Homemade Chain Mortiser (Using Chainsaw)

Mortise and tenon joints are strong and useful, but the mortise part of them (the slot) is hard work and time-consuming to make by hand. There are two machines that do the job – one is basically a bench press that incorporates a drill bit inside a square chisel, and then there’s the chain mortiser. The problem is that both types are specialist equipment – they don’t do anything else – and they mostly sit around doing nothing at all. Plus, we need a big version for making the big joints on wooden gates. So I had a go at making my own.

If you’re tempted to make one of these things yourself, then obviously you need to be careful. Chainsaws like to jump up and take chunks out of you. I am very respectful of them and that’s why this is a lumpy, solid machine and weighs a lot. I did not want it hopping about the yard..

An electric chainsaw would have been much easier to work with. And here’s a technical point to bear in mind – the bar is tapered towards the end (it helps stop the chain slopping about on the bar). This means the mortises it makes are tapered too – not a problem if you taper the tenons. A couple of wedges will help make the joints tight. We hope to make gates soon – and if we get around to it we’ll try to film it for this channel…

And now you can see the first gate we made with it here!    • Making A Five-Bar Gate With The Homem...  

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