Southern Yankee Workshop
Custom Handmade Benches
How I make Mortise and Tenens?
I use a model 5009 Mor-Ten Jig from Porter Cable
The most time consuming part of building these benches has got to be cutting all of those mortise and tenen joints that hold it all together. To do this, I use my small 1HP router that will only hold a quarter inch shank. This is fine, because the router bits are always that size and this router is somewhat lighter than my big router. I lay out all of my mortises, that is the part that looks like a hole and cut them all first. To do this, I use a Porter Cable Mor-Ten jig. I did alter it a bit by drilling some countersunk screw holes in the template that is made of quarter inch plate steel. This was done so I could screw the plate on to the pieces at the precise angle and position that I need the mortise. This has not really changed the tool as it was designed, but it sure makes the tool more versatile. I have tried a few other methods of making these joints, but the Mor-Ten jig from Porter Cable is the best method I have found yet.
The main thing to remember is that in order to use the Mor-Ten jig to cut mortises, you will have to pass a fast rotating router bit through a half inch by one inch oval hole in a quarter inch thick piece of plate steel. This can be a bit on the tricky side with a normal router because you will have to roll the router bit in place. I have found that using my plunge router reduces the likelihood that the router bit will hit the metal plate. There is a potential danger that the router bit will hit the metal plate and the router bit will break. For this reason I recommend using the high speed steel router bit instead of the carbide router bit. The reason I say this is because the high speed steel router bit is less likely to break if this happens.
WEAR SAFETY GLASSES!!!
This safety precaution is important to consider, because it only takes a small particle in the eye to take your eyesight from you. It is common practice to wear safety glasses whenever working with power tools, but even if you never use them, you should not forget to wear them with the Mor-Ten jig. After using the router and Mor-Ten jig to cut all of the mortises, use the other part of that jig to cut the tenens. To do this requires setting up the jig and cutting half of the tenen, then flipping the plate over and cutting the second half of the tenen. This part of the project is going to produce quite a pile of saw dust, so don't hesitate to stop from time to time and sweep up that mess.
I use a combination of clamps together in different ways to make the job of using the Mor-Ten jig much easier. I usually clamp the piece of wood in my folding work mate with the 24�� bock clamp that mates up the worktable surface. I place an end on the ground when cutting tenens on the end grain it at all possible. I then use an 8� C-clamp to fasten the Mor-Ten jig to the piece of wood to hold them firmly together. If needed, I also use two six inch Vice-Grip pistol grip vices to hold the piece of wood steady because I do not want the wood to move while I am routing it. I do this by placing the first Clamp flat on the table and squeezing it tight on the piece of wood. I then use the other clamp to clamp this first clamp firmly to the work mates table top. This always works to stop any movement
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