Glen Huey teaches the simple steps to create a mortise and tenon joint using a router. For more information on joinery, visit: www.popularwoodworking.com/jo...
I'm used to larger, corded routers ru-vid.comUgkxfQ5_mgwq6PcudJvAH25t-I4D-3cTPz4z so this was a different experience for me. Basically, this is an incredibly sweet machine, fits well in the hand, etc. It has slightly less power than I'm used to, but that's understandable. Maneuvering freehand takes some practice. These days, it's especially nice to be able to avoid power cords. This is above the level of a hobbyist but below a pro level.
Take it from someone who has a chorus of bells in both ears 24-7 plus a severe high frequency hearing loss, you should probably wear hearing protection when doing this.
Really love that this channel is geared towards woodworkers and DIYers who just want info, without all the crazy, performance- and social-media-influenced content on some other channels. I don't necessarily want someone doing crazy things and dancing around with annoying music, just would like clear instructions from professionals!
Enjoyable and informative. Thank you Glen. You have an easy style of presentation and clearly explain the options, the pros and cons, the dos and don'ts. I'm gonna make a mortise and tenon joint!
I just want to sincerely thank you for this instruction. Yes there are several more complicated mortise jigs out there, but I am a rookie woodworker with limited resources. I happen to have a very specific application that screams for the use of this approach. Also, your friendly demeanor and easy manner makes it easy to pay attention. You rock my friend!
I love this channel! Every video is so clear and always works with a set-up that a beginner, like myself, can usually put together. Thank you guys for being awesome and sharing techniques in such an approachable way!
Wow, I just made a jig very similar to what you have for my router, but was going to us my table saw for the tenons. Not any more. Love that tenon jig! Thank you.
I was taught as a young man to say Sir or Mamm out of respect to someone older or wiser than myself. Well Sir you have shown me something that will aid me moving forward. This joint have been giving me trouble for a while. This was so important of a video. Thank you very much Sir.
U sir have made my day! i was in a huge pinch coz my table saws blade got stuck and won't budge up or down.and this solves my dilemma. thank U so much.
The tricky part in step one is getting the mortise dead center on the workpiece. A good trick is to switch the router to the other side for another pass. That will assure the mortise is dead center and then you cut the tenon to fit. Otherwise, if the router setup is not perfect, the workpieces won't line up.
Great video, I will have a go at this technique. Would have like a little more info on the cutters that were used. Strange how other people say mortices should be square and tight which is how I was taught but this way seems equally good and is so much simpler it beggars belief I have been squaring them off for over 60 years for no good reason at all!
Thanks for posting this video. When it comes to making loose tenons is it necessary to round over the edges or can you leave them square? I've heard some people say that the strength comes from the face of the joint when it is glued up. Have you ever tested this and found this to be true? Thanks again!
I had a very frustrating experience making mortises this way. I finally realize my bushing was not centered on my bit. Turns out you can get a guide to center the plate to the bit. It only cost me a bushing and a router bit to learn this.
Why do you start cutting the tenon with a climb cut on the router? Why not cut the standard direction which seems safer? Also, you can use a scrap backing board when cutting the tenon to reduce or eliminate the tear out at the end of the cut.
Because going the other way as he said pulls the router INTO the piece - you'd be fighting to prevent the router from taking MORE material away which then runs the risk of breakout. Going reverse direction first means worst case scenario, the router pulls away and you take LESS material than planned so you simply repeat the cut. You only go right to left on the final cut when you want the router to pull in tight.
I am edge joining three 30 year old 2"x 10"x 9' redwood planks I salvaged from my deck rebuild using Festool dominoes 10mmx40mm without the Festool Tool for an outdoor table. A 3/8th's straight bit plunged to 20mm referenced from the top should work with his second jig. Thanks. The plan is 4x4 "X" half-lap legs with a angle brace joined to the top with a housed wedged-through tenon and below with a housed tusked wedged -through tenon in the half-lap joint. I think. Never done it. Irreplaceable wood so I don't want to screw up.
would a drill press wi th a fence work just as good? Its good to know they can be rounded. What stopped me in the past is I thought the corners had to be tight a nd I didnt think I would be able to be that precise.
I'm a beginner, just wondering round edge mortise and square edge tenon -- is that acceptable/common in wood work？I'm wondering the space caused by shape mismatch would need lots of glue to fill... will that be a potential problem in years? thank you all for giving some suggestions.
really nice jigs, well done! The only disadvantage is: the tennon has no round edges, therefore it can move out of the center a little bit. Certainly no question anymore when glued in, but not 100% perfect..not sure how to solve this also...
Great video. My only concern is that you pull the router towards yourself while cutting the tenon. Aren't you suppose to work Left to Right which would be you pushing the router away from yourself?
On the very first cut, if you make it very shallow, it will help with tearout, then proceed normally. It is easy to wreck your workpiece with climb cuts done wrong. Not to mention yourself, if you are not really experienced with a router.
Actually cutting a tenon with the router like this is 10 times faster then setting up a tenioning jig on the table saw with a stack of dado blades. Unless your making a bunch of the same cuts. If its just one or two parts the router might be faster. Now you could cut a loose tenion and a mortise in both parts and put a round over on your loose tenions as long stock them part them off, or just spend a grand or more on festools dimnio system. You can even set up a router table to cut the mortise and tenions as well as spend 2k to 3k on a multi router Or panorouter . As for this guy and the bits he's using Whiteside makes a up spiril cutting bit that pulls the chips up out of the hole insted of just a stright cutting bit. I noticed burn marks on the wood On your first mortise this is a speed feed rate issue and if your burning the wood the tools getting to hot and a hot tool will dull a cutting edge by both tempering the bit and work harding the materials. I belive your moving the tool to slow for the tools rotation speed. Slowing down the tools speed might make it cut without burning.
I bought a Dewalt for 200 bucks from Amazon. I came with the plunge rig. Also love the LED light. Over the past 3 months have used it for several projects from mortise to round over edge on a large butcher block computer desk top. It works flawlessly.
What exactly did you find "terrible" about this video? I thought the video was just fine and helpful. And judging from the vast majority of comments, I'd guess most people thought the video was just fine as well. "In so many ways"? List them...all of 'em. Better yet, produce your own video that corrects all the "many ways" that made this video "terrible". It would then give us the opportunity to critique your critique, your wood-working skills, your video production chops, your presentational style, and the "so many ways" this video was not to your liking.
Well.... A. if you leave the mortise and tenon loose like that, it only has half its strength and over time the glue will say "no more of this" and your project will turn back into lumber due to gravity and humidity changes, instead just round over the tenon with a chisel, that's a couple of minutes of your time for years and years extra of enjoying the end result ;) and B. just route the start plus end point first (layer for layer) and then route everything in between (layer for layer) instead of these deep passes, you'll F something up eventually because the deep passes make you lose control and C. I don't think the jig saves you time lol, just start cutting like I suggested in B.
