What is the best router mortising jig you've ever used/built/bought/designed
that is suitable for, or can be adapted to, producing angled mortises in
rails and stiles/legs for use with loose tenon joinery?

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Swingman wrote:
What is the best router mortising jig you've ever used/built/bought/designed
that is suitable for, or can be adapted to, producing angled mortises in
rails and stiles/legs for use with loose tenon joinery?

Somebody's ready for his own Multirouter...

Swingman (in ) said:

| What is the best router mortising jig you've ever
| used/built/bought/designed that is suitable for, or can be adapted
| to, producing angled mortises in rails and stiles/legs for use with
| loose tenon joinery?

I designed, built, use: http://www.iedu.com/DeSoto/cnc_joinery.html

Also does tenons - and dovetails/pins with a straight bit :-)

--
Morris Dovey
DeSoto Solar
DeSoto, Iowa USA
http://www.iedu.com/DeSoto

Jeff Miller has a design for a mortising jig that I made and I have
found incredibly useful in a number of situations. Basically it is
just a 30" long block with a trough on one side that captures the
router's edge guide and you clamp the piece to the other side. He
wrote a description of it in a FWW article a few months ago. He also
describes it his book on chairmaking and I think he describes it in his
book on beds.

It seems to me that you could use that jig with a few wedges to make
angled mortises.

Mark

I was given a very demo of the Trend jig. Does angles, etc.
Very nice. A bit cheaper then the Woodrat. I'd buy it
in a heartbeat if there were loose cash around the house.

MJ Wallace

"B a r r y" wrote in message
Swingman wrote:
What is the best router mortising jig you've ever
used/built/bought/designed
that is suitable for, or can be adapted to, producing angled mortises in
rails and stiles/legs for use with loose tenon joinery?

Somebody's ready for his own Multirouter...

I wish ...

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"Morris Dovey" wrote in message
Swingman said:

| What is the best router mortising jig you've ever
| used/built/bought/designed that is suitable for, or can be adapted
| to, producing angled mortises in rails and stiles/legs for use with
| loose tenon joinery?

I designed, built, use: http://www.iedu.com/DeSoto/cnc_joinery.html

Also does tenons - and dovetails/pins with a straight bit :-)

Sure, Bubba ... I'll whip one up this afternoon. LOL

Thanks, anyway.


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wrote in message
oups.com...
I was given a very demo of the Trend jig. Does angles, etc.
Very nice. A bit cheaper then the Woodrat. I'd buy it
in a heartbeat if there were loose cash around the house.

I do have a review of the Trend in a FWW article in .pdf, but the review
wasn't too explicit how it would work in the situation I am contemplating.
Be nice to hear from someone who owns and know how easily it would adapt.

Thanks,


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"Mark Wells" wrote in message

router's edge guide and you clamp the piece to the other side. He
wrote a description of it in a FWW article a few months ago. He also
describes it his book on chairmaking and I think he describes it in his
book on beds.

It seems to me that you could use that jig with a few wedges to make
angled mortises.

I'll check it out ... although it will probably be the one issue I am
missing.

Thanks,


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Last year I did a lot of searching and comparing of mortice and tenon jigs,
both manufactured and those that I could find plans for. I ended up buying
the Leigh FMT jig. Although it really hurt to spend so much on a jig, I
haven't regreted it. The FMT has done a fabulous job.
I studied the Trend jig for quite a while before passing on it, mostly
because it had no provision in it to adjust for joint tightness. The Leigh
FMT has an adjustment that provides for this and it works perfectly, so you
can get just the right fit every time. The Leigh FMT was the only jig that I
found that had this capability. The joints that it creates are comparable to
those created on CNC machines.

--
Charley

wrote in message
oups.com...
I was given a very demo of the Trend jig. Does angles, etc.
Very nice. A bit cheaper then the Woodrat. I'd buy it
in a heartbeat if there were loose cash around the house.

MJ Wallace

"Charley" wrote in message
m...
Last year I did a lot of searching and comparing of mortice and tenon
jigs,
both manufactured and those that I could find plans for. I ended up buying
the Leigh FMT jig. Although it really hurt to spend so much on a jig, I
haven't regreted it. The FMT has done a fabulous job.
I studied the Trend jig for quite a while before passing on it, mostly
because it had no provision in it to adjust for joint tightness. The Leigh
FMT has an adjustment that provides for this and it works perfectly, so
you
can get just the right fit every time. The Leigh FMT was the only jig that
I
found that had this capability. The joints that it creates are comparable
to
those created on CNC machines.

I am not above buying the FMT. AAMOF, I've been looking at it long and hard
for some time (I own an older D4 and am a fan of Leigh products).

Owning the FMT, perhaps you can tell me the answer to my question.

I have a project that specs "loose tenon" joinery (particularly for the
extra strength in the tenons which would normally have to be cut angled in a
normal M & T joinery).

Will the FMT allow you to easily cut angled mortise in the end of stock,
like the end of rails?

(I realize there is a part length limitation depending upon how high you
have the jig mounted off the floor/work surface).

I would imagine that it would, but have no direct experience with the beast.

For this particular application I don't need the ability to cut the tenons,
which I know the FMT can easily do. I just need to be assured that it will
allow me to use loose tenons in angled mortises cut in the end or rails for
this particular project.

..... besides, if it does, I can then damn sure justify having it for future
projects requiring normal M&T joinery.

Thanks for your input.

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I have the "souped up" version of the one published in
ShopNotes or Woodsmith a few years back. It's very
similar to your version with a few more "features"...

Send me a real email address and I send you a picture
or two.

Swingman wrote:

What is the best router mortising jig you've ever used/built/bought/designed
that is suitable for, or can be adapted to, producing angled mortises in
rails and stiles/legs for use with loose tenon joinery?

The jig I mention will handled angled mortises but it is NOT a
el-cheapo replacement for the Leigh FMT.

http://www.woodsmith.com/issues/147/...he-router-jig/

This is a "EXCELLENT" jig for loose tenon joinery.

Swingman wrote:

What is the best router mortising jig you've ever used/built/bought/designed
that is suitable for, or can be adapted to, producing angled mortises in
rails and stiles/legs for use with loose tenon joinery?

"Pat Barber" wrote in message
...
The jig I mention will handled angled mortises but it is NOT a
el-cheapo replacement for the Leigh FMT.

http://www.woodsmith.com/issues/147/...he-router-jig/

This is a "EXCELLENT" jig for loose tenon joinery.


Also in Shop Notes issue 68 there is the Mortiser jig that is very similar
to the Multi Router.

I'm happy with mine, but it only does one angle

http://www.garagewoodworks.com/jigsfixtures.htm


--
Stoutman
http://www.garagewoodworks.com/index.htm
(Featuring a NEW look)

I got that issue and if I was going to that much trouble,
I would just buy the real thing. The Leigh FMT looks
pretty nice but even that has limitations on size,etc.

The Mult-Router appears to be the KING of that sort of
thing.

I think a few guys on the group have bought the Leigh and
even the Wood Rat and there is one more I can't think of
made in the U.K.



Leon wrote:

"Pat Barber" wrote in message
...

The jig I mention will handled angled mortises but it is NOT a
el-cheapo replacement for the Leigh FMT.

http://www.woodsmith.com/issues/147/...he-router-jig/

This is a "EXCELLENT" jig for loose tenon joinery.



Also in Shop Notes issue 68 there is the Mortiser jig that is very similar
to the Multi Router.

"Pat Barber" wrote in message
I got that issue and if I was going to that much trouble,
I would just buy the real thing. The Leigh FMT looks
pretty nice but even that has limitations on size,etc.

The Mult-Router appears to be the KING of that sort of
thing.

I think a few guys on the group have bought the Leigh and
even the Wood Rat and there is one more I can't think of
made in the U.K.

The "Matchmaker" is interesting, and a good deal cheaper than the
MultiRouter.

http://woodworker.com/cgi-bin/FULLPR...1&LARGEVIEW=ON

Don't know a soul who has even seen one, and damn few who have ever heard of
it.

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"Swingman" wrote in message
news
http://woodworker.com/cgi-bin/FULLPR...1&LARGEVIEW=ON


That is the one that I was thinking about when I e-mailed you.

"Leon" wrote in message

"Swingman" wrote in message

http://woodworker.com/cgi-bin/FULLPR...1&LARGEVIEW=ON


That is the one that I was thinking about when I e-mailed you.

Thanks ... I remember someone a few years back asking here about a
comparison between the Matchmaker and the Multirouter. I tracked his website
down and it looks like he decided to go with the MR since he is now a
distributor for JDS:

http://www.furnituremaker.com/#multi

The FMT is looking better all the time.

I am a bit of leery of the lack of information on the Matchmaker, I can't
really justify the expense of the MR, and at this point I need to be making
productive sawdust instead of jigs.

Still undecided, though.

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The matchmaker doesn't have an adjustment that permits you to adjust the
tightness of fit of the joints. At a wood show demonstration some years ago
the salesman had wraped tape around the tracing stylus to "adjust" the fit
of the joint. I don't like this method because tape thickness is too
variable and you can't repeat the setup without doing a bunch of test cuts
and "tape adjustments" to get it right.

--
Charley

"Swingman" wrote in message
news
"Leon" wrote in message

"Swingman" wrote in message

http://woodworker.com/cgi-bin/FULLPR...1&LARGEVIEW=ON


That is the one that I was thinking about when I e-mailed you.

Thanks ... I remember someone a few years back asking here about a
comparison between the Matchmaker and the Multirouter. I tracked his
website
down and it looks like he decided to go with the MR since he is now a
distributor for JDS:

http://www.furnituremaker.com/#multi

The FMT is looking better all the time.

I am a bit of leery of the lack of information on the Matchmaker, I can't
really justify the expense of the MR, and at this point I need to be
making
productive sawdust instead of jigs.

Still undecided, though.

--
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I "assume" you brought this subject up because you have
a pressing need or are you just kicking the tires ???

The FMT also has it's limitations.... but VERY nice

"The jig is supplied with five joint guides, enabling you to produce
5/16" mortise and tenon joints with lengths of 1/2" through 1-1/2" in
1/4" increments. Also included are a matching 5/16" spiral upcut bit
(1/2" shank), all the necessary tools and mounting hardware and full
instructions. Additional joint guide sets for 1/4", 3/8" and 1/2" wide
mortise and tenon joints are also available."

The Matchmaker has a awful lot plastic to suit my taste. Plastic is
not bad but they use a bunch of it in all their templates.

I also have never seen one word about this machine on the wurl wide web.



Swingman wrote:


The "Matchmaker" is interesting, and a good deal cheaper than the
MultiRouter.

http://woodworker.com/cgi-bin/FULLPR...1&LARGEVIEW=ON

Don't know a soul who has even seen one, and damn few who have ever heard of
it.

This thing sounds awful interesting but you know the drill...

http://www.leevalley.com/wood/page.a...000,52709&ap=1

Swingman wrote:

"Pat Barber" wrote in message

I think a few guys on the group have bought the Leigh and
even the Wood Rat and there is one more I can't think of
made in the U.K.

"Pat Barber" wrote in message

I "assume" you brought this subject up because you have
a pressing need or are you just kicking the tires ???

A _need_ for sure ... "pressing" is, at the moment, relative to finding the
time to make a jig, which I will do if I determine the expenditure for
another method is not justifiable, or should I procrastinate long enough to
force the leap.

The FMT also has it's limitations.... but VERY nice

"Assume" definitely is operative here.

I am assuming that the FMT will allow routing angled mortises in end stock
with the same apparent ease and precision that it will do it's tenon tricks,
but have been unable to get a solid yea or nay on that score?

.... and I tend to agree with Leon's wisdom on the matter. One who pays that
much for a _jig_ may be a tad reluctant to freely admit that it is not the
cat's meow.

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I am assuming that the FMT will allow routing angled mortises in end stock
with the same apparent ease and precision that it will do it's tenon
tricks,
but have been unable to get a solid yea or nay on that score?

After viewing the video on Taunton's website of the FMT being used, I would
sayt that it's pretty clear that the FMT will do angled mortises in end
stock just fine.

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"Swingman" wrote in message
...
"Pat Barber" wrote in message

I "assume" you brought this subject up because you have
a pressing need or are you just kicking the tires ???

A _need_ for sure ... "pressing" is, at the moment, relative to finding
the
time to make a jig, which I will do if I determine the expenditure for
another method is not justifiable, or should I procrastinate long enough
to
force the leap.


Remember!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! The WW show will be here in 5 weeks. ;~) I
am procrastinating until then to spend $2,000-3,000 for a band saw.

ohhhhh.. that sounds like a "yes" vote on the old Master card....

Besides, we are all standing by to find out how it all turns out.

Swingman wrote:



After viewing the video on Taunton's website of the FMT being used, I would
sayt that it's pretty clear that the FMT will do angled mortises in end
stock just fine.

On Thu, 23 Feb 2006 14:27:50 -0600, "Swingman" wrote:

I am assuming that the FMT will allow routing angled mortises in end stock
with the same apparent ease and precision that it will do it's tenon tricks,
but have been unable to get a solid yea or nay on that score?

... and I tend to agree with Leon's wisdom on the matter. One who pays that
much for a _jig_ may be a tad reluctant to freely admit that it is not the
cat's meow.
I have a FMT, it does a lot of work and I am very happy. It will do
angled mortises and tenons. It requires a bit more set up time though.
Last week I did 264 M&T joints for kids tables and chairs in just
under 4 hours. That works out at under a minute per joint.
Although an expensive outlay it has been worth it.
Cheers