Project Update: Top Mortises Almost Complete

I keep chugging away at those bench top mortises. Since I started kerfing them, it's not been quite as big a challenge as the first one. The photos below illustrate my progress from number two to nearly completing number four.

This is the second one in the photo above and the two below. As you can see, I drilled several holes and then cut a small divot around the entire cut line to prevent tearout (or runout as my British friends say). Then, it was on to kerfing with the jig saw.

And then a simple matter of knocking the kerfs out with a chisel and smoothing a bit.

Once it was completed, I knocked out the third.

And then on to the fourth.

I'll have this last one smoothed down tonight. Once these are completed, I'll start mortising the legs for the runners that will hold the lower shelving for my hand planes. I'll be hitting Crosscut Hardwoods to pick up some Alder this afternoon because, you know, it's "the woodworker's candy store." I'll be able to get started on tenoning and mortising things up (again) late Sunday or Monday.

I have another busy weekend ahead smoking a brisket, some babybacks and sausage (a full-time job on my old offset barrel smoker) and a trip up and back to Seattle on Sunday, so I'm not sure how much progress I'll make. Thank goodness for Monday so I can rest and get back to work in the shop.

Until then...