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Mortise Tools & Machines

Mortising machines come in different sizes and configurations, but basically they are used to drill either round or square holes using a hand drill or a drill press. A mortising bit such as pictured below drills a flat bottom hole to accommodate a tenon.

A mortising machine is used to drill squared-off holes to accept a rectangular tenon.  Machines consist of a (hollow squared) chisel with a rotating drill inside the hollow to clear the bulk of the stock while the chisel squares the corners. Mortising machines range from free-standing dedicated tools or self-powered and drill press attachments.

Jesada Mortise Bit consists of a two-flute mortise bit designed to deliver clean edges and a flat bottom with perfect shoulders. The cutting edge has a shear downward angle to cut an even mortise hole with no ragged edges. This bit is compatible with most mortising jigs.

Forstner Bits are available at most hardware stores or home fix-up box stores.  They are usually sold in sets and are excellent for drilling precision flat-bottom holes without tearing the wood fibers.

Mortising Machines

Woodhaven Mortising Table is an easy way to do mortise & tenon projects. You can set the mortise length and wood clamps in the jig and feeds forward in a straight line, into the bit until it bottoms out against the router plate. You can move the jig left & right against stops to cut the mortise length desired. Toggle clamps hold stock up to 1-3/4" thick. More...

Delta Professional 1/2 Hp. Square holes? No problem. Delta's industrial mortising machine offers precision with a 1/2-horsepower motor behind it. A rack-and-pinion system raises and lowers the head, and the mortising head column swings 180 degrees for off-table work. Clearly a step up from Delta's MM300 Shopmaster mortising machine, this one's made with the professional user in mind and includes an adjustable dovetail way on the mortising head, a tool and chisel tray, a gas-filled head stabilizer and multiposition feed lever. There's also a generous 16-3/4-by-13-1/2-inch cast-iron base and 2-15/16-inch tall two-piece fence totaling 13-5/8 inches in length. Bit and chisel changing is easy with the chuck key/hex wrench. Of course, we always want to use new tools right out of the box, and Delta's made sure you can get started right away with 1/4-, 5/16-, 3/8-, and 1/2-inch chisel and bit sets

Hand Tools | Tenon Cutters | Mortising Tools | Books/Videos