I'm planning to do some slotted mortise & tenon joinery with flat bar and thought a slotted monkey tool would be helpful in the process. Anyone have a slick idea about how to make one or where to buy them? Unfortunately I don't have access to a machine shop and haven't figured out how to make one.

Like this?  

Could punch it hot

Yep...just like that. Is that how you made that one...punched it hot?

That's not my pic. Found it on google search. Hadn't heard of a slotted monkey tool.  Hot punch is just how I would do it. Then touch up the shoulder with a grinder

I'll give it a go this week and post some pics of my success...or... Thanks Jasent.

I've used pipe to make slotted monkey tools.

For work like this, I highly recommend Mark Aspery’s third book. I believe the above picture is from that book. Gives incredible detailed instructions on building all the tools for mortise and tenon joints and how best to go about building things with them. Kind of pricey but worth every penny. 

You are right Ranchmanben...$60 on Amazon! But it does get a rating of 5 stars so it looks to be an investment worth buying. Thanks for the tip!

You bet! 

What length, width & thickness do you want your tenons to be?

On ‎12‎/‎25‎/‎2017 at 3:15 PM, Redsmith said:

I'll give it a go this week and post some pics of my success...or... Thanks Jasent.

So...here's my morning's work of making the slotted monkey tool. I'm pretty happy with it except i got that first swat a little off center. Everything fits nicely...now to see how it works in action! The tenon size is 1/8" x 5/8". My next one will be 1/4" x 3/4" but I want to start out with a piece of 1 1/4" sq stock to have more shoulder left on the tool; all I have laying around now is the 1".

The other picture is my attempt at art ; I wanted a project to practice my chisel cutting and this seemed like a good way to have something to show for it in the end.

Happy Hammering!

Better picture of my "sculpture".

I've been known to arc weld pieces of mild steel together for short-run monkeys.

Thanks Frank, I think I'll give that a try for the larger monkey tool and see how it holds up.

Have you gotten a chance to test it out? 

Greetings Redsmith,

           As Frank mentioned the easy way to make the tool is to bend over a flat bar stock than weld in side pieces to match your tennon. I still have the ones that I made years ago.  Have fun...

Forge on and make beautiful things 

Jim

2 hours ago, Jasent said:

Have you gotten a chance to test it out? 

Nope; I should've tried it out on a test piece yesterday but I got caught up in other projects. After I take the wifey to the movies today, I'll give it a go.

 

2 hours ago, Jim Coke said:

As Frank mentioned the easy way to make the tool is to bend over a flat bar stock than weld in side pieces to match your tennon. I still have the ones that I made years ago.  Have fun...

Thanks Jim, I'll be making the 1/4" x 3/4" this way next weekend. Running out of my vacation now and back to work tomorrow

 

Here you go Jasent, don't be too hard on a newbie now . it's 1/8" joined to the punched 1/4" material. The bright spots on the shoulders is where the metal upset a little as I drove it down a tad to tighten up the joint before peening the tenon. I could've done done better with the symmetry of the peen but overall I'm pretty happy making my first slotted punch and monkey tool and the way the joint came out. The joint/fit is nice and tight.

I like it. Looks nice and stought

Looks really nice.  Now you've got me wanting to make a slotted monkey tool!

All of Mark Aspery's books are worth their weight in gold.  So much knowledge packed into a relatively small space!

Thanks VaughnT! Just received my copy of Mark Aspery's volume III yesterday....nothing short of amazing. I've got several blacksmithing books but none compare to the quality of this both in text and pictures. I see a lot of joinery practice in my future . Now I NEED the other two volumes.