Now that this post finally appeared, and I have looked at it, I believe that
everything that you have shown in your diagram for morticing on the FMT is
true except that it isn't necessary to mark the placement of the second
mortice (on the bottom) if it is going to be placed in the center of the
part. The FMT has a guide that you can lock in place to position parts at
the same XY location and the second mortice will come out in the correct
position without marking for it. If you wanted to place mortices off center
or mirror imaged from each other on each end it's a bit more involved but
you can avoid marking the follow on pieces if you use the FMT's top table
positioning capability to locate each of the 2 mortices.

For Mirror Image Morticing of both ends of a part.

1. You would have to mark the center positions of the mortices on both ends
of the first part.
2. Position the part so that it's face side is toward the FMT and the
mortice to be cut is left of the part's center.
3. Locate the part roughly centered in the FMT's XY table range, clamp the
part in position and position with the top end touching the crosshair piece
and the locating rail along the left edge of the part.
4. Position the FMT's XY table to align the crosshairs with the mortice
center marks on the part and lock the XY table in this position.
5. Set and lock the left end stop and the forward stop of the XY table.
6. Retract the Crosshair piece and cut this mortice.
7. Unclamp and rotate the part so the bottom end is now the top and it's
face is still toward the FMT. Position it against the side rail and clamp it
in place with the top end touching the crosshair piece.
6. Unlock and move the XY table to the right and position the crosshairs on
the center mark of the mortice. Now lock the XY table in position.
7. Set and lock the right and rear table stops.
8. Retract the crosshair piece and cut this mortice.

The FMT is now set up to make mirror positioned mortices on the next and
follow on parts without the need to mark the mortice positions.

1. Extend the crosshair piece, position and clamp the part against the
locating rail with it's face toward the FMT. Retract the crosshair piece
(now used only for a vertical stop)
2. Unlock and move the XY table to the left and front stops and lock it in
position.
3. Cut the mortice.
4. Unclamp and rotate the part keeping it's face side toward the FMT. Extend
the crosshair piece and position the part against the crosshair piece and
the side guide rail. Clamp the part in position and retract the crosshair
piece.
5. Unlock and move the XY table to the right and rear stops and lock it in
position.
6. Cut the mortice.
Done

Once the FMT has been set up it's easier to make mortices and then make the
matching tenons to fit them than it is to make just mortices and then make
floating tenons separately. The only time that I make floating tenon joints
now is when I want to make M&T joints at a significant angle to the grain,
such as when joining 45 degree mitered pieces. Since the tenons made on the
part would end up with significant cross grain and would not be very strong
I would make mortices in each piece and then cut a floating tenon from
straight grained stock to go between them.

It's really quite simple but a bit difficult to describe. Watching their
Demo DVD explains everything.
--
Charley


"charlieb" wrote in message
...
Loose Tenon mortise and tenon joinery is becoming more accessible to,
though not necessarily affordable for, the amateur woodworker thanks
to several products that have become available over the last several
years. Right now, I'm aware of three router based - non CNC - jigs /
tools that will cut end grain mortises - the TREND M&T JIG, the Leigh
FMT jig and the MultiRouter - along with the new Festool DOMINO that's
not router based.

What I hope to do is show, with simple annotated diagrams, the
procedure
for doing end grain mortises with each jig / tool and describe the
strenghths and weaknesses (if any) of the available jigs / tools when
it comes to this specific application.

I know the procedure for cutting mortises in end grain using the TREND
M&T JIG and the Festool DOMINO. I've never used the Leigh FMT jig or
the MultiRouter. I'm working on the Leigh FMT jig first, trying to
under-
stand how it works and the procedure for using it - in real basic steps.

The goal is to provide info that can help other woodworkers, looking
into ways to make loose tenon M&T joinery part of their joints arsenal,
with their purchasing decision. I'll put the stuff up on my woodworking
site after "peer review" is completed and post the URL to it in
rec.woodworking.

I have NO connection or affiliation with any of the jigs /tools makers
or sellers of any of the jigs / tool noted above, and paid the going
price
for the TREND M&T JIG and the DOMINO. - no freebies or discounts
to influence the evaluation. (When I got the DOMINO I gave the TREND
M&T JIG to a woodworker long on Woodworking Passion and Short on Cash.
If you have a tool or jig that's been replaced by a New AND Improved
one and don't feel like hasseling with selling or swapping it - find a
woodworker long on Woodworking Passion and Short On Cash and
make his/her day. What YOU get - priceless).

Attached is an illustration of the Leigh FMT procedure as I think it
works.
Need someone who HAS used the FMT - preferably successfully - to look
over the attachment and let me know if I've missed something significant
or got something wrong. Comments can be posted here under this
post's subject line, or to rec.woodworking using this post's subject
line
or e-mailed directly to me (my e-mail address is real, and the only one
I have - no HotMail or Yahoo drop outs).

Thanks for reading all this and hope to thank some of you for
helping out.

charlie b