. ...
- Raise the bit a half inch or so above the table. ...
- You’ll need accurate reference lines, marked on your router table, to know the bit’s precise location during the cutting process. ...
- You’re all set to start routing the mortise! Lower the bit to a 1/8-in. cutting height for the first pass. ...
- Slide the wood slowly from right to left along the fence until the right layout lines meet (see Photo 6). This completes the first pass. ...
- A conventional mortise has square ends. Use a sharp chisel and mallet to cut away the rounded ends left by the bit up to your layout lines (see ...
How to cut a mortise on a router table?
There are lots of ways to cut a mortise. Your router table is one of the quickest and most foolproof ways to cut mortises. Step 1: Milling a mortise on your router table is essentially a “blind” operation, because you’ll cut the mortise by plunging the wood down into the bit. All the cutting action will be concealed.
What tools do you need to cut a mortise?
There are plenty of ways to cut a traditional mortise: hollow chisel mortiser machines make it simple, and for those with sharp tools and plenty of practice, a mortising chisel and mallet will certainly get the job done. When woodworker Gregory Paolini needs to cut a mortise however, he turns to his trusty router and an edge guide.
How do you mark a mortise and mortise?
Mark the length and width of your intended mortise with a square, and extend layout lines a short distance onto the adjacent (un-mortised) faces of the workpiece to serve as reference lines later (see Photo 1).
How long does it take to cut a perfect mortise?
When woodworker Gregory Paolini needs to cut a mortise however, he turns to his trusty router and an edge guide. Paolini boasts that he can cut a perfect mortise in well under a minute.

How do you cut a square mortise with a router?
0:462:48Squaring a Routed Mortise - YouTubeYouTubeStart of suggested clipEnd of suggested clipPut it up against the side flat side against the side I'm gonna provide me a little reference pointMorePut it up against the side flat side against the side I'm gonna provide me a little reference point to get the get. The my sides closer to where I want to square it off.
How do you cut a mortise with a router table?
3:197:12Cut A Mortise On A Router Table - YouTubeYouTubeStart of suggested clipEnd of suggested clipIt forward slowly until you get to the end. Then you're going to come back slightly. And then pickMoreIt forward slowly until you get to the end. Then you're going to come back slightly. And then pick the whole thing up. So you're basically making a plunge cut into the wood driving.
How do you make a mortise and tenon with a router?
0:398:20How To: Make a Mortise and Tenon using only the Router Table ...YouTubeStart of suggested clipEnd of suggested clipNow I'm going to take the piece of wood that's going to have the tenon on it I'm just going to takeMoreNow I'm going to take the piece of wood that's going to have the tenon on it I'm just going to take it and line it up at the edge up. Here. Take my square. And make sure it's flush on the top here.
What is a mortising router bit?
Freud Mortising Bits are designed to deliver clean, precise, splinter free mortises in plywood, veneer, solid wood or almost any composite material. Most of these bits feature a down shear design that helps eliminate splintering by pushing wood fibers down during the cut.
How do you cut a perfect mortise?
6:3215:2589 - How to cut Perfect Mortise and Tenon Joints in Minutes - YouTubeYouTubeStart of suggested clipEnd of suggested clipFast what I'm going to do is just plunge it right down into the middle maybe wiggle it around a bitMoreFast what I'm going to do is just plunge it right down into the middle maybe wiggle it around a bit until I get that bearing.
How do you make a perfect mortise?
2:354:13How to Make - Perfect Mortise and Tenon Joint with Hand Tools Only!YouTubeStart of suggested clipEnd of suggested clipHere make sure my chisel is not rocking sideways but going vertical into the mortise. This willMoreHere make sure my chisel is not rocking sideways but going vertical into the mortise. This will ensure that Mort is square I also place a bit of tape to the chisel.
How do you mortise door hinges with a router?
0:262:26How to NOT screw up a hinge mortise with a router. - YouTubeYouTubeStart of suggested clipEnd of suggested clipDoor I use a small straight bit and I set the depth of cut by laying my router base on top of twoMoreDoor I use a small straight bit and I set the depth of cut by laying my router base on top of two hinges. One on each side. Then lowering the bit until it touches the bench.
How deep should mortises be?
The mortise depth should be roughly three times the thickness of the tenon. It can be cut in several ways, among them the traditional approach of using sturdy mortising chisels and a mallet to chisel out the hole by hand.
What tools do you need to make a mortise and tenon joint?
If you're doing woodworking on a shoestring budget, you'll be happy to know that the only tools you need to cut tight-fitting mortise and tenon joints are a square, knife and marking gauge, a fine-toothed saw, and a couple of sharp chisels and mallet.
Can a drill press be used as a mortiser?
Simple improvements make a mortising attachment work great. Even though they're sexy, benchtop mortising machines aren't the only power-tool option when it comes to cutting square-shouldered mortises. A drill-press mortising attachment can be just as effective and it costs a lot less.
How do you notch wood with a router?
0:082:05How to Use Wood Routers : How to Cut a Straight Line with a RouterYouTubeStart of suggested clipEnd of suggested clipJust do two and eleven sixteenths just shy of two and three-quarter that we measure over on bothMoreJust do two and eleven sixteenths just shy of two and three-quarter that we measure over on both sides clamp. This down and then run. It. So we have our two marks.
Can you plunge cut with a straight router bit?
Straight router bits with cutting edges that extend half to all of the way across the base of the bit, will allow it to plunge cut.
How to cut mortise on router table?
Step 1: Milling a mortise on your router table is essentially a “blind” operation, because you’ll cut the mortise by plunging the wood down into the bit. All the cutting action will be concealed. The first step is to lay out the mortise shape on your workpiece. Extend the layout lines around to one side and onto the closest end of the board (see Photo 1). The side layout lines will direct you where to start and stop each pass over the bit.
What bit do you use to rout a mortise?
Photo 1. Step 2: You can use a straight bit, mortising bit or an upcut spiral bit to rout mortises with this method. Straight and upcut examples are shown here (see Photo 2). Whichever bit you use, select one with a cutting diameter that matches the width of the mortise you want to make.
How to make a router table look light?
If your router table has a light-colored surface, just draw pencil marks on it. Or, stick a strip of masking tape to the table in front of the bit and far enough away from the fence so your workpiece won’t rub against it.
Learn how to cut a clean, accurate mortise in under 60 seconds
There are plenty of ways to cut a traditional mortise: hollow chisel mortiser machines make it simple, and for those with sharp tools and plenty of practice, a mortising chisel and mallet will certainly get the job done. When woodworker Gregory Paolini needs to cut a mortise however, he turns to his trusty router and an edge guide.
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Introduction
By all means, cutting wood by hand is a great recreational activity. But if you have a project that has to be finished at some point, whether it’s for your spouse or a client, hand cutting is simply not a fast or consistent enough method.
The perfect tool
One tool that most woodworkers have in possession is a plunge router. The cheapest most versatile tool you can buy. For this application the plunge router acts as a drill press, making a perfectly square hole in your work piece.
Cutting a mortise using a router fence
One basic way to go about cutting a mortise with a router is to simply use a fence and a few stop blocks. The fence is there ro reference from the side to make the mortise straight and the stop blocks control the length. Take your time while setting this up, lay out your parts and draw on them to minimize the errors that so easily can occur.
Make your own jig
Just using a fence on your router is all well and good but can be a bit wobbly. To make the operation more fool proof you can make a simple router jig. This increases the stability and accuracy of your mortise cutting.
Cut a tenon using a router
All you need to make this is theoretically a stop clamped on your workpiece, set your router to the desired depth and cut away the material. Why I call this theoretical is because it’s hard to make consistent and repeatable.
Make a tenoning jig
However the good thing is that a tenon jig is super simple to make, just need a few scraps of plywood or any other fairly good quality sheet material.
Professional mortise and tenon jigs
If you want to feel fancy and cut a lot of mortise and tenons, investing in a professional router jig might be the way to go. Once set up you can make perfect repeatable joints in no time. This can really make the difference if you are working on the clock or just want your projects to be finished at some point.
