A fix for the Delta Mortiser

[Bobby Hatfield]

My Delta Mortise machine has just sat on the table for two years without being used because it wouldn't work out of the box. Well now its a have to case for a job. It was so easy, only about the sixth time I attempted to make it work. This time I removed the partical board table and replaced it with one the full thickness up to the board guide and hold down mount, I've tried everything else. New table is 5/4 oak from the Peacock chair 5/4 oak. Don't tell Dennis. That's all it needed, wasn't that easy.

[Steve Clardy]

I remade the table for my Jet also. But I made it 2' long to carry the bulk of longer pieces. Was constantly proping things up. Steve

[Terry Hatfield]

bobby,

I had the same trouble with mine. I bought a neat little table addition from Rockler that uses 2 t tracks and some rubber wheels to hold the stock against the fence but still allows it to slide back and forth so you can cut the mortise. Pretty cool.

Terry

[Steve Clardy]

Originally posted by Terry Hatfield
bobby,

I had the same trouble with mine. I bought a neat little table addition from Rockler that uses 2 t tracks and some rubber wheels to hold the stock against the fence but still allows it to slide back and forth so you can cut the mortise. Pretty cool.

Terry
I saw that table on their site and though that would be a good idea. But, other than buying one, I though I would make it. But do to the volume of work I have, plus some much needed shop work, new benches, cabinets for tools, new miter saw table, etc., I have no idea when I will get around to making one. Maybe I ought to just buy it like you did. Steve

[Terry Hatfield]

Steve,

It's a neat little deal. You sure could make one but I figured by the time I got the materials together and bought the little wheel things and the t track and the tee bolts and routed the grooves and.....

I just bought the darn thing and called it good. It is a major improvement to the mortiser.

Terry

[Bobby Hatfield]

Terry the trouble with mine was the hold down would bend and the guide would twist and chisel bind really bad. The thick table stopped that.

[Steve Clardy]

you guys brothers?

[Bobby Hatfield]

Steve,

The Hatfield Tree may have forked back about 150 years ago and Terry is from one fork and me from another, but we don't know for sure, I have found my ancestor that came in 1838 from VA by way of TN but don't think Terry has found his connection to the KY/VA Hatfields as yet.

[Stan Smith]

I just started using my new ShopFox mortiser in the past week. So far I have cut about 55 mortises with it. The hold down works fine, but I discovered I have to add spacer pieces to the fence and base for some cuts if the boards are down to 3/4" thickness. For edge cuts, I just clamp a board in from to hold the stock in place. To move along the stock, I just use a mallet with little taps.

I just saw the Rockler item last night. I, too, was thinking about getting it. On my machine the hold down set bolt is a recessed allen nut. It sure would be easier to replace it with something else, like a knob, so that I wouldn't have to use the allen wrench everytime. Any ideas? Thanks.