In the construction of mission furniture where mortise joints are mostly used, those who cannot have access to a mortising machine will find the following method of great assistance in obtaining a true mortise, which is necessary in work of this kind.

Take a block of wood, A, the exact thickness of the piece B to be mortised, and with an auger bore a hole, the same size as the width of the mortise to be made, exactly parallel to the sides of the block. This can best be done on a drill press or a wood boring machine. If no machine is available, great care should be taken in boring by hand, to get the hole as nearly true as possible. Then nail a cleat, C, on the side of the block, A, and let it extend down on piece B. Use a clamp to hold the block in place while boring out the mortise. By changing the position of the block and boring a number of holes, any length of mortise can be made. The holes should afterwards be squared up with a chisel.