I've seen 'em a lot in the catalogs and had a chance to try one. It
seemed adequate
for a tool I might use twice a year. I believe they were going for way
under $200.00
but now I can't find any. They're not listed in the Harbor Freight
catalog. I believe the one
I borrowed was a Northern Equipment brand, but I couldn't find anything
there, either.
Did Delta send a 767 full of call girls to China in a deal to curtail
production?
>Pat Barber wrote:
You need a router and some practice making perfect
mortises in a MUCH shorter time. The mortising machines
might have a place somewhere but after doing one project
with my Delta, I very quickly learned the "router way".
I could believe it. I've made some louvered shutters with a plunge
router
and concocted jig, but - what's the technique for mortising using a
router
table, if it's not too much to go into? Is it time to invent a
foot-operated
mechanism for a plunge router in a router table?
[email protected] wrote:
> what's the technique for mortising using a router
> table, if it's not too much to go into?
I imagine it involves just plunging the wood onto the bit, taking
multiple passes.
> Is it time to invent a foot-operated
> mechanism for a plunge router in a router table?
Already exists:
http://www.leevalley.com/wood/page.aspx?c=1&p=43039&cat=1,43000
Chris
B A R R Y wrote:
> Brian Henderson wrote:
>
>>
>> Mortises are simple on a router table. Ten seconds with a straight
>> cutting bit and a corner chisel and you're done.
>
>
> I don't bother with the corner chisel in a blind mortise. While I'm
> fine tuning the tenon with a shoulder plane, I round the corners.
Why not simplify even more and use loose tenons? (At least where the
small strength difference isn't critical.)
Chris
On Thu, 04 May 2006 18:41:38 GMT, B A R R Y <[email protected]>
wrote:
>Brian Henderson wrote:
>> Mortises are simple on a router table. Ten seconds with a straight
>> cutting bit and a corner chisel and you're done.
>I don't bother with the corner chisel in a blind mortise. While I'm
>fine tuning the tenon with a shoulder plane, I round the corners.
True, and if you're doing a bunch of loose tenons, it's just as easy
to run them through the router table and round them over en masse
before cutting to size.
"[email protected]" wrote in message
> I've seen 'em a lot in the catalogs and had a chance to try one. It
> seemed adequate
It only seemed that way ... might as well go ahead and load up and take aim
at your foot. There is no more worthless tool in the shop than a cheap
hollow chisel mortiser.
--
www.e-woodshop.net
Last update: 12/13/05
On Thu, 04 May 2006 14:41:30 GMT, Pat Barber
<[email protected]> wrote:
>You need a router and some practice making perfect
>mortises in a MUCH shorter time. The mortising machines
>might have a place somewhere but after doing one project
>with my Delta, I very quickly learned the "router way".
Agreed. I used to have a dedicated mortiser but I used it so
infrequently and when I did use it, it took more time to set up than
it did to cut the mortises that I ended up selling it to a friend who
would use it more than I did.
Mortises are simple on a router table. Ten seconds with a straight
cutting bit and a corner chisel and you're done.
I do not buy many power tools from HF but my mortiser is an exception. They
ran an ad for a $99.00 mortiser and in a weak moment I bought one. You know
what? It
cuts square holes! I have had it 4 or 5 years and would offer the
following:
1) Square holes (Oh, I said that)
2) The three chisels they provided are similar to those provided with the
Delta drill-press kit and they do a pretty good job (1/4", 3/8", 1/2"). They
are sharpenable with a diamond cone sharpener.
3) Seems to have adequate power for most work (I have cut to 1-1/2" deep or
so)
4) The stock hold-down attachments absolutely suck. You can get there but
they suck.
5) The switch crapped out after about four years. Simple toggle switch cost
about $3
6) The bushing that fits inside of the main body casting, that also accepts
the chisels seems soft. I have leaned it and the inner race with emery
cloth a couple of times.
7) The plunge handle is straight. It should be curved to allow a full
plunge cut. Also the threaded hardware that holds it in place (and some
other threaded hardware) is cheap and soft. Cheap to replace.
8) The base is not aligned well with the rest of the machine - Oh well what
can you expect?
Now for the Donald Rumsfeld questions/answer session:
Is this the only mortiser I will every own? Lord I hope not!
Has it be a useful addition to the shop? Yes. A lot better than nothing!
Do I consider it to be one of the better tools in my shop? Get Serious
Can I do serious mortising on furniture projects? Yes, but I take some time
to make sure the chisels are tight in the head and I supplement the Mickey
Mouse hold-down hardware with clamps. Some day I might fabricate better
hold-down hardware -- or go buy a better mortiser.
PS: I saw one in a HF store this past year for about the same price.
RonB
>
> What's the dif between cheap and notsocheap then? The steel in the
> chisels
> maybe?
Refer to my long-winded post regarding my HF machine above. I think the
difference is just the materials used in the whole thing. The bushing
between the body and the chisels seems soft and has to be dressed with emery
cloth now and then to allow the chisels to slide in easier.. A lot of the
threaded hardware has been replaced with better stuff. The cover on the
base was a wood-looking paper.
Actually, the chisels are pretty good. They look and cut like the chisels
that came with a friend's Delta, drill-press mortiser. They seem to hold an
edge and can be sharpened with a dimond cone sharpener. The counter price
at HF is about the same as Delta chisels.
RonB
"Pat Barber" wrote in message
> They have found a compressor run by a bellows in the
> chapel store room.
>
> Sorry... He Did Use a Airbrush to smooth the edges.
>
Certainly within the realm of possibility. The oldest known instance of use
of an air brush was in some cave dwellings in France, IIRC.
--
www.e-woodshop.net
Last update: 12/13/05
They have found a compressor run by a bellows in the
chapel store room.
Sorry... He Did Use a Airbrush to smooth the edges.
Edwin Pawlowski wrote:
> "B A R R Y" <[email protected]> wrote in message
>
>>I don't bother with the corner chisel in a blind mortise. While I'm fine
>>tuning the tenon with a shoulder plane, I round the corners.
>
>
> How can you live with yourself knowing you took a shortcut like that?
> Think of the shame it will bring you your family if this is discovered
> during a restoration project a hundred years from now. It would be like
> finding out that Michelangelo used an air brush in the Sistine Chapel.
>
> Ed (shaking his head at this bad news)
>
>
"[email protected]" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> I've seen 'em a lot in the catalogs and had a chance to try one.
> It
> seemed adequate
> for a tool I might use twice a year. I believe they were going for
> way
> under $200.00
> but now I can't find any. They're not listed in the Harbor Freight
> catalog. I believe the one
> I borrowed was a Northern Equipment brand, but I couldn't find
> anything
> there, either.
> Did Delta send a 767 full of call girls to China in a deal to
> curtail
> production?
>
go back to northern tool and do a search for "mortising" it will
bring up the drill press mortising attachment and accessories.
Hello,
I have the HF machine, brought it for $80 or so (on sales for $99 + 20% off
coupon that I found at:
http://ww2.harborfreightusa.com/showpage_retail.taf?pageid=214&email= (the
coupon changes regulary, keep checking)...
I have made around 35 mortises at the moment, from pine to black walnut to
Jatoba (talk about a hard wood!) and am quite happy about it.
like most HF tool, it needs a little bit of work to be great (such as
sharpening the chisels a little bit more and creative work on the fence
(hint, increase it's thikness so the hold down works better)...
for a tool that I use around once every 2 months, I am happy...
cyrille
"[email protected]" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> I've seen 'em a lot in the catalogs and had a chance to try one. It
> seemed adequate
> for a tool I might use twice a year. I believe they were going for way
> under $200.00
> but now I can't find any. They're not listed in the Harbor Freight
> catalog. I believe the one
> I borrowed was a Northern Equipment brand, but I couldn't find anything
> there, either.
> Did Delta send a 767 full of call girls to China in a deal to curtail
> production?
>
You really think China wants spoiled lazy American women . . . . They
already have the best pussy . . . .
"[email protected]" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> I've seen 'em a lot in the catalogs and had a chance to try one. It
> seemed adequate
> for a tool I might use twice a year. I believe they were going for way
> under $200.00
> but now I can't find any. They're not listed in the Harbor Freight
> catalog. I believe the one
> I borrowed was a Northern Equipment brand, but I couldn't find anything
> there, either.
> Did Delta send a 767 full of call girls to China in a deal to curtail
> production?
>
"B A R R Y" <[email protected]> wrote in message
>
> I don't bother with the corner chisel in a blind mortise. While I'm fine
> tuning the tenon with a shoulder plane, I round the corners.
How can you live with yourself knowing you took a shortcut like that?
Think of the shame it will bring you your family if this is discovered
during a restoration project a hundred years from now. It would be like
finding out that Michelangelo used an air brush in the Sistine Chapel.
Ed (shaking his head at this bad news)
"[email protected]" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> I've seen 'em a lot in the catalogs and had a chance to try one. It
> seemed adequate
> for a tool I might use twice a year. I believe they were going for way
> under $200.00
> but now I can't find any. They're not listed in the Harbor Freight
> catalog.
They have at least three listings on Harborfreight:
http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/ctaf/displayitem.taf?Itemnumber=35570
http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/ctaf/displayitem.taf?Itemnumber=37505
http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/ctaf/Displayitem.taf?itemnumber=45007
On 4 May 2006 16:34:13 -0700, "[email protected]"
<[email protected]> wrote:
>I could believe it. I've made some louvered shutters with a plunge
>router
>and concocted jig, but - what's the technique for mortising using a
>router
>table, if it's not too much to go into? Is it time to invent a
>foot-operated
>mechanism for a plunge router in a router table?
No, you just drop the wood onto the bit where you want it to start and
lift it off where you want it to end. There's nothing that says you
have to push the wood completely past the bit.
You can make certain mortises on a router table by
using the fence and basically plunge cutting the mortise.
Not a great method, but certainly will work.
A router lift that can be accurately raised would be a
real bonus.
A much better way to is build a fairly simple mortising
jig that allows you to use a plunge router.
I found the plans in Woodsmith...
I found the picture here of the jig:
http://www.woodsmith.com/issues/147/videos/setting-up-and-using-the-router-jig/
[email protected] wrote:
>
> I could believe it. I've made some louvered shutters with a plunge
> router
> and concocted jig, but - what's the technique for mortising using a
> router
> table, if it's not too much to go into? Is it time to invent a
> foot-operated
> mechanism for a plunge router in a router table?
>
You need a router and some practice making perfect
mortises in a MUCH shorter time. The mortising machines
might have a place somewhere but after doing one project
with my Delta, I very quickly learned the "router way".
[email protected] wrote:
> I've seen 'em a lot in the catalogs and had a chance to try one. It
> seemed adequate
> for a tool I might use twice a year. I believe they were going for way
> under $200.00
> but now I can't find any. They're not listed in the Harbor Freight
> catalog. I believe the one
> I borrowed was a Northern Equipment brand, but I couldn't find anything
> there, either.
> Did Delta send a 767 full of call girls to China in a deal to curtail
> production?
>