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If you have a tool or jig that's been replaced by a New AND Improved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