Shopsmith to route mortise and tenon joints??

reible · Post by **reible** » Thu Feb 26, 2009 5:33 pm

I have a request for some of you who are using your shopsmith to do mortise and tenon joints (with a router chuck mounted on the main spindle and just the normal attachments).

I'd like to you to post some details of how you do the operations. If you do it by the book it fine to just say that. See the online PTWFE at:
http://www.shopsmith.com/academy/routing/index.htm
To see what that method is.

I'd like details like the type of router bit you use and sizes. What woods have you cut and how happy you were with how it all turned out.

If you have any hints or advice that is also something I'd like to hear about.

I've read a few posts here about how well it works so if you have already posted something feel free to post the link and any updates or changes you would like to make to that post.

I'd really like to see some responses.... if this request doesn't work I might be forced to say something like "The shopsmith sucks eggs making mortise and tenon joints" then wait for users to get angry and respond.... but lets let things start off with out me saying that.

Ed

a1gutterman · Post by **a1gutterman** » Thu Feb 26, 2009 8:27 pm

reible wrote:.... if this request doesn't work I might be forced to say something like "The shopsmith sucks eggs making mortise and tenon joints" then wait for users to get angry and respond.... but lets let things start off with out me saying that.

Ed

I could be wrong, Ed, but I think you just said it.

charlese · Post by **charlese** » Thu Feb 26, 2009 9:32 pm

Hi Ed! I see you have jumped ahead to chapter 10 of PTWFE.

Haven't made any tenons with the Mark V basic machine, but have made mortises and grooves. The grooves and the mortises were made with the machine in horizontal position with the table also in horizontal position.

Grooves were a no brainer and worked sweet. (Tongue and groove construction for a table top.)

Mortises done this way were my first venture from drilling overlapping holes and hand chiseling away the waste. These worked well and gave a clean mortise in less time than drilling overlapping holes.

My mortises were about 1" deep and the grooves were 1/4" deep. All were made in red oak. Have used both 1/4" straight and 3/8" straight and spiral bits. Both 1/4" and 1/2" shanks.

Tenons were, and still are made with the table saw. I've found that is the mortise or groove is a bit off center, it is easier for me to make a matching tenon with the saw. Also, I prefer the clean shoulder cuts of the saw.

reible · Post by **reible** » Thu Feb 26, 2009 9:48 pm

Thanks for the comments Chuck. One thing I forgot to ask and I think I know in your case...

But for everyone else;

Do you use the table height adjustable stop collar (555937) for these operations?

If you think of it could you add that to your comments. Chuck I'm pretty sure you do right?

Ed

charlese · Post by **charlese** » Thu Feb 26, 2009 10:02 pm

Gotta admit, I didn't have the adjustable collar, when I did this work. That's why the mortises were a bit off center. But using the saw the tongues and tenons matched up perfectly.

Although the SS works well for mortising, I now use the OPR. It works better!

With the adjustable collar, the mortises are all perfectly centered. (Mortise first, tenon second)

reible · Post by **reible** » Fri Feb 27, 2009 11:55 pm

Still looking for more information

any one?

anyone at all?

Ed

nuhobby · Post by **nuhobby** » Sat Feb 28, 2009 7:04 am

Ed,

Very little to report. But on my one project,

https://forum.shopsmith.com/viewtopic.php?t=2925,

(a.) I used the Mortising Attachement to put the 6 oak posts into the base. I didn't care a lot for this method. I think I put enough torque on my quill lever to drive the Mark V further into the floor....

(b.) I used a small straight router bit in the Mark V quill, with each of the 6 oak posts on the Mark V worktable (riding against the fence), to make the 6 stopped grooves/mortises that accept the veneered panels. It worked OK but I wasn't super-comfortable. It probably would have been better if I used a more careful hold-down setup. Not being a router expert, I fancied the machine turned a little too slow for a smooth, low-vibration cut.

Since that time my OPR has come in and I'm starting to gain experience with it. It will be quite enjoyable from what I can tell.

Oh -- regarding the Stop Collar. I didn't have it in play for this particular job but I do use it elsewhere. For this job I believe I turned each oak-post upside-down after routing, and did it again, for centered grooves.

kd6vpe · Post by **kd6vpe** » Sat Feb 28, 2009 9:08 am

Little ole me just hasn't done much mortise and tenoning yet. The ones I did on a chest where done with a router for the morise and followed up with hand tools to clean it up and the used the tenoning jig on the SS. This porocess produced a fine set of mortise and tenon joinery. I have shyed away from the mortising on the SS as I have seen too many opinions on how hard it was on the table top flexing and pressue on the quil. I might get a morising jig for my desktop drill press though as I am going to try a piece of arts and craft furniture as a next project and will be requiring alot of mortise and tennoning. Thank you for this discussion.

otee453 · Post by **otee453** » Sat Feb 28, 2009 9:59 am

I have found my SS to be quite capable of cutting mortises. I use my large table saw with a woodcraft tenon jig to cut the tennons, but I'm sure the SS would do a good job with the tenon jig.

I have cut my mortises a couple different ways:

With my SS set up right in drill press mode, I set my fence in the appropriate position for my stock. I use the router chuck and a stricht cut router bit. I place my stock up against the fence and then clamp one or two pieces of scrap wood opposite the fence so my stock is sandwiched between the fence and the scrap wood. (the scrap wood pieces must be nice and straight)

Now I am able to securely hold my stock piece, on edge, and lower the router bit into the edge and slowly move the stock back and forth routing out the mortise.

I have since found a much better way that I am using now:
Same method as described above (sandwich the stock), and I use a up cut spiral bit, I use it as a drill bit, boring out holes along the length of the mortise, then I lock down the quill in the lowered position and move the stock back and forth smoothing and cleaning the edges of the mortise. The mortises have turned out excellent and are very easy and quick. The corners of the mortise are round. I have found it quicker and easier to round the tenons with a rasp instead of squaring the corners of the mortise.
This works VERY well. I just did a bunch of M&T's, and they were done very quickly and are perfectly clean.

Gene Howe · Post by **Gene Howe** » Sat Feb 28, 2009 10:11 am

Long, long ago, when I first got my 500, I tried drill press mortising with a 1/4 mortise bit. Gave up. Thought I would damage the table with the pressure required. Used a drill bit and chisel.
Have always done tenons on the TS. Recently started using the router table though. Like that better. It's cleaner.