Drill Press Mortising made easy

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In this video I show a neat way to cut a mortise with drill press and end mill.
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[@davidkelly1634]

The mag switch on the drill fence is a great idea. Thanks for the content.

[@MikeFarrington]

Thank you. I have a video on my channel showing how I made the drill press table and fence if you are interested.

[@Thundermuffin93]

This has got to be one of the most straightforward no crap woodworking videos I've watched in a long time. Thank you for a really sweet into the point demo of an awesome technique. New subscriber for sure!

[@MikeFarrington]

Glad it was helpful!

[@Whitebassonly]

Mike’s pretty cool. You’ll like his videos and ingenuity.

[@MikeFarrington]

@@Whitebassonly Thank you, that is very nice to say.

[@tbuc2920]

I thought the same thing Andrew.

[@jimwatson3779]

@@MikeFarrington are these steel milling bits?

[@justinsumersguy1104]

20+ years using an overarm pin router, often mortising with it. Like you, I much prefer looking at and having full view of the cutting action. We used one inch mills occasionally but most often hss 3/8" upcut spiral bits. I've never seen these bits nor this technique before, thank you! Retired now with just a home shop, I'm sure I'll be using this technique soon! Most woodworking videos I've seen are done by 'performing' amateur woodworkers, often with little experience and talent. Many of these guys recommend "inexperienced" ideas along with "inexperienced" and frequently dangerous practices. You're one of a handful who are not. Thank you for sharing and posting!

[@MikeFarrington]

Thank you very much. KZbin is certainly a tornado of competency levels.

[@mattmicken6379]

A heads up for anyone not familiar with end mills: they come in "center cutting" and "non center cutting" varieties. You'll need the center cutting variety to be able to plunge with it.

[@MikeFarrington]

This is a good tip, I will say, the vast majority of end mills in this size range are all center cutting. Non center cutting really comes into play in larger sizes.

[@Ledgar69]

I know here in the UK at least they’re generally called a slot drill

[@ypaulbrown]

they also come in a plunge cutting configuration called a Drill/Mill, very handy for plunging in and then milling, or chamfering an edge, but they do not leave a flat bottom.....due to the angle of the flutes on the end.....usually about 90 degree included angle

[@billlichirie14]

Please, source of supply for roughing 4 fluted centering End Mill??

[@dieSpinnt]

Thanks for the tip, Matt!:) The following is just a side-note, no fear-mongering, just a little smalltalk out of the engineering pocket:) Use it with your brain and not with your heart:P I think it is not worth mentioning that a drill press is named that way because of a reason and that there is that other mysterious thing one can vaguely imagine by your comment: The Milling Machine. The drill press is built for maximum forces towards the axial force of the drilling mechanism, meaning downwards, you drilling in the workpiece. The milling machine including its tool-holding can handle also radial forces, f.e. those in the X and Y direction of the milling machines table. This different operation area is achieved by a different design, other mounting mechanism and different bearings. You should look up exactly what bearing types your drilling press is equipped with when you are trying to "abuse" it as a milling machine. In doubt: Ask an expert. Or as we Internet-Folk like to say: Who cares? She needs new bearings anyway ... since years! Hehehe Have fun making!:)))

[@WoodShopStop]

Great video! I was a machinist for more than 15 years and I have journeyman's card. Worked at an aerospace company using steels and aluminum as well as titanium. So I'm very familiar with the end mills. We called the roughing end mills "hog mills"because they would hog out tremendous amount of material and then we'd follow up with the finish end mills for a smoother finish. This was all done on CNC four and five axis machines. I often wondered how the Mills would work for wood. You have answered that question in my mind. And now I have to try it, I like it. Thanks for the video.

[@MikeFarrington]

Thank you for sharing, good stuff.

[@paullasko2023]

You are a fantastic teacher! I'd heard of an end mill, but wasn't quite sure of its purpose. Thanks for showing one in action.

[@MikeFarrington]

Thank you. This is really not the purpose of an end mill, however it works OK for this operation.

[@mattelias721]

Thanks, Mike... great tip. I think the secret sauce to your approach is the direct, intuitive layout-to-mortise process. Jigs sometimes require maths (1/2 distance, bushing offsets, etc.) and then on top of that, your cutter is upside-down, and hand-held. This approach takes out the math, and as you stated, gives you more control over the cut. I did tuck away the drill press notes in other comments for protecting bearings, etc., but really this is what end mills are made to do so with knowledge and caution, I'd definitely do this.

[@MikeFarrington]

I would suggest the bearing comments from others are a result of them not watching the video. At no point in this process is a significant side load applied. I'm holding the piece with my thumb, moving it and drilling straight down.

[@mattelias721]

@@MikeFarrington Agreed!

[@makethepart]

Great alternative for Testool loose tenon joinery. When it comes to green tools, no one wants a tucked up tortoise. Thanks for the gems and insight as usual.

[@MikeFarrington]

Ha! Thank you.

[@TheSnekkerShow]

Good stuff. I've done drill-press mortising with a twist drill bit, forstner bit, and a router bit. I've even cut grooves in aluminum with a router bit in the drill press with good results. Never thought about using an end mill.

[@MikeFarrington]

Thank you.

[@Rossco242424]

I purchased Mike's kumiko lamp course on wood whisperer, it's really great. One of the best online courses I've taken. I would recommend that course to any woodworker, even those who don't have a specific interest in kumiko (like me), because there are so many insights into his process, and it is loaded with brilliant tips and techniques, just like his YT videos. I'm pretty sure, for instance, that the topic of this video was touched on in that kumiko course. Anyway, thanks for making the videos, Mike. It's always exciting when you a drop a new one and I know I'm not alone thinking that.

[@MikeFarrington]

Thank you very much for purchasing the course. I used this method in that course. I did so because its very difficult to mortise those tiny legs using other methods. Coming up with a good clamping solution just takes too long.

[@cmleoj]

This process works great on a milling machine too! When I lived in central Denver I constructed three wooden gates, and I clamped the stiles to the milling machine table to cut the mortises. You can use the same process to make the tenons. Thanks for the video.

[@MikeFarrington]

A mill would make a great wood working tool.

[@mfcosi]

Amazed that the guy with so many routers enjoys making this on a drill press. Thank you for sharing. Greetings from São Paulo - Brazil.

[@MikeFarrington]

When working with really small pieces, its difficult and time consuming to clamp the piece in place. The method avoids that. This isn't the best way to cut mortises, its just another method to use when appropriate.

[@mfcosi]

@@MikeFarrington I don't know if you are aware that there was some kind of spam (You won something! Cal this phone number.....) sent to me right after I posted my question. I warned youtube about it.

[@MikeFarrington]

@@mfcosi Thank you. I am aware and working on reporting/removing.

[@andrewbieger5004]

FANTASTIC stuff, Mike. I have been looking at used hollow chisel mortise machines for just such an application. Your method beats that by a long shot, since I don't need a production machine, or a Domino, and the router edge guides are MAJOR sketch.

[@MikeFarrington]

If you already have a drill press, this method is worth a try before investing in a different tool.

[@ZachStein]

Neat idea. I wouldn't have thought to use a roughing endmill to do this, I'll have to give this a try!

[@MikeFarrington]

Thank you.

[@johnbuenger]

Amazing how simple this is. Would have never thought of it. Thanks.

[@MikeFarrington]

Glad it was helpful!

[@tbuc2920]

I want to get into mortising but not buying the expensive setups to do it. I will be getting a set of these drill bits for my drill press. So glad I ran into this video.

[@MikeFarrington]

Give this a try. Let me know if it works for you.

[@salvatorecaramico7104]

Great info! We used to use another "fence" parallel to the back fence to keep the stock from moving forward or back during drilling.

[@MikeFarrington]

That's a great idea!

[@richardskull5279]

There are variable flute endmills that help reduce resonant viblration or try 2, 3, 4 or 5 flute endmills.

[@MikeFarrington]

Yes, I have used 2, 3, and 4, and I've found 4 to be the best. It seems as though 5 flute are only in the larger sizes.

[@williamkaiser8490]

Best drill press mortis I've seen yet!👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍

[@MikeFarrington]

Thank you.

[@glencrandall7051]

I have used end mills in the past but without the results you are getting. My bits were either dull or the wrong type. Your results appear to be excellent.👍👍Thank you for sharing. Have a great 2023 and stay safe.🙂🙂

[@MikeFarrington]

Try a 4 flute roughing end mill. It will greatly improve your results.

[@alfredobanuelos4730]

This was very helpful. Thank you for the tip. I use mortise and tenon construction almost exclusively. This is a great alternative. I’ll give it a go.

[@MikeFarrington]

Good stuff. Thank you.

[@tomhauburger6959]

Love this technique. Have had similar success with end mills on horizontal boring machines. Would love to see a video on your drill press table/fence!

[@MikeFarrington]

I also use these bits on my horizontal boring machine. I have a video on restoring the drill press as well as building the fence and storage cabinet. Have a look around my channel page.

[@tomhauburger6959]

@@MikeFarrington Ah! I had watched the drill press restoration video already, but missed the follow up video on the cabinet and fence! Thanks for the pointer

[@FunoXXX]

I was so prepared to type the typical "you are not supposed to use the drill press as a router, the bearings... Yada Yada..." but simply just using the drill press to progressively plunge.... Actually a good idea. Just the set up time alone is a great idea

[@MikeFarrington]

Thank you.

[@FunoXXX]

@text-3264 Yes!!! Awesome! Maybe I send you a few bugs, so the tax people are not suspicious and you give me my price via google gift cards? ^^

[@Omegasupreme1078]

You can also reduce deflection by not bringing the quill down-- raise the table instead. This only really works if you've already made the plunge, though, or if you're going around the outside of something.

[@MikeFarrington]

My raise and lower on the table isn't accurate enough to do that.

[@LewisRenovation]

I’m going to try this in my Bridgeport mill. Thanks for the tip!

[@MikeFarrington]

A bridgeport would make this whole process a lot easier.

[@gregmead2967]

Thanks, there were some great ideas here, and since I'm about to need to make some tenons, and I just happen to have some end mills, I'll give this a try!

[@MikeFarrington]

Thank you.

[@gregmize01]

THAT 1/8" BIT IS ADORABLE!

[@MikeFarrington]

Ha! So cute.

[@danieldibiaso9342]

I don’t do M&T but I do occasionally make slots for jigs and projects and this would be a quick setup for slots. Easier than setting up a router.

[@MikeFarrington]

I use this method for cutting the occasional slot for a jig part. Works great for that.

[@landrec2]

Next-level-wood-carcass-mutilation. Some of the stuff you share is... wow. Thats all I can say. That mirror-finish on the chisel wiped my whole brain.

[@MikeFarrington]

Thank you. Gotta have sharp chisels, especially the 1/4".

[@markarita3]

Excellent! Little tip: Get a strong (neodymium) magnet and place it on the drill press' side to hold your chuck key :-)

[@MikeFarrington]

Good tip, thank you.

[@jwm6314]

I like keeping a cheap metal magnetic parts tray from harbor freight attached to most of my floor tools. Makes 'put this somewhere real quick' a lot easier.

[@jrumbel]

Love the drill press magnetic stop block system you have.

[@MikeFarrington]

Thank you.

[@homesteadfromscratch]

Nicely narrated and shot.

[@MikeFarrington]

Thank you.

[@matsler89]

I am finishing up the wood whisperer guild lamp build and this was in that project. I will say the quality of the drill press makes a big difference. I found my not so great drill press had the bit wandering just a little bit even going slow.

[@MikeFarrington]

Thank you. I agree, a decent quality drill press is required. However, I am wondering if there isn't an issue with your drill press? Or is it very very small? I was able to perform this technique on my last drill press which was a piece of junk, but I had it tuned up and dialed in. Feel free to send me an email, maybe we can get it worked out.

[@jamiejessup90]

What a cool drill press fence!

[@MikeFarrington]

Thank you.

[@donmcleod8307]

Thanks Mike , cost effective and quieter! Awesome

[@MikeFarrington]

Right on!

[@awahlmubdi4372]

Thanks Mike, I like this method better than what I was using. Also great video, right to the point.

[@MikeFarrington]

Glad you liked it!

[@randypowell4799]

Very nice. Always look forward to your videos.

[@MikeFarrington]

Thank you very much!

[@chrishodde]

Awesome easy method! Thanks!

[@MikeFarrington]

Glad it was helpful!

[@branchandfoundry560]

Great technique, per usual. I've cut timber frame mortises & tenons on my vertical mill for precise fit-up. I'm sure pure machinists cringe, but I believe in making the most of all my tools regardless of original intent.

[@MikeFarrington]

Thank you.

[@marcellemay7721]

Yeah I have a bridgeport mill and huge 20"swing metal lathe that I'm thinking about using for a lot of wood working operations. I got the equipment that most people would dismiss as not usable for wood working, but I see something that's superior in many ways to wood working tools. My metal lathe even has a hydraulic tracer attachment on it that I can use to reproduce any profile I want on a wood turning. I could produce 100s of wood turned pieces and they'd all be identical to within .005". I gotta figure out the dust collection scenario for these machines to keep the machines somewhat dust free.

[@CleaveMountaineering]

Great overview, never tried it this way on wood but I've used the drill press as a router before. Do note my old Delta DP and probably yours has a quill lock to hold it in place - most modern drill presses don't have that.

[@MikeFarrington]

Mine has the ability to have a quill lock, but I don't use it. For this process its certainly not needed as material removal is happening in the up down orientation.

[@CleaveMountaineering]

@@MikeFarrington Right, but for that lateral clean up pass at the bottom of the hole, quill down to the depth stop, then lock the quill and you don't have to hold the lever.

[@MikeFarrington]

@@CleaveMountaineering Yup, good idea for sure. Just one of those things, I'm not in the habit.

[@walterhall9682]

This is something that is old I did that 20 years ago I knew that the Edmil yet we’re good for anything and Wood. It was way back in the 80s but you got a good point. It’s a lot easier if you just gonna do a few.

[@MikeFarrington]

Thank you.

[@jaapvanklaveren6929]

Thanks for your video. I'm going to try it myself too. I have a metal milling machine with a cross table. I use the same cutter as you. I only use them for metalworking. For wood I use an electric die grinder with wood cutters. I mounted the Die grinder next to the chuck. In this way I can mill wood very accurately with the cross table.

[@MikeFarrington]

That would be a great setup for sure.

[@jaapvanklaveren6929]

@@MikeFarrington Thank you, I also like being able to see where I'm milling / cutting wood. I also think it would be a cool idea to convert a Sliding Compound Miter Saw into an overarm router.

[@MikeFarrington]

@@jaapvanklaveren6929 Interesting idea for sure.

[@makenchips]

Square corners are high stress concentration points were cracks and trars propegate from.. Rounded corners allow for less stress concentration and better stress flow of internal stresses.

[@MikeFarrington]

Thank you.

[@leeedwards3783]

Fantastic. Good to see another video and tip. My workshop is slowly filling with jigs and tips from your channel. Still need a drill press though

[@MikeFarrington]

Thank you.

[@normanbott]

Excellent idea, I'll have to get an end mill and try it since I don't do many mortices.

[@MikeFarrington]

Thank you.

[@djeity]

This is a super-nifty idea. Thanks!

[@MikeFarrington]

Glad you like it!

[@Dandoestilla]

I been using this for pocket holes but didn’t think of this, great tip

[@MikeFarrington]

Thank you.

[@petergamache5368]

Drill presses typically have chucks attached via Morse taper, which is not designed for side loading. Don't be surprised if your drill chuck falls out!

[@MikeFarrington]

At what point in the process is side loading occurring?

[@Great4179]

@@MikeFarrington I wondered that too…

[@sfogarty2]

The way he set this up, there was very little side loading going on. That cleanup pass couldn't have had any noticeable tool pressure.

[@jimbennett7248]

@@MikeFarrington Most of us have had the be jesus scared out of us regarding side loading our drill chucks. Your method clearly doesn't rely on side loading the bit. I'm looking forward to trying this out as soon as I can get some bits. Thanks for your clarification that appears obvious in your video, but some of us appreciate that reinforcement.

[@TWC6724]

What exactly is side loading?

[@MrRwp1]

Very handy, well made video, good content and excellent video production.

[@MikeFarrington]

Much appreciated!

[@giansala7409]

From Italy : bravo ! 👍

[@MikeFarrington]

Thank you.

[@masontejera506]

Great tip Mike! Thanks again for all that you do! 🫡

[@MikeFarrington]

My pleasure!

[@thedevilinthecircuit1414]

Use a magnet on the quill hub to hold your chuck key. Hanging it from a string is a pain in the U-know-what, and it's also a huge safety problem.

[@MikeFarrington]

Thank you. I have my check key on a lanyard thingy. I was always taught that the lanyard was the way to go cause the string will remind you that the key is still in the chuck.

[@manualdidact]

When doing this, you may feel tempted to just move the workpiece to do the bulk cutting, rather than doing the repeated plunges -- after all, that's what an endmill is designed to do. Unfortunately, the drill press isn't, and rigidity isn't the biggest problem. Unlike a mill, the drillpress doesn't have a drawbar to keep the chuck firmly inserted into the machine -- the chuck is typically held in place only by a taper friction fit. The vibrating side loads at that connection may be enough to dislodge the chuck such that it falls out. Possibly damaging the workpiece, or worse. (This has happened to me in a different situation involving side-loading a drill press -- fortunately no injuries.) The approach taken in this video seems reasonable, using plunges for bulk cutting and sideways passes for light cleanup.

[@MikeFarrington]

Thank you for your input. I'm guessing you haven't tried this? I say this because, I am holding the workpiece right at the corner with only my thumb. I don't think the human thumb has the strength to push hard enough to cut a mortise via sliding it from side to side. I totally agree a drill press should not be used for slot cutting, like if someone used a push stick, or a sliding vice.

[@manualdidact]

@@MikeFarrington The force your thumb applies is not the most significant force the chuck will encounter; it's the momentary peak lateral force as the teeth impact the workpiece, especially in those moments of imperfect engagement (chatter, partial contact, knots and other density variations...), with the rotating mass of the spindle reacting against the mass and inertia of the workpiece. When it happened to me personally, it was a slightly different situation, it was a small metal burr, but the work I was doing was small and the forces were also mainly being applied by my fingers. I've seen it happen to someone else with an endmill in HDPE (community workshop environment), and I've been lucky it hasn't happened to me. I didn't intend to criticise what you were doing, in fact I meant to point out that you were doing it right, but that this is an issue people should know about.

[@MikeFarrington]

@@manualdidact I very much appreciate your input, however, if there were any momentary peak lateral forces that were measurable they would show up as bobbles on the side of the mortise closest to me. So in other words as the bit dug in and pushed the workpiece tight to the fence, lateral forces would push the the bit away from the fence, this would show up on the wall of the mortise. If the lateral forces were acting in a left to right fashion, my light thumb pressure holding the workpiece in place would be broken. In the video I specifically did not show cutting from side to side for the reasons you have listed.

[@tooljunkie555]

@4:54 u answered my only question I had ..Thanks for sharing!

[@MikeFarrington]

Thank you.

[@edstud1]

Great idea and video!

[@MikeFarrington]

Thanks!

[@terrywawro2951]

This is a genius idea.

[@MikeFarrington]

Thank you.

[@TheOlsonOutfit]

This is a great idea, I'm going to have to try it out. Do you think it cuts consistently enough for a DIY floating tenon system?

[@MikeFarrington]

If your drill press is tuned up and you go slow, yes.

[@zacharywong483]

Fantastic video, Mike!

[@MikeFarrington]

Glad you enjoyed it!

[@HWCism]

Nice explanation, thanks

[@MikeFarrington]

Glad it was helpful!

[@thewoodworkersjourney3314]

Just scheduled time to catch up on my ww videos and Boom, the Mighty Mike Farrington alert appears! I need to find a good song for this experience.

[@MikeFarrington]

Ha! Thank you. Well I suggest one in the video.

[@desviz]

Woot! Well done and I'll say, timely with the relative humor!

[@MikeFarrington]

Thank you.

[@ClintsHobbiesDIY]

Nice vid. Short and to the point. You have a new sub.

[@MikeFarrington]

Thanks for the sub!

[@carlpetitt2241]

hey Mike, one thing to keep in mind -- end mills are generally designed to operate at much higher speed (e.g. 18000 rpm) than a drill press can provide. So while your method does work, it;'s really not ideal. Also, end mills are really designed to do their cutting where either the workpiece or the cutter is moving laterally. Your technique of boring a series of straight-down holes into the workpiece using an end mill means you're probably getting the least possible cutting efficiency you can get from the tool. You are correct, though, that once the holes are bored you can then lower the tool into the space and cut laterally from there. Why not cut the original holes with a brad point (designed for straight-down boring) and then follow up with an end mill to cut laterally to complete the mortise? All the best!

[@MikeFarrington]

Thank you for the question. Couple things, the RPM of an end mill will vary, those that I used in this video were designed to be used on a mill, so under 5k rpm. Other types like a router bit will be over 15k. As to switching bits for efficiency of drilling; I think over all amount of time would be more. The point of this process isn't that it's the best way to do it, it's that is a quick and easy setup for a couple of mortises. If I needed more efficiency, I would use a different tool. Hope that makes sense.

[@jeffreysmith5018]

Cool cool cool. I like the cut of your jib 😀

[@MikeFarrington]

Thanks 👍

[@GNU_Linux_for_good]

I'll test that out

[@MikeFarrington]

Thank you.

[@xl000]

You should always drill the first one, the last one, and a maximum of holes that do not overlap , and clean what is left on the last pass.

[@MikeFarrington]

End mills don't drill well enough to get a good mortise using that technique.

[@Renegator1]

Real nice. Thanks!

[@MikeFarrington]

You bet!

[@ticklefritz5406]

I love your videos, Mike.

[@MikeFarrington]

Thank you.

[@williamellis8993]

Great tip, Mike. Thanks. Bill

[@MikeFarrington]

Thanks for watching!

[@alooshalshammari5915]

Thank you

[@MikeFarrington]

You're welcome

[@danielford5027]

This is awesome Mike! I am in the process of restoring a JET mill/drill. I think it would work amazing with this technique! Thanks for knowledge.

[@MikeFarrington]

That will be a great machine. Oddly enough I am in the market for something similar.

[@BlackMapleMFG]

Ive been wanting to try this for a while! Just don't have a drill press at home

[@MikeFarrington]

Thank you.

[@danakraemer8512]

That slightly rough inside is great for the glue to grab onto.

[@MikeFarrington]

Yes, as the joint is pushed together, little bits of glue are left in the undulations, once dry makes for a strong joint.

[@bobmartin6055]

Very cool!

[@MikeFarrington]

Thank you.

[@andyfarmer759]

This is a great idea and rather faster than setting up the morticing attachment on my drill press

[@MikeFarrington]

Thank you. I think thats the best feature, super fast setup.

[@andyfarmer759]

@@MikeFarrington Hi Mike you have a scammer operating via this post. See replies to this post above.

[@MikeFarrington]

@@andyfarmer759 Thank you. I have taken down the posts.

[@andyfarmer759]

@@MikeFarrington You are very welcome. The little dirt bags should join our government, they would be in good company.

[@EvanDunville]

Great method. I used an end mill in my router to cut morices it was cheaper than the fancy spiral upcut router bits.

[@MikeFarrington]

Great tip!

[@erikp2004]

Thanks, Mike!

[@MikeFarrington]

You're welcome!

[@jimbo2629]

Perfect

[@MikeFarrington]

Thank you.

[@tick_magnetedschaper5611]

I like it! Will look into using this idea myself. Thanks!

[@MikeFarrington]

Go for it!

[@---we1ok]

Love your vids Mike!

[@MikeFarrington]

Thank you.

[@awlthatwoodcrafts8911]

With a rounded mortise and a square tenon, I was hoping you'd show us how you round over your tenons. Rats. I don't have a good set of chisels nor a sharpening system of any kind, and I don't own a pantorouter, so I'd love to see how a seasoned woodworker rounds over a tenon. Any search I've ever done on YT doesn't turn up many good examples.

[@1pcfred]

You have to have chisels to woodwork. You need to get with the program. You don't have to break the bank to get serviceable gear. Get a Chinese diamond plate. I only use 1,000 grit for sharpening. But I maintain primary bevels with a bench grinder. So I never have to remove much material to sharpen up. Really you need a bench grinder too. But I've never paid a lot for one. I've bought them used. You also need an adjustable angle tool rest. I've made those myself. The other item I'd recommend anyone get is an Eclipse style honing guide. Freehand sharpening is a pain.

[@awlthatwoodcrafts8911]

@@1pcfred I appreciate your words but just as I wouldn't buy a band saw if none of the current projects I make don't require one, the same goes for chisels and a sharpening system. I certainly understand that not having chisels or a band saw, or whatever, limit what I can make. For the moment however, I'm ok with confining my projects to what I'm tooled up for. I'm also not saying that I would never get a good chisel set and sharpening system. I want those things, but I don't want to go down that road until I can afford to get all the necessities. I make due with what I have and I "level up" when I can. If I never get there, so be it. As long as I enjoy what I'm doing.

[@MikeFarrington]

I show my method for rounding over tenons, in the video that I did showing my saw horses. Have a look at that.

[@awlthatwoodcrafts8911]

@@MikeFarrington cool. Thanks.

[@1pcfred]

@@awlthatwoodcrafts8911 chisels cannot be compared to many other tools. A chisel is one of the simple machines. There's only two of those really. A chisel is an inclined plane and the other simple machine is a lever. So chisels get place of pride among human artifacts.

[@onehappydawg]

“…I like to look down on my work pieces…” What makes you so superior? 🤣

[@MikeFarrington]

Ha!

[@liudas5377]

Brilliant, thanks...

[@MikeFarrington]

Thank you.

[@ypaulbrown]

if you get a Morse Taper end mill holder, [one that will match your spindle if it has a Morse Taper like your drill press and many other drill presses have] you can put that in your spindle after you remove your Morse Taper drill chuck....[by using a Morse Taper Drift Pin in the slot in the spindle].as drill chucks are not meant to hold endmills and have very hard jaws which allows the bit to become loose and move, [the endmill holder retains the end mill with a socket head set screw and is very precisely machined to fit the particular size endmill your are using, usually to .001 of an inch, and the side thrust on the endmill also causes issues when using a drill chuck, I hope this helps, Paul in Florida ....you can also use the endmill holder if it is a 1/2" model to very securely hold Silver and Demming bits that tend to slip in a drill chuck [even a very expensive Jacobs, Rohn, or Albrecht keyless] when they are of a larger size.....

[@MikeFarrington]

Thank you. Good info, however, there really isn't enough load to cause the bit to come loose. I've cut hundreds of mortises this way, and haven't had one slip yet, either in rotation or to be pushed up into the chuck. The forces involved, wood vs metal are in totally different categories.

[@KaliBlaz]

i can get the same results with a forstner bit, the problem with this is whether you use a milling or a forstner bit, you still need to chisel out the corners which defies the purpose, if you gonna do a lot of these mortises get a dedicated mortising machine.

[@MikeFarrington]

I have several dedicated mortising machines. That isn't the point for me. I like this method for tiny pieces. Like the legs of a Kumiko Andon. Those are so small they are hard to clamp in place. This method works well for that. Also, its fun to share different ways of doing things.

[@evanlove808]

Great video, I want pie now

[@MikeFarrington]

You and me both!

[@DylansDIYWorkshop]

I do really like this set of tips. Do you actually like the extra length on the drill press provided by the morse taper section? I had one on my drill press and decided to get rid of the morse taper on the chuck and the morse taper on the press. and just use the jacobs taper on each of them. I had to find a chuck that actually worked though ended up being the older JT33 size. I have much more room to drill with the press now and it seems more rigid being much shorter.

[@MikeFarrington]

I think you are right about the morse taper section. I'd need to think back, but I do not know if on my drill press it is removable.

[@chipperkeithmgb]

Spiral router bits work as well

[@MikeFarrington]

They work, but the 4 flute really work better. There is always a cutting edge engaged. With a 2 flute, it can create the feeling of the bit hitting.

[@stefana1446]

Love your presentation and the tone of your voice. Is there any technical reason ( i.e too much flexing pressure on the drill head)for which you can't use a router bit instead and do 2 /3 passes to achieve the desired depth?

[@MikeFarrington]

A router bit will work, but not as well. The 4 flute is really key to getting a nice cut, there is always a cutter engaged with the wood. With a 2 flute router bit, there is more of a pounding effect. Hope that makes sense.

[@fabienstriblen8004]

So clever, thx for the tip!

[@MikeFarrington]

Glad it was helpful!

[@tmr0806]

Not sure if this might have already been mentioned as I have not read all the comments... But for someone who does not have a Festool Domino, I wonder if the mortise could be cut the same width as a common size domino (in both pieces) then use a domino to join them? Admittedly it might be tedious, but would still beat a biscuit joint.

[@MikeFarrington]

I don't see why not.

[@pettere8429]

The square inside corners may cause extra stress on the wood so from a structural perspective it is better to round the tenon.

[@MikeFarrington]

Hmm, you may be right.

[@ritchtaylor3831]

The technique is great but you got my thumbs up for the Sonic Youth.

[@MikeFarrington]

Thank you.

[@thomasalison6188]

Nice tip; thanks Mike!!

[@MikeFarrington]

You bet!

[@ypaulbrown]

Great video mike, Paul your new Subscriber

[@MikeFarrington]

Thanks for the sub!

[@brentjenkinsdesigns]

With some practice the tenons can be produced with the end mill/press combo as well. 😏

[@MikeFarrington]

Thank you.

[@phooesnax]

Love the idea. Have same drill press

[@MikeFarrington]

Right on

[@phooesnax]

@text-3264 wow. So very excited. Not. Scammer

[@benoitfauteux4920]

Thanks Mike, now i have a “domino” machine!

[@MikeFarrington]

Glad to help

[@richardskull5279]

This will work, but the drill press bearings are not made for big pressures 90 deg from spindle. Routers are made for tool side pressure. Just a heads up

[@MikeFarrington]

At what point in the process is big pressure from 90 degrees to the spindle applied? I'm guessing you didn't watch the video.

[@richardskull5279]

@@MikeFarrington step cutting does put sideways pressure on spindle.

[@MikeFarrington]

@@richardskull5279 I would agree that there is some tiny amount of side pressure. However, its only going to be a very small amount. If it were significant it would show up in the quality of the mortise, like a bobbly edge caused by runout. Also, I'm using very small bits, the largest of which only has a 1/4" radius.

[@rodpotts2666]

im going to have to order some bits.

[@MikeFarrington]

Go for it.