Morticing the Leg Frames

It’s been a while since the last post but I’m now in the throws of morticing the leg frames. Although I have access to a lot of machines I went the hand tool route. The leg frames have 1 x big through mortice and tenon with a haunched mortice and tenon at the top. All will become clearer when it’s up together.

By the book I should of reduced the width of the bottom rail tenon a bit, but quite honestly, in my experience, I knew it would be fine on a workbench of this type.

I was going to give two variations of cutting a mortice a go. Bevel edge chisel (the heavy duty general purpose type) and a mortice chisel.

I allowed myself some indulgence and bought a very good value 1/2″ Narex mortice chisel from UK based Workshop Heaven and a Joseph Marples Mortice Gauge from ebay (but new) so I could contrast the two types of chisel.

I’ve done round one with the bevel edge (see video below). I have not really taken a classic approach to morticing, just what seemed to work. The last time I hand cut a mortice was when I was 16 during the first year of my apprenticeship! I found the bevel edge familiar in the hand and easy enough to mortice with although you do need to resist the desire to lever it too hard. It remains to be seen if it’s quicker than a mortice chisel. Round 2 to come.