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For a table-leg stretcher socket, support the leg in a simple jig: register its square upper section against two cleats, cradle the turned taper beneath the socket with a fitted V-block, and clamp the leg without lifting it. Bore on a drill press. This keeps the leg stable while you lay out and drill; the socket’s position and angle still depend on your actual frame geometry.
Build a jig that registers the square part of the leg
The square upper section is the reference surface. The V-block supports the changing shape below it; it should not become a new reference that tilts or raises the leg. WOOD Magazine’s directly relevant method uses a simple base, two cleats and a fitted V-block to support the leg while drilling stretcher sockets (WOOD Magazine, December 20, 2018).
- Make the base. Use 3/4-inch plywood or solid wood, slightly wider and longer than the leg.
- Add registration cleats. Fasten two short cleats at one corner of the base, one along an edge and one at an end. Together they locate the leg’s square upper section.
- Mark the socket. Determine its location from the assembled frame or a full-size project drawing. Do not assume a universal stretcher height or drilling angle.
- Fit the V-block. Shape a V block to support the turned portion directly beneath the socket mark. Fasten it to the base with brads or screws only after checking that it supports the taper without lifting the square section away from the base or cleats.
- Seat and clamp the leg. Press the square section against both cleats, position the socket mark, and clamp the leg securely. Recheck the mark and make sure the turned section cannot rock.
- Drill and repeat. Bore the socket on a drill press. Keep the same registration and support arrangement for each leg so the parts are laid out consistently.
Drill a rectangular mortise from overlapping holes
A drill bit makes a round hole, not a rectangular mortise. For a rectangular opening, use a fence to guide a row of overlapping holes along the mortise layout. Drill each hole to the same depth, then use a chisel to remove the webs between them and square the ends as needed. The fence helps keep the row aligned; the depth consistency keeps the bottom from becoming uneven.
Check the support and the joint before cutting
- If the leg lifts: the V-block is too high or positioned incorrectly. Lower or refit it; the square section must remain seated against its registration surfaces.
- If the taper rocks: the V-block is too low, too loose, or poorly fitted. Adjust its contact so it supports the leg firmly without changing the leg’s position.
- If the socket mark shifts during clamping: release the clamp, restore the square section against the cleats, and verify the layout before drilling.
- Dry-fit the stretcher: check the joint against the assembled frame before glue-up. A related Woodcraft chair build locates stretcher mortises after dry-assembling the aprons and legs and holding the stretchers in place (Woodcraft, “Build a Shaker-Style Dining Chair”).
Make sure this is the right kind of mortise
“Mortising a turned, tapered leg” can refer to different joints. The jig above is for a stretcher socket in a turned table leg. Do not transfer its geometry automatically to chair rails, Windsor seats or splayed-leg furniture.
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#1 Best Overall
Woodpeckers Mortising Jig, Mortise + Tenon Jig, Easy to Cut Perfect Mortises With Your Plunge Router for Loose Tenon Joinery, Router Tool, USA-Made MJ-24
- PRECISION MORTISES FOR FURNITURE & CABINETS - Cut tight, repeatable mortises for chairs, tables, doors, and frame-and-panel projects. The Mortising Jig turns your plunge router into a portable benchtop mortiser without the cost of a dedicated machine.
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| Joint situation | What changes | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Stretcher socket in a turned table leg | Register the square upper section and support the taper with the fitted V-block; bore the socket on a drill press. | WOOD Magazine |
| Compound-angle chair rail entering a canted leg | Layout involves both the leg’s cant in elevation and the seat-frame shape in plan. Moving the mortise to simplify the tenon can shorten a back-rail tenon, so joint geometry and remaining tenon length matter. | Fine Woodworking |
| Straight mortise with an angled tenon | One alternative is to keep the mortise square to the workpiece and angle the tenon with a router jig. This is a distinct design choice, not a drop-in replacement for a stretcher socket. | Fine Woodworking |
| Windsor chair leg entering a seat | This uses a tapered tenon in a matching tapered, reamed hole—not a rectangular stretcher mortise in a turned leg. | Popular Woodworking |
| Staked stool or chair leg | The joint may need a tapered or conical tenon and a hole drilled at combined angles; a full-size mock-up can establish the layout before drilling the seat. | Fine Woodworking |
| Sloped leg entering a table base | A project-specific method transfers the mortise outline, removes waste by boring, chisels with an angled guide block, then dry-fits and tunes the joint. | Woodsmith |
Tools and limits of the method
For the table-leg socket method, the essential powered tool is a drill press; the base, cleats and V-block are shop-made. A chisel and clamps complete the setup and cleanup. The cited method does not specify a bit diameter, drill speed, mortise dimensions or a branded jig, so choose those to suit the actual stretcher and leg rather than treating an example as a universal specification. Tapered reamers belong to the separate Windsor seat-joint application, not this rectangular-mortise method.
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