Tuesday, June 16, 2009

Chopping a Haunched Mortise

This is not Paul Simons Door

Well I'm busy as hell and goin' crazy like a bag of hammers...chopping out the mortises these last few days I don't have time for a full blog so I thought I'd post a video with a few minutes of real time working. The quality is 'Blair Witch' shaky and the audio track is my old record player in the corner...I was listening to Graceland-Paul Simon's wonderful album from way back when? How old am I now? This is one of the best parts of a hand tool shop, being able to work and listen to records. Bet you can't say that over the deafening drone of a table saw!
In this clip I'm chopping the haunched portion of the mortise using a massive Hirsch Mortise Chisel,(by the size of these things I can only assume they're manufactured in the magical land of Giants where everyone has hands like silver back gorillas.) Then I establish the depth of the haunched portion with my Veritas Large Router plane. I clean out the waste with a swan neck chisel from Henry Taylor in England and some paring with a large Japanese bench chisel. I think that covers it...sorry for the rushed post but I've gotta keep going on this.
Cheers.

3 comments:

  1. Fascinating.
    Thanks for taking time out to share.
    Far from being a brief post I think a few lines followed by a 10 min video is very instructive. A picture paints.....
    Lovely oak you have there I can relate to watching you manouevre it around - my space makes yours look palatial!

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  2. Thanks for the comments...
    If your space makes this one look palatial then you must work in a closet!
    Happy shavings...
    watch 'yer head.

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  3. Nice footage! I have 10x10 shop and can relate to the size when it come to moving long stuff around!
    Take care and take your time!!
    David

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