Edit: I mean angled through mortise strategy!
Hi Gary,
I’m halfway through your “Classic Bookcase in the Craftsman Style” project from FWW #136, and I’m just not confident that I can accurately plunge the angled through mortises into the through tenons. I’m concerned that I cannot set the template up accurately due to the angle. So, while I buy some time practicing this technique, I’d like to know about just chopping the darn things by hand. I could rout or chop a plain old vanilla rectangular mortise, and then chisel away the angled portion. What’s the best method for accomplishing this, to ensure that one wall is angled properly? Is a mortise chisel preferred for this operation? Any thoughts would be most appreciated!
Thank you for all of the great guidance you give back to the community. We are all better craftspeople for your efforts.
regards,
JP Lee
Edited 3/7/2007 8:48 pm ET by jplerxt
Replies
Hi Gary,
Solved the challenge. I routered the mortise flat, then chopped the angled portion to accommodate the wedge. No fingers lost, no wood marred.
regards,
jp
Hi,
I was formulating a response and your new message came in. Congrats on your success. Thanks for your kind words. You can most certainly rout this angled mortise. It is very straightforward. All that the template requires is that you make a fence on it at a 7 or 8 degree angle. Cut a block of wood on your table saw at that angle. Set up the blade with a sliding bevel and save this setting for making up a holder to cut your wedge stock on the band saw later. Attach the angled fence to a piece of 1/4" mdf and mark a center line on it. Then cut your mortise slot figuring in the size of your template guide to your bit. This slot will center over your protruding tenon so you make the cut at that angle. You'll have to clean up the corners with a chisel of course. Good luck. Gary
Hi Gary,Well, I completed all the cutting and fitting, and the bookcase looks great!. The wedges are purpleheart, which offer a very nice contrast to the white oak. This was a fun project - thanks!Now, I am ready to apply a finish to the bookcase - I am going with a water-based dye, sealer, pigment-based oil stain and clear satin finish that Jeff Jewitt recommends for that old-school A&C look. I plan on applying the finish before the final assembly and glue-up, and have one more question.My question now is - when should I drill the holes for the shelf supports? Before or after the finish application? I do not want to clog them up with finish, and they are too small and numerous to plug up (I think), so theres a case for drilling after finishing. But it would be easier (I think) to see what I'm doing and fix any mistakes if I drilled before the finishing.So, now I'm sitting here vacillating back and forth... Can you shed any more light on this for me?thanks again,
JP
JP,
I'd drill the holes right now. Be careful when finishing and have a piece of dowel to run into each hole after you've wiped off your stains/ finish. Just to make sure nothing has run in there and might dry in a big blob. It should be simple. I'm glad the piece came out well.
Sincerely,
Gary
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