The Hall table prototype

Were we left Wed nite I had my bench cleared and the pieces I previously rough cut, sitting on it.

The second Thurs of the month is our Club 100 nite, were for the next 6 months the money raised goes to the Middleton Fire Dept.  The other 6 months of the year the money goes to the Middleton and Area Public skating rink.
In return we get a nite out with friends, come early for supper then stay for the musical act and free beer and draws after. Its all for a good cause and since we purchase all our tickets in advance ($240) we get entered in the early bird draw.  We have won our fair share of prizes and monies

If you live in the neighbourhood, you may want to check this out.

Before we left, I cleared the saw/mortise bench in my shop by fixing the woodwork on my old digital clock.

After the glue was dried it got put aside for later

This being Friday, time to get that project for her sister started in earnest.
Its been a while I went over the details with her sister, so I had to warp my head around my scribbles and notes first.

This being "my spot" on the couch, Rudy is always quick to take it if I leave 5 seconds.

Its our "Sheldon spot" in the house :-)

After going over my notes, and have them approved by Rudy.

Give me one more treat and I will approve them... 

I went downstairs for more navel gazing at my notes and piles of lumber in front of me.
Soon I had my critical dimensions figured out and proceed to cut my mortise first.  I always cut mortise first, it is easier to fix a tenon thickness than a mortise width...

So according to my bright plans, need a 1/2 inch mortise chisel

Hum, my biggest one is 3/8, Bevel Edge chisel it would be.

That chisel and gouge are set to each other and it usually stay set.

So of course had to used another. Good thing I have a "few" :-)

Saddling my saw/mortise bench, I start to whack away, but it is kinda difficult to see my lines

A quick trace of the outline with a sharp knife, make a V cut.

Take out the middle of the hump with the chisel 

Then whack, whack... Took me 3 to 4 pass to reach my depth of 1 "plus" inch
Set my little metal gauge I made years ago during Air Force trade training (CMT) in Borden.
Still have it and use it

Not quite there

Done

Then rinse and repeat for the other one

Notice that the depth of my mortise means that both my tenons are going to meet in the middle.

Before I attempt to cut the other set of mortises on the adjacent faces,

 I am making a plug to fit inside the mortise to protect it.

That is where I stopped on my first day on it, need to clean up my shavings and sharpen my chisel and block plane. And that is all the shop time I got.
I purposely left my mortise plug slightly oversize overnite and will plane it to final dimensions tomorrow.  After that, I will be able to start on the other side with my mortises.

Bob, thinking I should get my mortises all done by this weekend??

Maybe even a matching tenon???