The design of the basic structure of the gateway was based on through mortice joints pinned with visible oak pegs to give a rustic aesthetic. But the absence of glue or other fixings meant that the mortices needed to be tight-fitting.
Since a morticing tool is beyond a hobbyist budget, this meant adopting a more basic approach involving drilling and hand chiselling. But it was essential that the drilled holes were exactly vertical. Since even a bench drill was outside my budget, I made do with a bench stand for a hand drill - which worked fine as long as I was careful about positioning. Although it took a long time, it was actually a very enjoyable and rewarding experience - the wood smelled wonderful!
Incidentally, it is a good idea to have a short length of wood of the required size for test fitting.
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