Chain Mortising Machine

For cutting larger mortises such as those used in timber frame construction, chain mortises are commonly used. A chain with cutters (similar to a chainsaw chain) rotating within a frame clamped to the work is successively plunged into the workpiece to mortise out the required volume.The drill press does not leave a perfect mortise like you could get off a router, hollow chisel mortise or a horizontal mortise, but it does accurately evacuate the waste for the mortise. This saves a lot of up-front time and is easier to clean up with chisels afterwards. The mortise depth should be roughly three times the thickness of the tenon. It can be cut in several ways, among them the traditional approach of using sturdy mortising chisels and a mallet to chisel out the hole by hand.