Horizontal Mortiser

[Tim Gaines]

I was thinking about buying a Felder-250 mortiser and was wondering if any creekers have one or know anything about them. I work with alot of 8/4 stiles, would this machine be suitable?

[Mike Henderson]

I don't know the Felder but I've used a horizontal slot mortiser quite a bit and they're terrific for making mortises. There are limitations. For example, if you need a mortise in the face of a large board they don't work well because you'll have difficulty mounting the board on the mortiser. For mortises in the edges of boards, they're great.

I don't have room in my shop for a dedicated slot mortiser so I've been using a (borrowed) Domino to make mortises (for traditional M&T joinery). The mortise made looks just like those made by a slot mortiser, but you're limited to how deep, and in the size of the bit (10mm is the biggest - I use 8mm for 3/4" material). You can make the mortise as wide as you want by making several cuts side-by-side.

But a Domino is about as expensive as a low end horizontal slot mortiser. The slot mortiser gives you more flexibility in mortise size and depth, but it's a single purpose machine. The Domino is more limited in mortise size and depth, but you can also use it like a biscuit joiner. And it doesn't take so much shop floor space.

Mike

[Jeff Duncan]

Don't know much about the Felder, but if you do a search I know it's been discussed on here before. I use an older Bini which is much heavier than the Felder, but possibly not as versatile.
good luck,
JeffD

[Gregory Stahl]

I looked it over at IWF and decided I would rather have a Multi-Router. Very happy with the Multi-Router.

[Tony Joyce]

FYI, supposedly there will be another variation of the Domino in a much larger size. I don't know a time frame and I was told this several months ago. I'm sure the price will rival the Kapex.

[Peter Quinn]

I'm using a little Laguna platinum horizontal mortiser for slots in 1 3/4" doors and doweling in passage doors. It will easily mill 1/2" slots, and will do 5/8" if you don't hammer it. I'd guess having seen it at a show the Felder will have no problem handling slots in 8/4 as its much more robust than my little machine. Depends on your situation. It looked like a one to 5 man small shop machine, not a multi shift industrial production machine.

I too looked at multi router, domino, chisel mortisers (slowwwwwww), and if you need to plow slots 3+ inches deep at 1/2"-5/8" deep quickly, these are not real great options. Maybe the multi router will mortises that big, but does that sound like fun with a router?

[Gregory Stahl]

My Multi-Router has no problem with 5/8" slots, but I don't normally go deeper than 2 1/4" inches. I can do them much faster with my Multi-Router than I could ever come close to with my Laguna Slot Mortiser and they are far more precise! I did not have the same Laguna mortiser you have though--I think the cast iron dovetail ways were not milled as precise as the rods that your table rides on.

Here is a David Marks video showing him easily do 5/8" slots on a door:

http://www.diynetwork.com/videos/frame-and-panel-door/39686.html

Greg Stahl




I too looked at multi router, domino, chisel mortisers (slowwwwwww), and if you need to plow slots 3+ inches deep at 1/2"-5/8" deep quickly, these are not real great options. Maybe the multi router will mortises that big, but does that sound like fun with a router?

[Paul Canaris]

I was facing the same decision recently. I was looking at the Felder. I went with the Multirouter as the lack of angulation on the Felder was a deal killer for me.