For larger video please go here.

Update: I dedicated a page to ‘Godzilla’ the Horizontal Mortiser here. I included a few in process pictures and useful links.

I can already tell that this is going to be one of those jigs that I continue to upgrade. I borrowed another design element from Woodgears and used his one-handed lever mechanism. What a huge improvement!

I still need to come up with a solution to keep sawdust from getting on the shafts in the X,Y tables. This needs more thought. If you have an idea please let me know. Thanks!

Well my horizontal mortiser is essentially finished. I affectionately call it ’Godzilla’ because it’s so massive. I will need to eventually make a stand for it.

I loosely followed plans by Woodgears.

I used sintered bronze bushings and polished steel shafts for the X,Y tables instead of drawer guides. The drawer guides I originally used had too much vertical slop to be useful. I was a little worried that the rods and bushings idea wouldn’t perform ok, but I am pleasantly surprised. Like most of my jigs, Godzilla will most likely evolve as I use it and see where it can be improved. One thing that I know I might modify already is the X,Y travel lever. I might add a separate lever for the Y-axis motion.

Y-axis positive stop:

One of the two X-axis positive stops: