Broaches for making mortises?

[richard poitras]

Broaches for making mortises?
Does anyone know or have used a Broaches for making mortises like the ones they sell at the Beall Tool Company. What are your thoughts? I have never seen or heard of these before.

Richard

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http://www.bealltool.com/images/product_shots/brooches.jpg Making square holes in wood most often involves a mortising machine. However, the broach, a machinists tool, can accomplish the same function better and more quietly. It will produce a perfectly square, smooth hole as small as 1/8" in any location where a round hole can be drilled providing that the hole is a through hole. Just drill a round hole with a diameter equal to the dimensions of the desired square. Then insert the broach in the hole and either drive it through with a brass hammer or push it through with your drill press, always backing it with a piece of scrap to prevent splintering on the back side. We are introducing these hardened steel broaches in 1/4", 3/8", and 1/2" sizes. If you like them as well as we do, we will add other sizes to the line.

1/4" Steel Broach http://www.bealltool.com/images/structure/addtocart.gif (http://ww4.aitsafe.com/cf/add.cfm?userid=6048580&product=1/4%22+Steel+Broach%20&price=45.00) $ 45.00
3/8" Steel Broach http://www.bealltool.com/images/structure/addtocart.gif (http://ww4.aitsafe.com/cf/add.cfm?userid=6048580&product=3/8%22+Steel+Broach%20&price=49.00) $ 49.00
1/2" Steel Broach http://www.bealltool.com/images/structure/addtocart.gif (http://ww4.aitsafe.com/cf/add.cfm?userid=6048580&product=1/2%22+Steel+Broach%20&price=56.00) $ 56.00

[Steve Rozmiarek]

Ought to work just fine, I'd think. I watched a Caterpiller machinest use a set of about 12' long broaches to cut internal splines on a large transmission part one time. Didn't even know that there was such a tool until that point. Learned a lot that day.

I wonder how useful the sizes offered would be? They seem rather small and square for most of the work that I do.

[Frank Drew]

Richard,

It an interesting idea, but if you've already drilled the round holes, I think chisels would work a lot faster than broaches; almost all mortises are longer than they are wide, so squaring a bunch of drilled holes (until you've added up to the length of your mortise) strikes me as more work than necessary.

[richard poitras]

Steve/ Frank, I was thinking the small size mortises would come in handy more for putting pugs or decorative accents in projects and not so much for strength..

[Bruce Page]

I have used them. They’re great at punching square holes through metal, wood, plastics, etc. You must use a backer board to prevent blow out and you need a smooth way to push the broach such as an arbor press, or the quill of a stout drill press. It takes considerable effort to push the broach through but they leave a perfectly square hole.

The ones I have used cost a whole lot more than the prices you have listed.

[Kyle Kraft]

Kinda tough to use a broach on a blind hole:rolleyes:

[Lee Schierer]

Kinda tough to use a broach on a blind hole:rolleyes:
My thought as well. Rectangular slots are hard also.