Tool Talk #17: Mortise Master

Learn more about the Mortise Master here: bit.ly/2OFCEzX
Because I produce online woodworking content I regularly get asked to promote tools and products. Most of the time I decline for various reasons and sometimes the item sparks interest. I was recently asked by Don Browning to take a look at his Mortise Master.
After getting one and looking it over I thought it was definitely worth sharing with all of you. It's a jig to batch out various sized mortises quickly. You can set the width and the offset from the edge quickly and easily. You can bring the material to the jig or bring the jig to the material. All you need is a plunge router and a spiral upcut bit.
I have nothing to gain or lose if you do or do not buy this product. I am not being paid to make this video or article.

[@fluxcapacitr121]

Every single thread I read about a jig product has 10 people saying “just build it yourself for free out of scrap” First of all, it’s never free. You end up burning a whole weekend and half a tank of gas driving to buy hardware. For this jig, how are you gonna drill all the offset holes in the polycarbonate plate? Do you have that just “laying around?” Second of all, many of us don’t want to spend all our precious time building jigs. As a hobbyist woodworker in MN with an unheated garage, I only get a couple days a week, 8 months a year to practice my craft. I’m sick to death of building, rebuilding, and tweaking jigs. I want to design and build cool furniture. If you want to spend your time building jigs and shop equipment-knock yourself out-but please stop telling everyone we have to. This is a tool, just like a Festool domino or a table saw. Should I build those myself as well? Personally, I’m absolutely gonna buy this because it is brilliant.

[@bobdriggers6111]

I will probably purchase this, not because just looking at it, I could probably build my own but, because the guy that made it is very innovative and through our support, will come up with other useful jigs. Support your fellow genius! Bravo Mr. Mortise Master! Thanks Jay!

[@mkbcoolman]

Yeah I have the same thoughts, but at $180 I'm kinda iffy. This is extremely well designed, but it's nothing more than 2 pieces of hardwood, some t-track, a few knobs and some acrylic. I could build this will off cuts I have laying around my shop today.

[@bobdriggers6111]

@@mkbcoolman Yes, you could.

[@donbrowning689]

bob driggers not trying to discourage you from making your own but the first few I made didn’t work that great. For something so simple you would be surprised how soso some parts of it have to be

[@bobdriggers6111]

@@donbrowning689 I'm confused. Have no intent to steal your design.

[@donbrowning689]

bob driggers sorry I mis spoke. I wasn’t trying to say that. Just trying to join the conversation an make a point about the different things I had to change to get it working well.

[@Chuck_Benz]

Just went to his site and you sold him out, truly a generous plug on your part jay.

[@TomSilver_42]

And they are still sold out :-) However it seems they had a bit improved version, now, with engraved sliding plate and also a bit tapered cross plates.

[@oldguy1030]

I've not yet used it, but I got mine today. It is very well put together and everything fits together very nicely. If one figures the time it would take and the cost of wood, T-track, buying HDPE and acrylic - it'd cost me more to build it myself (I don't have that stuff laying around and you need to get great precision). As more of an occasional hobbyist I think this is a very good buy. I might be happier with a Festool Domino but the cost. . . One thing to emphasize is that we do have to use a plunge router with an up-cut spiral bit. This will not surprise anyone who has used a router to make a mortise in the past, but for those of us who are new to mortising this will avoid surprises. But if you are even half-way serious about woodworking you likely have those or will get those anyway.

[@wraith2440]

I contacted the company yesterday and they are very responsive. They have a reduced price of $199.00 with free shipping so I am ordering today. Thanks for posting this. I have wanted - and needed - to start creating mortise and tenon but was hesitant. I have also been hesitant to spend $1200-$1500 on a Domino for my hobby shop. I think this will be a great tool.

[@wb_finewoodworking]

That’s a well thought out jig. Depending of which project from my list of upcoming projects I may need to get one this year. I like supporting small companies with great ideas. For me buying jigs allows me to turn out more projects because I save time by not making the jigs.

[@ShopTherapy623]

Very cool. Love your honest videos and willingness to help out fellow woodworkers!

[@patcallaghan4665]

Brilliant! I hope they sell a million of them! Thank you for the introduction, Jay.

[@wilhelmmatthies5921]

Thanks for demonstrating this so nice and clearly. I hope that your daughter is doing fine too!

[@PaganWizard]

I'll be getting one of these very soon. It looks like you get close to Festool Domino quality for about the price of a pocket hole jig. I am very impressed with this. You might just be, to this guys product, as Burt Reynolds was to Pontiac's Trans Am.

[@jordanveverica6696]

Thanks for sharing. It wasn't until I saw you clamp the jig into the vise that I realized you could probably just put some t track into the top edge of the vise heads and forego the separate jig. I'm sure there would be limitations whenever you want a mortise in the end of a long board, but just a thought.

[@mobeydick37]

I just use a Porter Cable 7539, take out two of the base screws and install bolts with pilot bearing on them. Clamp 3/4 plywood flush with the top of the work on both side,. put router on twist to engage the bearings, plunge and slide it down the work. I bought 3 of the 7539s before Porter Cable discontinued them!

[@adrianmack3]

How well does that work when you want to put a mortise right near the edge of a work piece? I bet not very well with some additional support.

[@mobeydick37]

@@adrianmack3 You have to test out different thicknesses of plywood/MDF on one side or the other to change the center line of your mortise. I always cut my tennons after I cut my mortise. I've built about l50 large doors and outside gates using this method. Most over 20 years ago and I've never had a call back.

[@GordonGEICO]

If you cut some small pieces to put between the middle plate and the stop blocks and size them to common sizes, you could very quickly set the spacing without having to measure. Or you could use one of those machinist sets that have every size - 10, 11, 12, 13mm, 1/2, 5/8, 11/16, etc.

[@donbrowning689]

GordonGEICO bingo you just guessed the exact setup instructions I put in the user guide. It truly is the fastest way to set it up

[@donbrowning689]

Bingo he just guessed the exact instructions I put in the user manual. It’s really the fastest way to set it up

[@craigpereira6381]

that is an amazing tool. Excellent for supporting them and showing how the tool works

[@norm1124]

Back after a long time - happy to see you again ♥️

[@valterleao6795]

Parabéns meu amigo, quanta habilidade e carinho no que faz, adorei esse dispositivo, é simplesmente fantástico e muito funcional, não tem como matar a peça! Obrigado por compartilhar comigo seus conhecimentos. Abraço aqui do Brasil 🇧🇷

[@JohnnyBallou]

Thanks! Gave me great ideas toward routing my project, without spending $$$$!

[@rmar127]

What a brilliant piece of kit.

[@jollyandwaylo]

It occurs to me that if one of the wooden guides were longer than the other, a person could clamp a stop block so you wouldn't have to mark the center line each time if you were repeatable positions. You would just slide in the piece you are going to mortise and push it up against your stop block.

[@bobkrol5939]

I had the same idea!

[@rajakorban8838]

Thanks, another good idea. Should have got this before my PantoRouter.

[@JayBates2]

They are completely different. The PantoRouter is much more capable than just mortises.

[@rajakorban8838]

Jay Bates 2 - Vlog and Non Project Videos Yes very much more, love it

[@jeffoldham668]

im going to check it out jay,,,looks great and you explained it well

[@troyclayton]

Pretty cool. Looks like I can build one in the time it takes to watch the video. I love having t-track around. I'll just add more holes in the base plate as needed. Thanks!

[@AndreaArzensek]

Quite smart jig and it seems to go now for a good price as well, it is just that I don't live in the USA 😪

[@soundfireplace]

I am happy to see this channel

[@AdamCraigOutdoors]

little slower maybe then the Domino, but much easier on the wallet. Guess it would depend on if you are running a high flying business or a small business/hobby shop!! Super cool, thanks for sharing Jay!!

[@donbrowning689]

Adam Craig Outdoors I think it is more versatile in many ways

[@paulsmith1141]

I’ve been considering a domino for several doors I need to make, but this might work just as well and I can save myself $1300 plus dollars! Thanks Jay

[@petecirca1979]

The domino is awesome but it comes in two sizes. The xl and regular. I will buy this to do the big mortise the reg domino cant do.

[@south_coast]

Just noticed the Mississippi State logo on the wall. I was there 2010-2016 getting my undergrad and masters degrees in mechanical engineering. Cool to see. Hail State!

[@JayBates2]

Right on. I lived in Starkville from 2011 to 2019

[@south_coast]

Jay Bates 2 - Vlog and Non Project Videos really? That’s crazy, small world. Would have been awesome to link up with you when I was up there. Really enjoy your videos man!

[@wewe365]

Isn’t that the cowbell state ?

[@RobertBatte]

From another MSU grad/fan Class of 1980.- How about the Diamond Dogs National Championship! This jig looks awesome. Nice tutorial as well.

[@JEAN-me1yt]

Salut JAY, vraiment très bonne idée pour mortaisé les pièces à ensemblé, et moins cher qu'une fraiseuse à dominos, je crois je vais te piquet ton idée à plus et bonne continuation JEAN.

[@camvanzin]

Great vid Jay. Thanks

[@maheshsuthar2184]

what a very cool idea, Thank you for sharing your knowledge.

[@Markdoubts]

Jay - can you talk about how to use the offset function to join different thickness boards flush.

[@adambrowning90]

Looks awesome!! Thanks for sharing!!

[@tallyman15]

Great video

[@donbrowning689]

tallyman15 I am waiting on 3 week late t-tracks but have 130 units almost done

[@coleve8596]

I wonder if it makes sense to include an inset tape measure on the inside of the aluminium track set at zero on the centre line going in both directions.

[@donbrowning689]

Colin Nicol the original had that ( sort of) because like you I thought that would be a good idea. Ends up you don’t use it. thanks for the comment

[@GeraldJensen]

Good video ... you are a standup guy!

[@rsitch1]

Outstanding!!! Bob

[@GlassImpressions]

Excellent job!

[@kensmith2822]

on sale for $180 right now. seems like a great jig!

[@dienekes4364]

Seems like this would be extremely easy to make, especially if you only wanted it to router the center for making face frames and such.

[@keupondestroy911]

Merci beaucoup pour la vidéo 📹

[@mathewskapepa2026]

Where can I buy one?

[@paratracker]

Really cool jig. Ideas on how you'd handle mortising ladder rungs in ladder rails on an angle?

[@Muzikji]

I wonder if it can hold a back leg of a chair (not straight on) to be mortised?

[@CB71SS]

Just checked and the $179.95 price doesn't seem bad to me. Have wanted to do mortise and tendon projects for a while. This looks to help making the cuts easier.

[@Fresh-tw7ev]

I recently purchased a Milwaukee cordless router. Would this mortise device work with that tool??

[@brianwilliams8425]

Very innovative. Now I can hold off from drinking the "green" kool-aid and save some $$$. Thanks Jay.

[@donbrowning689]

brian williams yes I think of it as a Domino slayer

[@brianwilliams8425]

Purchases one same day.

[@VampireOnline]

I like the jig, but it's a little expensive. This might be interesting built into your bench vice.

[@donbrowning689]

VampireOnline It is pricey, when I first dreamt it up I thought I was gonna be able to sell it for $99. WRONG. The vise thing is a great idea though,

[@akbychoice]

Nice jig there

[@NASTYcraftX]

This is definitely a nice way to bypass the $1000 Domino for us hobby woodworkers.

[@mkbcoolman]

My thoughts exactly.

[@bwillan]

You could also do this type of joint on a pantorouter as well. Seems like that would be an easier setup and easier to batch joints out.

[@akbychoice]

bwillan how much $1200?

[@capemaster123]

Jay, I really like this, and see how this will be super useful for thin pieces/edge jointing. Any advice or ideas on using this for mortising on wider pieces like panels for cabinet shelves?

[@maheshsuthar2184]

superb

[@daktari3055]

Coolness.

[@LeonKleynhans-cd4tk]

How do i get to purchase this jig

[@doctortono]

Do you have a link for buy the bit that you used in this video please?

[@chrisjohnson6482]

Have you tried a dowel Max? This jig seems pretty neat but there's a lot of math involved. I have a dowel Max and it's a pretty similar experience but a lot less setup. I know dowels and floating tenon's at not quite the same and there are times where this would do things my dowel Max won't do. But I think it's generally gonna be less work work dowel Max. Plus it uses a drill instead of a router

[@donbrowning689]

Chris Johnson there is very little math the way I do it DL the user guide an see my recommended set up procedure 😉

[@paulsmith1141]

Hey Jay, what hose/adapter are you using on your Festool router?

[@JayBates2]

This one: www.rockler.com/dust-right-flexiport-power-tool-hose-kit-12-fixed-length/?sid=AFXA6

[@user-ct7oc9zq2r]

Интересное решение.

[@jamesbevan9989]

Genius

[@TheWingnut58]

Nice jig....but FAR too expensive for what it is...

[@esixx17]

Great for repeatable mass production. $200+ price tag makes it unreasonable for hobbyist. Several versions of diy scrapwood jigs out there as well as an old video from samurai carpenter for those who can't spend this kind of money.

[@jesuscisneros2555]

Badass ILove it

[@winniecorpuz]

Where can I by like this?

[@jers21tvofw]

Awsom men

[@timschenck509]

Looks pretty easy, kinda thinking 1000$ Festool mortiser might have been a foolish purchase after watching this! Thanks Jay

[@dan__________________]

Sounds like you dont want your festool domino anymore. In that case, I'll take it off your hands.

[@clydedecker765]

One comment - Only one of my routers has a base that is around that size - the others are one foot across - I made them. It would require that I remove my base and then attempt to get a "centered" router on this base???

[@donbrowning689]

Clyde Decker the slide plate is not a router base the base sits on the slide plate. It just looks like a router base cause it’s round

[@clydedecker765]

@@donbrowning689 True but my base plate is larger than the total openings...

[@donbrowning689]

Clyde Decker sorry but that’s not going to work

[@martyjosephson4937]

The Jig is very well designed, but you should clear up the travel explaination, you made confusing, sorry J

[@genelomas332]

heh.. So I should have watched this video before responding via email.. My bad.. ;) Nice jig.

[@TheBigTank]

😎😎😎😎😎😎😎😎😎😎

[@user-tf1nd4ci1i]

Классно!

[@vincechoraszewski2394]

Nice jig, Jay dose he have a Patten on it or we all can try to make it?

[@richardlug6139]

As long as you do not try selling it, you can make it.

[@Z-add]

i'm surprised the chinese haven't cloned this product and sell it for $50.

[@johncole9964]

Nice jig, but a mortise jig is not difficult to make - Mine is modelled after the plans in ShopNotes Vol 11 Issue 64 from 2002. I've used it for a long time and it does 95% of what I need.

[@LordPadriac]

It looks interesting but I'm not sure that I'd call something going for $279.00 (on sale for $209.00 right now) reasonably priced when the thing could be made from scrap and some spare, salvaged and/or cheaply purchased hardware. Seems like someone watched a few too many KZbin videos and decided to try and make a living by ripping off new woodworkers.

[@phishy96]

thanks for supporting the little guy, but could have made this vid less then 5 mins