Learn how to build this simple, economical slot mortiser.
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Sooner or later, most avid furniture makers fall under the intoxicating spell of the slot mortiser. While cutting individual mortise-and-tenon joints the old fashioned way can be therapeutic and fun-being faced with a larger project, or a contract to build an entire kitchen’s worth of cabinets can be more than a bit daunting.
But the cost of a decent machine can vary anywhere from around $500, all the up way up to over $2,500. That’s not exactly chump change, and we’ve featured plenty of great shop-built models here at FineWoodworking.com. Case-in-point: furniture maker Greg Paolini’s home-brewed machine. You can catch a video tour of his homemade slot mortiser here. Plus, members can download the original project plan article and take a stab at building their own.
Download the Members-Only Plan 
Paolini’s slot mortiser is fully adjustable on three separate axes and doesn’t require any high-priced hardware. Basic materials include some high quality multi-ply, MDF, aluminum T-track, a router baseplate, and two De-Staco clamps. Watch Greg’s video for even more information.
Build a Shopmade Slot Mortiser
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Learn how to build this simple, economical slot mortiser.
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Don't let the simple design fool you. This shopmade device, constructed primarily of MDF, makes it easy to cut countless mortises quickly and accurately.
Comments
I just tried to download the plans - all I get is a blank screen.
try downloading adobe reader and reinslalling it. after that the plan should load just fine. it did for me. I still need to read it and see if its the right one for my needs, but it looks good at first glance!
That's a great demonstration but how did he cut those curved tenons to fit the curved ends of the mortises?
Loose tenon stock can be made with a table saw and a roundover bit on a router table. The radius of the roundover bit should match the radius of the straight bit used to cut the mortise.
my mortise and tenon jig is a lot lot better than this..watch it here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=abVICb-e6co
Looks like a good device, BUT the Unit in the video does not match the unit in the downloaded plan.
Might you show us how you made the height adjusting router mount? Seems better than the aluminum plate you originally used. The video is neat, but not quite adequate.
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