I have GI 50T mortiser and GI Tenoning jig. These tools have been serving
me well. My learning experience is similar with Mike.

1. Hollow Chisel Mortiser
- use the 40-cent method to set spacing between the bit and chisel
- lower the head and use a square against the chisel and fence for accurate
alignment
- tighten the fence really well (I got 1/4 " problem by failing to do that)
- start with the "other" end
- go to the "right" end and drill the wholes with 1/32 overlap
- leave enough wood for the last bridge

2. Clean the hole with a sharp 3/4 " chisel

3. Tenoning jig
- mark the lines on all sides - just to be sure
- cut the deep lines along the wood
- use a standard spacer (chisel width + saw blade width) to get the sides
parallel
- make the tenons 1/4 " extra long for through joints

4. Table saw fence
- cut the four cross lines against the fence
- adjust the blade height 1/32 " shy from the deep lines
- use a small plane or chisel for potential final cleanup

5. For stronger (and nicer) through joints
- cut openings in the tenons for two wedges
- drill a hole at the end of the openings
- make wedges from a wood that gives nice contrast

6. Check before glue

7. Glue and hammer in the wedges

8. If the mortise hole was too large or the wedges too narrow
- use some wood filler before sanding

9. Enjoy your project =)

Cheers, Ollie

"John Moorhead" wrote in message
. ..
Mike -

I have the General Int'l mortiser and the Delta Tenoning jig. I built
some
screen doors and found that the walls of the mortise cavity were not as
smooth as I would have liked - it was my first time using the machine, so
maybe it was my technique, but I *really* had to pay attention to keep all
of the mortise plunges in line. I had the work clamped to the fence, but
overall I'd say that the mortised "squares" varied by a bit more than
1/32... It took some hand work to clean things up, and they were blind
mortises, so the error was covered by the shoulders of the tenon, but
still... Not quite sure what I did worng. Perhaps I was trying to cut too
fast, tho' the mortiser never labored excessively and I didn't get any
squealing or burnign.

One thing I found is that it is CRUCIAL to have the back of the chisel
absolutely square to the fence when you install the bit assembly. I
finally
just brought the fence forward and used that to index the back of the
chisel.

I have to build a mission coffee and side table group later this fall. I
have the wood, the tools and everything but the time to do it... rrrr...
Good luck!

John

"Mike S." wrote in message
. ..
I have the Shop Fox Mortiser and the Woodcraft tenon jig for the table
saw.
I've messed around with it a little back in the summer making some small
tables for the patio and they turned out ok with some trial & error. Now
I'm
in the process of building a Mission sofa table for my daughter out of
qswo.
Any of you guys have any tips, tricks or things to watch out for so I
don't
screw this up. I'm working from a set of plans I bought and it has all
the
measurments but I know how things can go. Little tips & tricks the pro's
use
to make the job smoother.
Thanks, Mike

--
Mike S.

http://members.tripod.com/n0yii/woodworking.htm