Morty Loose Tenon Joinery Jig

Loose tenon joints take on a new dimension when the fit between the mortises and the tenon stock is precise enough to be used in exposed joinery. Add in the ability to align the mortise at an angle to the stock, take away the 4-digit price tag normally associated with loose tenons and you have Woodpeckers newest tool, the Morty Loose Tenon Joinery Jig.

Morty uses one template and different combinations of template guide bushings and router bits to make the 7 different standard mortises for loose tenons, 4mm, 5mm, 6mm, 8mm, 10mm, 12mm and 14mm. Not coincidentally, these are the same sizes cut by the Festool Domino mortisers.

Just put the right router bit and guide bushing combination in your plunge router, align the index marks in the template with the centerlines of your mortise and rout away. You have infinite control of the depth of your mortise (within the limits of your router bit). For the decorative look of exposed tenons, just set your depth of cut to rout completely through your material. 

The template can be rotated in the sliding base to cut the mortise at any angle relative to your stock. This feature opens up design opportunities in chair and stool construction, as well as louvered doors and screens. 

Index pins centered on the mortise template make it simple to keep the ends of joining pieces matched up perfectly. Just keep the outside faces against the reference edge and the end of your stock against the index pin and your joints will come out flawlessly. The index pins also make projects like louvers easy…just drop the pin in the previously milled mortise and cut the next one. 

If your reference needs to be further away from the end of the board than one of the 3 sets of pin positions just add the stop rod and the flip stop. For a bit of side-to-side clearance, use the additional flags on the flip stop to make the mortise longer. 

Morty’s accuracy and precision make for great mortises, but Woodpeckers is taking it to another level by offering precisely milled tenon stock in multiple species of wood specifically shaped for exposed joinery and in lengths to save you money. Initially we’re offering 31" lengths of all 7 tenon sizes in White Oak and Beech. More species will be added later. Woodpeckers tenon stock is carefully machined so you can count on a perfect fit in both blind and exposed joints. The tenon stock also matches the dimensions of the popular Festool Domino mortisers. Now you can expand your Domino projects to include through tenons!

Morty is machined from stainless steel and anodized aluminum for a lifetime of reliable, rust-free performance. The Morty kit comes complete with the adjustable template, 4 guide bushings, 1/4" router bit, a sample of both White Oak and Beech 8mm tenon stock, stop rods and two, 3-step flip stops…everything you need to jump into your first loose tenon joinery project. They also offer high quality router bits in optimum lengths, but most up-cut spiral router bit of the right diameter will work. And tenon stock is available in money saving lengths in 6-pack or 10-pack bundles, depending on size. (Compatible with mortises cut with the Festool Domino). 

For those Woodworkers who already have all the router bits, they offer a Morty Basic package.  This kit comes with everything in the standard pack, except router bits and Rack-It.

Like all Woodpeckers products, the Morty Loose Tenon Joinery Jig is precisely machined and carefully inspected in their Strongsville, Ohio factory (just south of Cleveland).