How do I make a mortise and tenon joint in Mortise?

Cut the tenon on the rail first with the Tenon tool, then the mortise on the leg: it starts at the tenon’s size. Place the rail so the tenon sits in the mortise and join them with glue.

Can I cut an angled mortise?

Yes. Along tilt and Across tilt lean the pocket up to 45° into the wood.

What spacing should bench dog holes have?

Mortise offers the two common jigs: 20 mm holes on 96 mm centres, and ¾ inch holes on 4 inch centres.

Mortises, holes and dog holes

The Mortise family O chops a rectangular pocket or bores a round hole into any face. Dog holes L lays out a grid of bench dog holes on a jig’s spacing, right through a bench top.

Updated October 15, 2026

A mortise placed on the face of a maple board, its size and depth in the inspector

Cut a mortise

Press O and move over the board. The pocket is drawn on the face under the pointer.
Click the face. If you cut a tenon just before, the mortise starts at that tenon’s size.
Set Length, Height and Depth, and the Position from either end.
Press Enter.

Make a mortise a hair deeper than its tenon is long, so the tenon bottoms on its shoulders rather than in the pocket. Through mortise takes it right through the board; a second switch also cuts the boards stacked beneath.

Offset & angles moves the pocket across the face and angles it: Face rotation turns it on the face, Along tilt and Across tilt lean it into the wood, up to 45°, for a splayed leg or an angled rail.

Bore a hole

Press O again to switch to Hole. Pick a preset or type a Diameter:

Preset	Inches	Metric
Shelf pin	¼″	5 mm
Dowel	⅜″	8 mm
Cup hinge	35 mm	35 mm

Set its depth, or Through hole, and where it sits along the board and across from the centre. Hardware and fasteners bore their own holes, so you only need this tool for holes of your own.

Dog holes

A grid of bench dog holes, bored right through, on the centres of one of two jigs. Either works in any project units.

Jig	Hole	Centres
Metric	20 mm	96 mm
Imperial	¾″	4″

Press L and click the bench top where the corner hole goes. The grid grows from it into the wood.
Set Columns along the board and Rows across, and the centres if you need other spacing. The panel says how many fit.
Drag the corner hole to place the grid; hold ⇧ to step it an inch or 10 mm. Or type its distance from the ends and edges.
Press Enter.

The cut list adds bench dogs and a holdfast to the hardware.

Questions

How do I make a mortise and tenon joint in Mortise?: Cut the tenon on the rail first with the Tenon tool, then the mortise on the leg: it starts at the tenon’s size. Place the rail so the tenon sits in the mortise and join them with glue.
Can I cut an angled mortise?: Yes. Along tilt and Across tilt lean the pocket up to 45° into the wood.
What spacing should bench dog holes have?: Mortise offers the two common jigs: 20 mm holes on 96 mm centres, and ¾ inch holes on 4 inch centres.