Routing a 2" Deep Mortise?

[JoeyGee]

I need to rout a mortise that is 2" deep. The max I can go with my 690 and spiral bit is 1". I did a search and saw some bits in the $80-$100 range that might reach, but I am not going to pay that much.

Any suggestions before I use the DP and a chisel (ugh) to finish the remaining 1"?

[drumpriest]

Yeah, there are straight bits that will go down to 3", but they are pricey. 2" deep eh, pretty big tenon going into that. You could rip the stock to 2" wide, route from either side, then glue the falloff back on.

[allen]

Mortise depth is a real problem with a router. That is why I am looking at buying a seperate mortiser. I hate to spend the money but over the long run I think that it would be worth it. Looking at the Woodtec 1HP.

I know that this is no help but just wanted you to know that you are not alone.

Allen

[LCHIEN]

Mortise depth is a real problem with a router. That is why I am looking at buying a seperate mortiser. I hate to spend the money but over the long run I think that it would be worth it. Looking at the Woodtec 1HP.

I know that this is no help but just wanted you to know that you are not alone.

Allen

Yeah, most mortisers cut to about 4" max, a real advantage.

[just4funsies]

HF has a stand-alone mortiser that goes on sale from time to time at $99. If you've got a 20% off coupon, then it's $79. It's good enough for most non-pro jobs. There are also add-on mortiser kits for some drill presses, but most cost more than the HF stand-alone.

[bigsteel15]

If you go buy a 1/2" end mill (for steel) of the 4 flute variety, I think you'll get very close to your 2" depth. Any supply store that sells to machine shops should have them for around $30-40.
Be VERY careful!!! Big & Sharp!!

[LarryG]

How wide is your mortise? Whiteside, CMT, and probably others make straight bits with 2" long cutters and about a 3-1/2" overall length, for like ~$20-22. The catch is that I think they're 1/2" diameter and up.

[zootroy]

You could get the rest of the depth with a forstner bit at the drill press.

[Thom2]

Am I the only one that would rip the piece in half and use a dado set and then glue-up??? (I guess I'm assuming this is a through-mortise, altho' I can't see any other reason that it would need to be 2" deep)

I don't have a mortiser, but a 2" mortise sounds killer to me. I don't have a router bit that long either nor am I sure I'd want to use one if I did, at least for mortising anyway. (call me paranoid).

Maybe I'm just

or off my rocker

[drumpriest]

It's no doubt a monster of a mortise. If it were a through mortise, it could be done by going 1" down from each direction, referencing from the same face. I agree though that a 2" mortise would be mighty scary.

I have a project in my future where I'll be doing a 3" deep dado with a router, 1.5" from either side, that'll be plenty scary enough for me, thanks.

[allen]

I do not find that a 2" deep mortise is all that strange. I suppose that it depends on what you are building. The chart that I use (I would have to do some research as to where I got it) shows a tenon length for 1 3/4" thick material as 2", for 2" - 2 1/4", for 2 1/4" - 2 3/4" and for 2 1/2" - 3". Works for me, especially when I need it to be real strong.

Allen

[LarryG]

I do not find that a 2" deep mortise is all that strange.

Nor do I. If you do it with a router, you do it a 1/4" at a time, per usual good practice, and the fact the last 1/4" pass is at the bottom of a 1-3/4" well is moot as long as the bit isn't unusually slender and therefore flexy. That's why I asked about the thickness of the matching tenon. There are sufficiently long straight bits available to make these cuts; the mfrs wouldn't offer them if they were inherently unsafe.

[drumpriest]

Larry, I agree that a 2" tenon in 8/4 is probably pretty typical. I think the worry from some on this thread is that he was trying to do a 1/4" 2" deep mortise, but you wouldn't do that for in 8/4 stock. You should be in the 1/2" range, at which point longer bits are available and would be unlikely to break.