At 08:55 PM 1/15/2008, dcharnon@w... wrote:
>Chopping mortises
>
>I'm building a workbench (who isn't?) and I'm doing my first hand 
>chopped mortises.

Not for the faint of heart to be sure

>The wood I'm working with his hard maple, and when they say hard, 
>they mean hard.

Got ya beat there...mine are black locust

>The mortises are 1/2" wide, and I'm using a Sorby heavy duty 
>registered chisel.

Mine are 2" wide,  6" high and 4" deep

This is shot of the stretcher across the bottom.  There are 
stretchers top and bottom.  Total of 10 mortises

http://oldetoolshop.com/jointer/benchpics/bench4.jpg

The first one took me, working part time, probably close to 2 
weeks!  I was hoping to use a big T handled barn auger but the lead 
screw would clog and it would just sit there and spin it's wheels.  I 
tried all different things and at one point was eyeing the chain 
saw...but decided to do it come Hades or high tide.

What I finally settled on, after mucho error, trial, not to mention 
cussing and beer, was to drill 3 3/4" holes using a brace at each end 
of the mortise.  Then using a big hand forged 1" mortising chisel 
(blade alone has to be 22" or so, probably a millwright's chisel),  I 
would cut from the center of the mortise towards the drill holes.  I 
would get about close to 1/2 way through, then flip it over and work 
the other side, till I got to the last 1/2" so and I could just start 
blasting it out.  Then just clean up the cuts with a sharper paring chisel.

Once I got it figured out, I could cut one in a hour.    Not having a 
bench to work on, I a used a couple of stout saw horses and I had a 
loop of rope that went almost to the floor.   I could stick my foot 
in there and keep it from jumping around too much.

I remember going through at least 3 chisel handles.  Took me a while 
to locate the right mallet (the first one was a home made one by me 
and was way too light).  I still have and use the one I built the 
bench with, (it's a section of oak wheel fellow set on a handle).  I 
still have the chisel SOMEPLACE but that I can't do the laying of the hands on.

Whole lotta work but I use the bench every day.  Of course it ain't 
seen much wood working in a while but.......

Tony

                         Olde River Hard Goods
                     http://www.oldetoolshop.com
                                           TSMusic
                http://www.myspace.com/tonyseomusic

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