Cutting Mortises with the Rikon Sliding-Table Benchtop Mortiser

A mortiser excels in boring square holes, but to obtain the best results, you can benefit from learning the proper mortising technique.

How to Mill a Mortise Cleanly

A common way of drilling mortises is to mill overlapping holes. This method tends to cause the bit to rub against the inside of the chisel, resulting in overheating of both the bit and the chisel. In hard woods, mortising exerts tremendous force on the chisel, which can cause it to twist or deflect. The technique below avoids these issues by making four-sided and two-sided holes.

1) Cut the two ends of the mortise first (Photo 1).

2) Position the chisel spaced about half of its width from the first mortise, and make another cut.

3) Continue skipping half a hole until you reach the other end of the mortise (Photo 2).

Photo 2- Make a series of cuts, leaving about half a chisel width of space between.

4) Last, drill the remaining two-sided holes (Photo 3).

Photo 3- Remove the waste between holes.