A Shaker Style Table, 2022 version #8: Mortises, lots of them

I guess the socket a dovetail’s tail goes into could also be called mortise? Lunch was going to be way late, DoorDash foul-up….spent 2 hours in the shop, today….mainly beating on chisels, and trying to get saws to work…

Had 2 sticks to work on….once they were cut down to the correct length…

One will get stubby little tenons on each end…the other will get dovetail “tails” on each end

After trying the bandsaw to see how well it cuts….went with a handsaw and chisel for the other tenon..

Then use the tenons to lay out a mortise…

Yes, the direction is correct…this will be where the drawer slides in…bottom of this runner needs to match up with the bottom of the sides….dry fit?

Almost…had a couple of crumbs holding things out. each front leg gets a mortise like this….was doing one leg at a time…so…on to the dovetail…

Something wasn’t quite right, here..

Yep, too FAT. Red lines show where this got cut back too, on both ends…in order for the camera to see a line, in end grain, I used a black Sharpie..

What I then needed to do, was LEAVE that black line….

Dry fit both sticks…second front leg…tenon mortise went a bit better…as for the socket?

With a dovetail saw, again…just leave the pencil lines, this time. Can only saw so far down…so..

Called a Kerf Chisel…a stiff putty knife…thinned to match the saw’s kerf,,well, at least my saw’s kerf…then chop out the waste…dry fits (took a couple…left too much line) so that all that was left to do…

Back corner leg needed it’s mortise for the side apron…..after which..

A full scale dry fit…to see where any fine tuning is needed…you are looking in through the drawer opening

I think I can put the Mortise Jig away, now..

Just 3 scraps of Pine…most of those holes are to allow to adjust the jig to fit the part(s) needing chopped..held down to the bench’s leg with 2 screws in counter sunk holes..

Debating on grain direction..

Leave the side aprons like this, or, rotate them around the other way? Hmmm.

Need my tablesaw back, so things will get moved around a bit

Stay tuned..

-- A Planer? I'M the planer, this is what I use