I have a production project in the plans which will require mortising and bent lamination, so I took the time to build a mortising jig and a beam compass.  I will be test driving them after the project design is approved on Labor Day weekend. 

 

Mortising jig

The mortising jig design is original, but has features borrowed from Jeff Miller and Philip Morley.  It is approx. 16”x 30” x 5” with a ¾” x 5” x 36” base boards.  The primary materials used are 4/4 maple lumber, ½” Baltic birch ply, and ¾” Prowood birch U-V ply.  The red stops are made from scrap cherry painted.  The jig can be easily clamped to a work bench and all of the accessories can be stored in the back of the jig.

The work piece is referenced on primary, secondary, and ternary surfaces.  The primary surface is made from two pieces of birch ply glued together.  Clamping takes advantage of the Microjig dovetail clamp riding in a 14 deg. dovetail track groove.  If your work piece is difficult to load and reference when the jig is up-right position, the jig can be positioned horizontally, so that it takes advantage of gravity loading.  The clamps have a limitation of a 4” opening with 595 lbs. clamping pressure each.  The router edge guide maple runner was machined at the same time the guide groove spacer.  During assemble a paper shim (~0.004”) was added to allow the guide to run parallel to the work piece.  All surfaces received a light coat of Johnson paste wax.

 

Beam compass

The compass was built from scrap ¼” x ¾” x as needed cherry material.  It can make an approx. 14” radius. The design is not original.

Danl

 

Very nice mortis machine, Danl. Pretty neat storage for the tools, also.

That is one awesome jig!!!

That's going to work out nicely.

I forgot to add the beam compass pics.  Danl

4 hours ago, Danl said:

I forgot to add the beam compass pics

 

I like that.  I have a couple store boughts that aren't near as classy as yours. 

That mortising machine is really neat. I saw one similar quite a few years ago on the Router Workshop (have you ever slept through an episode of it?) and their's wasn't nearly as well done as the one you have.

The beam compass, I'm going to have to borrow that one Dan, love it.

Two great additions to any shop - thanks for sharing!

Most excellent and extremely well done Dan

Thanks for the background and especially the pictures.