Bench mortisor

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I have been looking at bench mortisors recently and have also discovered that you can buy a mortisor attachment for a pillar drill does anyone recomend using this method as i also need a pillar drill so i could kill two birds with one stone and save on space.

Cheers,
Derek.
 
By all accounts the drill press attachment is a poor option. Certainly for occasional use it might do but if you are in a position to go for a dedicated morticer it would be the better option. I prefer the slower speed (1750 rpm) type with dovetail weys rather than a single or double tube model with a spring. The Delta model is one option.

Noel
 
David, I think there's 3 main features to look for in a morticer: 1) bit speed, 2) hold down (this retains the timber on the bed and stops it racking) 3) method of head travel.
1) It's maybe a personal thing but most machines run at 2,800 or 1,500 rpm. I prefer the lower speed as there's less chance of burning in some hard woods. Other's prefer the faster speed as cutting is quicker. 2) How well the hold down works is very important. If it fails to hold the timber securely when withdrawing the chisel it can get stuck and possibly break as well as being a downright nuisance. 3) Again a personal thing. As you can see on the Delta:
DEL14_6501.jpg

the head moves up and down on a rack and pinion principle by means of a sliding dovetail which runs on adjustable bronze bushings. This method just seems superior to me as opposed to the tube(s) method and appears more secure as well. The extra weight is also a bonus and a gas strut assists in lifting the chisel.
The Record is a popular model but the hold down is allegedly quite poor. The D & M deal includes semi decent chisels whereas the Delta ones are cheap Chinese and need a lot of fettling to get a acceptable mortice. Other choices are the Jet/Axminster model (I think Adam has one), the Fox, the Rexon (tried it once and thought it was OK) and as mentioned the Charnwood. I'm sure other users will chip in with their opinions. Of course you could use a router with or without an M & T jig (Trend for instance).

Noel
 
Derek,

I have the SIP 1" heavy duty model. Comes complete with its own useful cabinet stand. It has excellent capacities and all the best clamping, fence and sliding table adjustment features, all controlled by wheels on the front of the machine. Excellent value at £395 but maybe larger than you are looking for at the moment - so the smaller SIP bench-top model may be worth considering before you decide. Bought mine last year at the Stoneleigh Park Show - went there specifically looking for a morticer only to find that only two makes were there on display! So Scheppach, Jet, Record, Fox, etc. didn't get a look in. Had a good play with the SIP before placing my order, delivered a few days later as promised. (card charged on the day of despatch :) ).

Cheers,

Trev.
 
Derek

I echo what's been said before. I have the perform equivalent (more or less) of this one http://www.axminster.co.uk/product.asp? ... 59&recno=1.

The morticer does what it says on the box...chisels do stick in the wood and the hold down is reasonable. OK - it's made down to a price but if you're only doing a few then it's OK.
Here's another thread https://www.ukworkshop.co.uk/forums/viewtopic.php?t=3156

or just put in morticer into the search on this forum...there's stacks of comments.

I bought separate chisels (also from Axminster) and they are not bad..certainly for a first time morticer.

The one extra thing to look for is the maximum height of wood that you can fit underneath the bit. I came unstuck with mine as there was insufficient (throat?) depth recently to put a mortice into some timber that I had.

Whichever one you get there is a thread somewhere that tells you how to set up the chisel and bit correctly. Ignore whatever the manufacturer says (IMHO) and go with this thread https://www.ukworkshop.co.uk/forums/viewtopic.php?t=1261

I bought a small bench drill from Machinemart for £29 as I just couldn't be ar**d to keep fiddling about swapping the chucks. The decision, in hindsight, was 100% spot-on.

Last but not least...it sounds like you're buying up a few things :wink: If you haven't bought the router table yet then seriously think about getting a Woodrat...as it will do most things that a router table will do plus many, many more that it won't easily (nothing like a born-again 'ratter :D ) and you can mortice with it. Remember earlier I said that I couldn't put some timber in my morticer? Well, it went in the 'rat...no problem!!!!!!!!

If you are thinking about getting a Trend Mortice and Tenon jig then I have one for sale..brand new... :wink:

At the risk of sounding patronising you sound as if you're going down a similar path that I took a year ago. Very similar kit. Would I buy the same again? Most definitely...the Ryobi combi router is a steal at £89 for both router and table...and the experience I got in using it was invaluable as now I'm thinking what exactly do I want in the the next router table :wink:

Cheers Roger
 
I have the Record mortiser and I could not recommend it in any way. It is difficult to set up, the depth adjustment especialy and getting it square to the work is a pain in the a***e.
 
I have the Record drill stand and mortising attachment which is basically the same thing, but with a better lever more suited to mortising (what's going on there then? :?). It's a total PITA as jaymar describes. Don't waste your money on it.

Cheers, Alf
 
Noel":xxhuxwae said:
Other choices are the Jet/Axminster model (I think Adam has one),
Noel

Correct. It's fine, although the hold down isn't good - and I need to play with it a bit more to decide if it bothers me enough to change it.

It's an induction motor - which helps to keep the noise down - although I find that in general morticers are quite noisy. It's got more than enough grunt to go into oak - which is the main material it'll get used for.

I don't think their is that much to go for between models if I'm honest. They are all fairly much similar.

Like the others have mentioned, I've never heard anyone say a good word about the attachments you put on a bench drill.

Adam
 
I do use a morticer from time to time but a router cuts much cleaner holes.

You don't need a Rat to cut mortices in long grain with a router- although it helps :lol: . The router's edge guide or a simple home made jig do just as well.
 
I have a multico PM12 (are they still made?) it is quite, runs fast (3000rpm) and gets used more for drilling & sanding (with a chuck attachement) than for mortising. Hold down is good and fence stays true when adjusting fore and aft.
IMHO you'd do well to get a dedicated machine for each operation. Mortisers tend to run to fast for drilling (I'll get a becnh drill one of these days) and as mentioned before the mortise attachements are not generally well received.

Andy
 
I wouldn't use a drill press add-on for several reasons - time-consuming to set up, poor leverage on a drill press compared to a morticer, with consequent bearing strain.

The Record RPM75 is a real pain - extremely hard work to set up accurately and the "hold-down" doesn't!

I bought an Axminster clone. The only problem was that the fence could rack, so I did a small modification to it which has cured it and made it a real pleasure to use. The pics are at http://www.raygirling.com/mortadpt.htm if you're interested. ;)

Ray.
 

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