Makita Chain Mortisers
Makita chain mortiser kit is for cutting clean, repeatable mortises in heavy timber when you cannot mess about with chisels and routers on site.
When you are hanging big doors, building oak frames, or doing repair work where every joint needs to land first time, a Makita mortiser keeps it tidy and consistent. Set your depth, keep it square, and cut proper mortises without blowing out the edges. Pick the bar and chain to suit the joint and get cutting.
What Are Makita Chain Mortisers Used For?
- Cutting accurate mortises in structural timber for traditional mortise and tenon joints on oak framing, green oak work, and heavy joinery.
- Hanging and repairing large timber doors and gates where you need consistent hinge recesses and lock mortises without chewing the edges up.
- Batching out repeat mortises on site or in the workshop when you have got a run of the same joint to do and you need them all matching.
- Opening up existing joints during refurb and repair work where hand chopping would be slow and messy, especially in hard or seasoned timber.
Choosing the Right Makita Chain Mortiser
Sorting the right one is simple: match the bar and chain to the joint size you actually cut, not the biggest one you might do once a year.
1. Mortise width and chain size
If you are mostly cutting standard joinery joints, stick to the chain that gives you the right mortise width without side-to-side wobble. If you go too wide, you end up cleaning up more with chisels and the joint looks sloppy.
2. Depth of cut and timber thickness
If you are working on chunky posts and beams, make sure the mortiser has the depth you need without forcing it. For deep mortises, take sensible passes and clear chips so it does not bind and burn the timber.
3. Site handling and control
If you are cutting on erected frames or awkward positions, prioritise a setup that is easy to keep square and steady. A chain morticer is only as accurate as your clamping, marking out, and how firmly you hold it on the line.
Makita Chain Mortiser FAQs
What are the disadvantages of a chain mortiser?
They are fast, but they are not a finish tool. You will usually still square the ends and fine-fit with chisels, and if the chain is blunt it will burn and tear the mortise walls. They also hate hidden nails and screws, so old timber needs checking before you plunge in.
What size mortise can a chain mortiser cut?
The mortise width is set by the chain and bar setup, and the depth is limited by the bar length and the tool's depth stop. In practice, you pick the chain morticer setup that matches your common joint sizes, then cut to depth in controlled passes so the tool clears chips and stays straight.
What is the best way to sharpen a chain mortiser?
Use the correct diameter file for the chain and keep your angles consistent across every cutter, doing the same number of strokes per tooth. If one side is sharper than the other, the mortise will start pulling off line. When the cutters are damaged or you have hit grit or metal, it is often quicker and cleaner to swap to a spare chain.
Do chain mortisers leave square corners in the mortise?
No, the cut is effectively radiused at the ends because it is a chain. On proper joinery work you cut the main mortise with the chain mortiser, then square the corners with a sharp chisel if the joint needs it.
How do you stop a chain morticer from binding in the cut?
Do not try to take the full depth in one hit. Plunge in stages, back out to clear chips, and keep the chain sharp so it cuts rather than rubs. Binding is usually chip build-up, a blunt chain, or forcing the tool when it is not sat square to the timber.
Who Uses Makita Chain Mortisers?
- Chippies and joiners doing heavy door sets, gates, and timber repairs because a Makita chain mortiser cuts a straight mortise fast without drifting.
- Timber framers and oak frame teams who need repeatable mortise and tenon work on big sections, especially when you are working to lines and shoulders.
- Heritage and restoration crews who want a controlled cut in old timber, then finish to fit with sharp chisels rather than hacking it out by hand.
The Basics: Understanding Chain Mortisers
A chain mortiser cuts a rectangular mortise by running a small chainsaw-style cutter down into the timber. It is quick, but the finish depends on setup and sharpness. Here is what matters on site.
1. Bar and chain set the mortise size
The bar and chain determine the width and maximum depth you can cut. Get that wrong and you either cannot reach depth, or you cut a mortise that needs loads of tidying before the tenon will fit properly.
2. Chip clearance is the difference between clean and horrible
These tools make a lot of waste fast, so you need to work in controlled plunges and clear chips regularly. If you just ram it, it will bind, overheat, and tear the sides of the mortise.
3. You still finish like a joiner
A chain mortiser gets you the straight walls and depth quickly, then you square corners and fine-fit with sharp chisels. That is normal on proper joinery work, not a sign you have bought the wrong kit.
Chain Mortiser Spares That Keep You Cutting
If you are mid-job on a frame or a door set, spares stop you losing half a day to a blunt chain or a damaged bar.
1. Replacement chains
A sharp chain is everything on a makita chain mortiser. Keep a spare ready so you can swap out when the cut starts burning, wandering, or leaving a furry finish instead of trying to limp through the last few joints.
2. Guide bars
Bars take abuse if the tool gets pinched or you catch hidden fixings in old timber. A fresh bar helps the chain track straight again, which is what keeps your mortises consistent across a run.
3. Chain sharpening file kit
Do not wait until it is completely dead. A proper file size for the cutter keeps the chain biting cleanly, reduces kick and binding, and stops you having to force the tool through hard sections.
Shop Makita Chain Mortiser Kit at ITS
Whether you need a Makita mortiser for regular timber framing or you are replacing bars and chains for a job that is already booked in, we stock the range to keep you moving. It is all in our own warehouse, in stock and ready for next day delivery so you are not stood waiting when the timber is on the deck.
