kmealy Posted September 6, 2017 Report Share Posted September 6, 2017 (edited) I'm trying to decide what I want to do about efficient mortises Fe$tool Domino is out of the question unless I'd get a super deal on one. I don't see that happening. Same for a dedicated mortising machine. Super fast, though. I attended a Glen Huey seminar last spring and PopWood recently reposted an old video of his using the same technique. Basically a plunge router with a fence. I do see a lot of scorch marks on his faces. Matthias' Pantarouter is nice, but overkill for me. Thinking of making a sliding horizontal router jig, but have not looked up the pattern in a recent Wood magazine, or even sure I have it. I have a "Bead Lock" that I've used for a few things. It has inserts to drill the overlapping holes, then another to guide a chisel square. Maybe too slow for a large number of them. Stock gets expensive for a large number of them, and custom router bits to make the stock crazy expensive. Hand mortising, again, too slow (at least at my skill level) Then it occurred to me, my Shopsmith has a router chuck and I could use it to plunge out the mortises. Hmm. What to do, what to do? Are there other options I have not considered? Edited December 5, 2017 by Ron Dudelston tags added Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fred W. Hargis Jr Posted September 6, 2017 Report Share Posted September 6, 2017 (edited) Drill press would be another way to do them. Use a brad point or forstner to drill slightly overlapping holes and clean them up with a chisel. I prefer the router with an upcut spiral bit myself. Edited September 6, 2017 by Fred W. Hargis Jr DAB 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DAB Posted September 6, 2017 Report Share Posted September 6, 2017 mortising attachment for your drill press. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lew Posted September 6, 2017 Report Share Posted September 6, 2017 What DAB said. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HandyDan Posted September 6, 2017 Report Share Posted September 6, 2017 Drill press a size smaller bit and finish/clean up with the router table. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
p_toad Posted September 6, 2017 Report Share Posted September 6, 2017 Are you talking through mortises that are going to show or ?? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stick486 Posted September 6, 2017 Report Share Posted September 6, 2017 (edited) 3 hours ago, kmealy said: Fe$tool Domino is out of the question unless I'd get a super deal on one saw a few reports that the transmission on them have failed... OUCH!!!! 3 hours ago, kmealy said: Thinking of making a sliding horizontal router jig, edge guides... install the rods into your plunge router... install the guides to either side of the router so that router is placed exactly where the router needs to cut and it won't move to left or right... if you need to do lateral movement because of mortise width set the guides accordingly... don't forget your start/stop blocks... go as far as a one piece adjustable unit... (picture a set of calipers for this jig) 3 hours ago, kmealy said: my Shopsmith has a router chuck and I could use it to plunge out the mortises. why use up router bits prematurely.. they cost money.. 3 hours ago, kmealy said: What to do, what to do? Are there other options I have not considered? DP and a Fostner bit to hog out material... use the router to finish to size... either square up the mortise or RO the tenon corners to match..... do the square up w/ a corner chisel... http://www.leevalley.com/US/Wood/page.aspx?p=30011&cat=1,41504,41541&ap=1 Edited September 6, 2017 by Stick486 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stick486 Posted September 6, 2017 Report Share Posted September 6, 2017 (edited) word of caution... don't use a spade bit to hog w/... the guide point sets up a fault line in the wood that may split later... VOE.... Edited September 6, 2017 by Stick486 Cal 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Grandpadave52 Posted September 6, 2017 Report Share Posted September 6, 2017 1 hour ago, Stick486 said: don't use a spade bit to hog w/... the guide point sets up a fault line in the wood that may split later... VOE.... Nor a fortsner bit...especially smaller sizes...can't eject the material fast enough Woodsmith Shop just aired an episode about this...they highly recommended brad point bits Cal 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Grandpadave52 Posted September 6, 2017 Report Share Posted September 6, 2017 (edited) 4 hours ago, kmealy said: Thinking of making a sliding horizontal router jig, but have not looked up the pattern in a recent Wood magazine, or even sure I have it. Let me know if you don't Keith...I can fix you up or login to your Woodsmith on-line access to view/print. Watch CL for drill pres mortising attachments sets. I see them quite often fairly local here for $50-$100...some brand new.. Also check CL & local Pawn shops for dedicated bench-top mortising machines...I've seen Delta, Shop Fox, H-F, Craftsman and Jet several times locally in the past year. Edited September 6, 2017 by Grandpadave52 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stick486 Posted September 7, 2017 Report Share Posted September 7, 2017 1 hour ago, Grandpadave52 said: Nor a fortsner bit...especially smaller sizes...can't eject the material fast enough my Freuds and German/Swiss/Austrian made don't seem to have this issue... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post steven newman Posted September 7, 2017 Popular Post Report Share Posted September 7, 2017 Meh.... Seem to work just fine for me.... lew, John Morris, HARO50 and 2 others 5 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DAB Posted September 7, 2017 Report Share Posted September 7, 2017 2 hours ago, steven newman said: Meh.... Seem to work just fine for me.... Listen you.... John Morris, Gene Howe, Grandpadave52 and 1 other 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PeteM Posted September 7, 2017 Report Share Posted September 7, 2017 (edited) What I tried, and what I like: --Loose tenon design: I like it. Simpler in planning piece lengths. Rounded-end tenon and mortise are structurally good. Tenon narrower than mortise also good structure strength. --Router: Problematic. Set up is a pain, and I never liked the occasional need to use router in the horizontal. Depth limited. --Drill press and DP mortiser: A pain. Could be that it was just the Delta design, but conversion took time, obviated the use of the DP, and was limited on the length of pieces that could be end-mortised. --Jessem mortis mill: what I have and really like. The bit is a milling edge (can cut sideways), and the jig sets up for lever-action movement side to side as you plunge in. Jessem at the time was $100. Edited September 7, 2017 by PeteM HARO50 and Dadio 1 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stick486 Posted September 7, 2017 Report Share Posted September 7, 2017 22 hours ago, DAB said: mortising attachment for your drill press. had one... in fact it was two.. my 1st and last... that cured me.. HARO50 and John Morris 1 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gene Howe Posted September 7, 2017 Report Share Posted September 7, 2017 Word of caution re: the Shopsmith. The table isn't sturdy enough in the DP mode for cutting a mortise. steven newman and Stick486 1 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kmealy Posted September 8, 2017 Author Report Share Posted September 8, 2017 During some tinkering time, I tried the Shopsmith set up. Worked pretty well, but don't know if it's perpendicular to the face. I guess I'll keep trying to see what works well for me. Grandpadave52 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gene Howe Posted September 8, 2017 Report Share Posted September 8, 2017 What was your cutting tool used w/the SS? If the table is plumb with the spindle, your hole will be square to the face. Dadio and steven newman 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kmealy Posted September 9, 2017 Author Report Share Posted September 9, 2017 (edited) 23 hours ago, Gene Howe said: What was your cutting tool used w/the SS? If the table is plumb with the spindle, your hole will be square to the face. 1/2" shank router bit. If I was going to adopt this, I'd probably eventually opt for an up-cut spiral router bit. I did this in drill press mode, but I might try in horizontal boring mode Edited September 9, 2017 by kmealy Gene Howe and Grandpadave52 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cliff Posted September 10, 2017 Report Share Posted September 10, 2017 (edited) I built a slot mortiser to do loose tenons. The tenons I can rip on the TS and size to precision in the Planer. Sometimes I round the edges, but there's no need. Got an X/Y table took the dials off and mounted swing handles. Built a frame for a router that also tilted and supported the X/Y table out of heavy Angle Iron. Built stops for the table so I can reliably make repetitive accurate width & depth slots Used a Triton Plunge router - any plunge router will do. The router is usually horizontal to the table I can raise and lower the router respective to the table. I can tilt the Router, but have done so only for chairs and one goofy Box. Because the table is heavy cast iron I can mount multiple pieces to the same locations within a couple thou of consistency of each other one piece to the others. It was some work but it's worth it: Edited September 10, 2017 by Cliff Stick486, kmealy and Grandpadave52 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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