First video--Greenlee 227 auto-feed mortiser

[kirkpoore1]

Well, I finally figured out how to get a video down to reasonable size and post it on Youtube. Here you go--me using my Greenlee 227 autofeed mortiser:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bE7Y9nxYoek

This is a 3/8" chisel making mortises in pine. Each mortise is 3/8" x 1-1/2" and about 1" deep. No narration because we had at least 6 people running machines in the shop at the same time (the "factory" last Saturday), and it was pretty loud. The Greenlee is actually fairly quiet--you mostly hear my tablesaw cutting tenons behind the camera. Anyway, I made 240 mortises in about an hour and a half. Time to resharpen the chisel, I think.

(Note: Somehow, my editing efforts doubled the video in the clip. When the sound cuts out, you're watching a second copy, which I didn't notice until after the upload. Oh well.)

Kirk

 

[tool613]

Good one Kirk
shows the production very well.
Tell me. On lay out you are using center line? And you length is set with stop blocks? what kind of chisels do you use and how do you sharpen them?


jack

 

[kirkpoore1]

Jack:
Each piece had six mortises, laid out in two pairs. Unfortunately, I don't have the stop rod for the stock on the machine (it mounts on the back of the table), so I took a different approach, similar to what you surmised. First, each board was marked with the mortise start and stop points using a story stick and square. Second, I put a piece of tape on the fence, marked with two lines indicating the mortise limits. I clamped a board in place with the fence lines matching the marked mortise lines. Then I adjusted the table traverse stops to give the proper mortise length. After that, it was just a matter of lining up the board marks with the fence marks, and the traverse took care of the rest.

The bit & chisel set is a generic Chiawanese set from Woodcraft. Interior is sharpened with a Lee Valley diamond cone set mounted in my drill press, while the exterior is hand honed on an Arkansas oil stone.

I really need to get a stop rod and stops. It would have been way quicker than laying out all those mortises.

Kirk

 

[tool613]

The bit & chisel set is a generic Chiawanese set from Woodcraft. Interior is sharpened with a Lee Valley diamond cone set mounted in my drill press, while the exterior is hand honed on an Arkansas oil stone.

Kirk
The reason i ask is because Greenlee makes some great flat bottom bits(probably some of the best seeing they invented the hollow chisel). I like them much better the the Chiawanese set ,but i have those too. I have found that the interface of the auger is a much better fit to the chisel and does not leave small crescent on the side wall of the mortis . They do take a bit more force to drive ,but the edge does last longer. I like that there is more chisel steel before the chip hole and that I can drag the bottom of my hunches so it got a clean bottom. The biggest problem is sharpening them and finding the brace hones for them. I have found lots of flat bottom bit that were sharpened with the diamond cone that is to step for the flat bottom type and so the bits are worthless.

Wadkin made an Auto feed mortiser that is a mod on there MA(i think that the two head MF could be special order for auto feed too). Its a chain and chisel combo and and has a foot control. The foot control the motor power as well(more to do with the chain than the chisel).

Your flat belt Greenlee must have had stops to make it a fully production machine. The auto wadkin is a later machine so it has the advantage of lessons learned. Here is the stops for the Wadkin. It has 4 mortise lengths(you rotate the handle to the different length mortises ) and a spring stop for long doors with AIR CLAMP. How does the Greenlee compare?

The wadkin has a depth stop for hunches and a single stroke/ for that one square hole that is some times needed. How does the Greenlee deal with this?

Thanks for posting this Kirk it is a great video.


jack

 

[kirkpoore1]

Jack:

I'll check your pics when I get home--can't see photobucket here.

The Greenlee can theoretically be set up to do two different mortise lengths. It has three stops on the table traverse stop bar, and that will give you two lengths, ideally. You would still need to set up the work stop bar correctly of course. I think, in practice, that would be a tradeoff. If you're doing just a few pieces, the extra setup time may not be worth it. If you're doing lots of pieces, you would have an extra step on each piece and there would be a chance of error (cutting a long mortise in the place where you needed a short one). When I've needed more than one length I cut all my pieces for the first length, reset, and cut the second length. I'll see about getting pictures and posting them.

I have two Greenlee chisels (7/8" and 1") but no bits for them. I have noticed that the inside angle is different. If & when I use them, I'll probably sharpen carefully with a Dremel, maintaining the angle. I've done that, as well as hand honing, on my 3/4" bit. They're too big for the Lee Valley cones anyway. The Asian chisels are kind of a pain sometimes because of the extra depth they require--I've had them poke through stock before. But they do cut very well. My 1/2" chisel is Asian, bought from CGG Schmidt, and at $85 was worth every penny.

Oh, I think I forgot to mention, this mortiser was built in 1928, and has been in service almost that whole time. When I got it, I took 7 coats of paint off of it.

Kirk

 

[tool613]

Kirk


Lee valley sell the large hone.
http://www.leevalley.com/en/wood/page.a ... 17&p=53252

i do think it is for a japan bit though(different angle again) Are you sure CGG Schmidt in not the one from japan?


jack

 

[doctor Bob]

Over here HSE would sh*t themselves as they came through the door .... the guy who inspected me got all agitated by a dog in the workshop, let alone a big unguarded chompy thing with a big whizzy arm remover at the back!!!!!

 

[tool613]

Over here HSE would sh*t themselves as they came through the door .... the guy who inspected me got all agitated by a dog in the workshop, let alone a big unguarded chompy thing with a big whizzy arm remover at the back!!!!!

The one thing that is so adorable about the American machinery is how scary it is. I think Kirk shop has nothing to worry about as far as HSE (home shop), but a flat belt guard would leave the dog his tail longer for longer. :lol:


jack

 

[kirkpoore1]

Yes, OSHA (Occupational Safety & Heath Administration) has no juristiction unless you have paid employees. The flat belt is actually hemmed in by other stuff, and would only be an issue when flattening a long board on the jointer (the jointer's outfeed is over the motor). Actually, compared to some, only the mortiser and the bandsaw have any exposed belts or moving stuff.

And my dog doesn't come in the shop--she hates the noise. Then again, she's an English pointer, so maybe she works for HSE.

On the chisels, yes, the Schmidt one is from Japan, not China. Lee Valley didn't have the large cone set when I bought mine.

Kirk

 

[mailee]

Whoo Hoo! That is one big sewing machine! Now that looks like something I could do with. Great video Kirk.

 

[yetloh]

Yes, lots of lovely cast iron - none of this namby pamby pressed steel.

Jim.