Update to "Mortising Machine...What am I doing wrong?"

[email protected] wrote:
> Unfortunately, the new bit is .38 inches wide...my old chisel is .36
> inches wide. Enough to leave every "plunge" with a big round groove in
> the side. Not what I'm looking for in a mortise. And the new chisel
> is almost as bad, so even if I did make it fit in the chuck, it's still
> proud of the chisel by a long shot.
>
> So now, I just have to order a new one from Lee Valley, and all is
> well.
>
> Except Lee Valley is backordered on 3/8" for two &^%damm months.
> &^%$#@%$&%#&%!!

If you hurry, you can get this one on eBay. Auction's up in an hour.
http://cgi.ebay.com/Delta-Mortising-Chisel-Bit-Set-17-910_W0QQitemZ7595507718QQcategoryZ67240QQtcZphotoQQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

R

Edwin Pawlowski wrote:
> <[email protected]> wrote in message
> news:[email protected]...
> > Well, the verdict is in, and indeed, it is the drill bit. After
> > reading everyone's replies last night, I took a look at it this
> > morning, and it was about as sharp as a sack of wet mice. (Thank you,
> > Foghorn Leghorn.)
> >
> > But...the saga continues...
>
> Sorry to hear of all your troubles, buy did you read my reply? The one
> where I told you to sharpen the bits and chisel?

I did indeed, and thanks for it. Unfortunately, the fluting nearest
the tip is the part that's dull. And to my unpracticed eye, it looked
to me to be unsharpenable. The chaiwanese grinding machine literally
ground the flute down to a flat "ledge" that's about 1/16" wide. I
would somehow have had to have resurrected that fluting from the dead,
and with none of the tools to do it, even if it could have been done.

I'm not well-versed in the geometry of drill bits, but it did not look
salvageable to me.

In order to fix the new set, where the bit sits proud of the chisel, I
put the bit in a hand drill, set it to reverse, and held it sideways
against a piece of emory cloth. I used *very* light pressure,
particularly given charlie b's warning about lateral weekness in these
style of bits. Then I hand sanded the shank of the chisel to fit in my
chuck, and the results so far are at least passable.

I'll work on the chisel tomorrow, and I'll probably end up taking the
bit to a sharpening service down the street. This one looks like it
can be worked on, and they can probably further reduce the size of the
head.

Thanks Ed...I'll keep you posted.

RicodJour wrote:
> If you hurry, you can get this one on eBay. Auction's up in an hour.

Thanks for the search, but that's the one I just bought...it's the
Austrian set Delta packages to fit their drill-press mortising
attachment.

charlie b wrote:
> If you want to sharpen the bit
> find a lapidary store.

Better yet, I found a sharpening service down the street. I've learned
how to sharpen flat stuff, all my planes and chisels, but I figure I'll
hold off on drill bits till I've mastered some woodworking techniques
that are more important to me right now.

These guys have a great rep in town, and I spent about 30 minutes
talking shop with them last night. Very knowlegable, friendly, willing
to give advice where warranted. They'll get all my round-tool bidness
for the time being, including saw blades.

>
> As for buying an individual
> bit or chisel - they're typically
> sold as a set - for a reason.

If only the 3/8" bit/chisel I bought as a set had fit together! I
guess even Austria can have shitty quality control.

> The underlying problem is
> what you don't know. THAT'S
> why you want to make friends
> with the most knowledgable
> guy at the tool store - not
> The BORG - but a real tool
> store. A good salesperson
> will ask questions before
> they try and sell you something
> that probably won't work.
>
> You can save a few dollars
> by mail order or web shopping
> but you'll spend far more
> than you saved on valium
> or booze. Buy the big stuff
> from a local who knows the
> stuff he/she sells.

I couldn't agree more. I buy my big iron locally now, and have begun
developing the kind of relationships you're talking about for the same
reason. I do mail order/web for super-high end hand tools that the
local shops can't afford to inventory (or the manufacturers won't sell
other than directly), but that's it. The tool-store advice is usually
worth its weight in gold.

Thanks for all your help on this one, Charlie. And to the rest who
weighed-in too...given the proper filters, this newsgroup is also a
hell of a good source of savings on booze and valium!!

If you want to sharpen the bit
find a lapidary store. They
usually also sell jewelry making
tools. Get a set of needle files.
One of the flat ones will have
"safe" sides - smooth so they
only cut on the faces, not
the edges. File from the "inside"
of the bit not the end of the bit.
While your there, also get
the smallest stick of White
Diamond or whatever "stick"
they have that will remove
metal rather than just burnishing
it (the burnishing compound/
stick is typically called Rouge
because it's reddish brown)

File the cutting edge then
apply the cutting compound
to a hardwood stick and refine,
"polish" / hone the edge.
Slip sticks work faster and
better but you'd have to
order them from Lee Valley,
HIghland Hardware and the
like.

As for buying an individual
bit or chisel - they're typically
sold as a set - for a reason.

As for the chisel fit in your
mortiser - many mortisers
come with multiple collets
for exactly that reason. Mine
(General International
75-075M) came with a
5/8 & 3/4" collet.

The underlying problem is
what you don't know. THAT'S
why you want to make friends
with the most knowledgable
guy at the tool store - not
The BORG - but a real tool
store. A good salesperson
will ask questions before
they try and sell you something
that probably won't work.

You can save a few dollars
by mail order or web shopping
but you'll spend far more
than you saved on valium
or booze. Buy the big stuff
from a local who knows the
stuff he/she sells. Spend
a little more and save your
self a lot of grief and
frustration.

Case in point
I bought a Makita 12" SCMS
from CB Tools here in Silly
Cone Valley. A month after
I bought it I blew out the
left fence. Took the pieces
to CB Tools and said "It
broke!" My sales guy walked
over to a floor model, took
the piece I needed off it
and sent me on my way with
a "sorry - that shouldn't
happen."

Now granted, the saw,
fully loaded with extra
hold down and optional
hold ins was a tad over
$800 - and I've spent
a chunk of change there,
but Mario takes care of
his customers. With
the exception of Lee
Valley, no mailer order
place comes close to
that kind of service.

AND - a good salesman will
let his customers know about
upcoming sales, discontinued
items deals and "stuff in
the back". I got an 8',
10" wide Beismeyer (sp?)
miter saw table for $75.
Customer ordered it and
never picked it up
http://home.comcast.net/~charliebcz/MakitaSCMS.html
Of course I spent another
$75 on a pair of flip stops
but . . .

charlie b

<[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> Well, the verdict is in, and indeed, it is the drill bit. After
> reading everyone's replies last night, I took a look at it this
> morning, and it was about as sharp as a sack of wet mice. (Thank you,
> Foghorn Leghorn.)
>
> But...the saga continues...

Sorry to hear of all your troubles, buy did you read my reply? The one
where I told you to sharpen the bits and chisel?

[email protected] wrote:
> Edwin Pawlowski wrote:

>>Sorry to hear of all your troubles, buy did you read my reply? The one
>>where I told you to sharpen the bits and chisel?
>
>
> I did indeed, and thanks for it. Unfortunately, the fluting nearest
> the tip is the part that's dull. And to my unpracticed eye, it looked
> to me to be unsharpenable. The chaiwanese grinding machine literally
> ground the flute down to a flat "ledge" that's about 1/16" wide. I
> would somehow have had to have resurrected that fluting from the dead,
> and with none of the tools to do it, even if it could have been done.

I think you need to use a slipstone to do that.

er
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