Mortising Router Bit in Steve's DVD

[woodshavings]

In the Workshop Essentials DVD from Steve, he shows a rather snazzy mortising jig. However, he uses a router bit that had one straight blade and one serrated blade for cutting the mortise. He says the serrated blade clears the swarf. I cannot find any reference to it my catalogues - any ideas where it can be obtained?
Also, it seems to me it would be unbalanced, OK maybe in a large heavy router but what about smaller machines? You opinions most welcome!
John

 

[SketchUp Guru]

I don't believe it is actually a router bit. I think Steve refers to it as coming from an engneer's supplier. I don't have the video at hand to look.

 

[Con Owen]

Hi John
I believe what you are referring to is produced by Clico and as Dave R says it is not a router bit.
Regards
Con

 

[dickm]

That sounds like the mortice bits that came with my Lurem combination machine. They run at a much lower speed than router bits (about 3000rpm with the Lurem) on the end of the planer block. Never got to using them myself, so have no idea how effective they are, but the old Coronet Major lathe/saw combination also used them.

 

[Steve Maskery]

HI John

Sorry, missed this.

Yes the cutters are by Clico of Sheffield. I bought them locally (Dalton's - big wood machine place in Nottigham, not the DIY end of the market!) many years ago. There were about 20-quid each last time I bought one.

They are designed for use in slot mortisers, running at about 5K according to a very helpful support chappie at Clifton's. That's a bit of a problem, as routers go down only to about 10K or 8K if you are lucky. It's easy for vibrations to get set up and then the bit fractures. I've broken two over the years, both 1/4". I think it's less of a problem with the 1/2" (because I guess the bigger the cutter the smaller the imbalance), but I always take it easy.

If I were starting out now I'd probably buy the spiral cutters. The trouble is the cost. 1/2" dia, 50mm cut, £80. Ouch. I have used a spiral engineer's cutter. It gives a very smooth cut, but the angles are all designed for cutting steel rather than wood, and that does make a difference.

Interestingly Googling Clico only gives me retailers, not the manufacturer, so you may have to trawl a few deales to find one who will order the cutters for you.

HTH
Steve

 

[mailee]

Just to offer my two penneth here. I buy my spiral bits from Wealdon and they cost just under £50 for the 1/2" one although they do last a long time. I use this in one of Steve's tennoning jigs and it works very well. :wink:

 

[woodshavings]

Thanks all for your comments; very interesting.

I have never tried a spiral cutter so maybe I will give one a try for my next project. They are a bit expensive though.

I currently use a straight cutter for routed mortises but have found waste clearance a problem, particularly on the deeper cuts; that's why I was intrigued with the cutter that Steve used in his video.

Dickm jogged my memory mentioning the cutters supplied with his Lurem Universal. I also have a Lurem Universal (Record Branded) Maxi 26. I have never used the mortising attachment, it took up to much room. I still have the mortise drills, unused somewhere - it did not occur to me to consider these. I think the slowest speed setting on my router will be too fast, also I am not sure they would fit my router collet. However,I will check it out.

Thanks once again,

John

 

[Steve Maskery]

John
If you do use your Lurem bits, or if you order the Clico ones, please make sure that they are Right-Handed ones. Some slot mortisers use left handed ones, depending upon which side of the cutter block they are mounted.

Best wishes
Steve

 

[dickm]

John
If you do use your Lurem bits, or if you order the Clico ones, please make sure that they are Right-Handed ones. Some slot mortisers use left handed ones, depending upon which side of the cutter block they are mounted.

Steve

Pretty sure the Lurem ones were lefthanded. I never actually used them, as I have a Multico chisel morticer, and sold the mortice table plus bits some years ago, but thinking about the rotation of the planer, they must have been left handed. But it is a <very> old Lurem (a 200b, not even a 210b!) so it's possible the Maxi 26 is different.

 

[woodshavings]

Hi Dick, you are correct, I checked, they are left handed.

Space is very tight in my workshop and the mortice attachment on the Maxi sticks out too far. I do have a small benchtop chisel mortiser that I bought from Screwfix for about £80 some years ago. It works OK for small mortices, but it's pants on anything substantial.

I cannot afford, or have space, for a decent chisel morticer, so plan to shell out for a spiral upcut router cutter and will use with the Muskery Jig for my next project.

Thanks for your help

John