New Toy: Slot Mortiser!!!!!!

[NICK BARBOZA]

Saturday morning the wife and I were heading out for a weekend at the in-laws and I did a last-minute Craigslist search for a slot mortiser. The search turned up a few results; one being about 3 hrs from home, but only 2 hrs from the in-laws. So, I sent an email; expecting it to have been sold weeks ago because the ad was from 9/13.

The machine is a 2007 Laguna Platinum slot mortiser; price $650 and was still available. We went to look at it and it was in good shape, lightly used so it definitely has alot of life left in it. The seller did not have 220v in his garage so I was unable to test it, but we had previously agreed to a partial payment pending it ran acceptably when I got it home. So I went ahead with the purchase and loaded her in the truck!

Last night, once I got it home and wrestled into the basement, I rewired it to fit my 220v plugs and took her for a test drive. It was GREAT!!! The power and low 'hum' of the 3hp motor will be a very welcome replacement to hand held routers with shop made jigs/fixtures. The mortiser hogged out a 1/2" X 2"d X 3"w mortise in minutes with little effort. It had smooth walls requiring no clean up for fitting. I do see a few modifications/upgrades in the near future, but I'll need to become more familiar with the machine first.

I know there are some skeptics around these parts about this 'entry level' machine, but this will add a great degree of speed and repeatability to my M&T work. If down the road I am too limited by this model and can justify the $2500++ for a multirouter/LBM200/FELDER; so-be-it. The price of entry with this particular machine will be opening doors for me!

Pics to prove below!
Thanks for looking
NWB

[Van Huskey]

Cool machine... and


YOU SUCK!

[Chuck Wintle]

how does this machine work? does the wood move or the drill?

[NICK BARBOZA]

how does this machine work? does the wood move or the drill?

The workpiece/table move and motor is stationary on this machine.

This is also a common complaint of this machine when dealing with long stock. We'll see how it goes though.

NWB

[Chuck Wintle]

The workpiece/table move and motor is stationary on this machine.

This is also a common complaint of this machine when dealing with long stock. We'll see how it goes though.

NWB
i guess no machine is perfect but your new toy looks very solidly built...ready for a lifetime of service!

[Dave Mura]

Very Nice :) http://www.couponfit.com/stubnew/13e36f06c66134ad65f532e90d898545.gifhttp://www.couponfit.com/stubnew/acff1af62d0f91f4be73f4857552d70c.gifhttp://www.couponfit.com/stubnew/298f587406c914fad5373bb689300433.gif"http://www.couponfit.com/stubnew/c56a022b15250525f8b9bdfc41a13152.gif

[Stephen Cherry]

Looks great, but can I borrow the clamp from it? :D (joke)

[Peter Quinn]

Nice find Nick. I have the same tool in my shop, I bought mine new, I have been beating it for about 3 years now, haven't killed it yet! It is IMO like the Chitty chitty bang bang of slot mortisers. Mine is left twist only, which is annoying when you go to buy doweling drills if you need those. The tables have a bit of slop that can't be adjusted out. The rails aren't as smooth as you would find with X rollers. It has a sort of bouncy rattle to it not found in heavier machines. But in spite of that it makes very accurate mortises, it has a very strong motor, and the price is nice! What sort of tooling did yours come with?

I have found the onsrud 24-000 series birdsmouth cutters very effective for smaller slots, and the long Leitz solid carbide or HSS cutters from Laguna very good for deeper mortises. Morris Wood Tool sells excellent long left twist doweling bits if yours is left twist and you do any doweling.

Enjoy that tool!

[Mike Heidrick]

That looks like the lefty version to me as well Peter.

These machines are great for the money anyway and his was CHEAP!!

[Ted Wong]

Nice machine. As coincidence would have it we just received our slot mortiser (used Felder) yesterday also. I had been looking for a slot mortiser for years and for the last couple of years have been saving for the Rojek and probably would have purchased it in January had I not found this very lightly used Felder at a good price.

[NICK BARBOZA]

Nice find Nick. I have the same tool in my shop, I bought mine new, I have been beating it for about 3 years now, haven't killed it yet! It is IMO like the Chitty chitty bang bang of slot mortisers. Mine is left twist only, which is annoying when you go to buy doweling drills if you need those. The tables have a bit of slop that can't be adjusted out. The rails aren't as smooth as you would find with X rollers. It has a sort of bouncy rattle to it not found in heavier machines. But in spite of that it makes very accurate mortises, it has a very strong motor, and the price is nice! What sort of tooling did yours come with?

I have found the onsrud 24-000 series birdsmouth cutters very effective for smaller slots, and the long Leitz solid carbide or HSS cutters from Laguna very good for deeper mortises. Morris Wood Tool sells excellent long left twist doweling bits if yours is left twist and you do any doweling.

Enjoy that tool!

Thanks for the insight Peter!!

I do see some of those shortcomings you mention and I expect to have to deal with them soon. It is the single direction one.... but I'm still unfamiliar with how to distinguish right-handed from left-handed. I know it all depends upon how you look a the motor... I've seen it called both ways.

Looking from the table toward the chuck (viewing the end/bottom of the bit) mine runs clockwise. Which hand is that?

The only tooling that came with was a 1/2" Whiteside spiral bit. I ordered some new HSS endmills from MSC last night and will get them today (WOW fast shipping!!!). I hope the direction is correct... we'll see. How long do the HSS bits last? At the price I suppose they are more "disposable" than carbide.

I saw the ones on Laguna's site but at $300 I am hesitant to purchase w/o knowing much about them or the machine at this time...

I think the table/chuck might not perfectly co-planar, because the test mortises I cut seemed to be wider at the mouth then snugged up as you got to full depth. But i think this could be fixed with a couple shims on the motor mount bolts... Did anyone else have this problem?

Thanks,
Nick

[NICK BARBOZA]

The only tooling that came with was a 1/2" Whiteside spiral bit. I ordered some new HSS endmills from MSC last night and will get them today (WOW fast shipping!!!). I hope the direction is correct... we'll see. How long do the HSS bits last? At the price I suppose they are more "disposable" than carbide.



The bits arrived... and they are the wrong direction! oops. They look pretty mean though and I really wish I could use them!

[Peter Quinn]

Thanks for the insight Peter!!

I do see some of those shortcomings you mention and I expect to have to deal with them soon. It is the single direction one.... but I'm still unfamiliar with how to distinguish right-handed from left-handed. I know it all depends upon how you look a the motor... I've seen it called both ways.

Looking from the table toward the chuck (viewing the end/bottom of the bit) mine runs clockwise. Which hand is that?

The only tooling that came with was a 1/2" Whiteside spiral bit. I ordered some new HSS endmills from MSC last night and will get them today (WOW fast shipping!!!). I hope the direction is correct... we'll see. How long do the HSS bits last? At the price I suppose they are more "disposable" than carbide.

I saw the ones on Laguna's site but at $300 I am hesitant to purchase w/o knowing much about them or the machine at this time...

I think the table/chuck might not perfectly co-planar, because the test mortises I cut seemed to be wider at the mouth then snugged up as you got to full depth. But i think this could be fixed with a couple shims on the motor mount bolts... Did anyone else have this problem?

Thanks,
Nick

Your machine is left hand, or counter clockwise rotation, and the motor is NON reversible. Already been there with Laguna Service and took the motor to a motor man, no easy fix. Standard rotation is clockwise, or right hand twist, which is most of the tooling you will find. And most inexpensive end mills are right rotation too. Almost all router bits are right hand unless specified otherwise such as for CNC routing where the heads are reversible and it might be desirable to move through the work from one direction or another.

The Laguna cutters rock, I have not got a set but just buy the ones I need as I need them. The HSS are good, the solid carbide are excellent. The onsrud bits (http://www.onsrud.com/xlink/xlProductDetail&xlProductDetail_xcrit1=24-060&xtdItmsWithSameCharsSort=1,dsc) pictured here are available in 3/16" through 1/2", and work very well for not much money. They won't plunge, so you have to learn to sweep into the work, but they cut both right and left and work very fast!

I built a table on mine to increase its capacity and include hold downs, not so different from what you have there. I think my spindle to table alignment was out but I think that can be adjusted from the dovetail ways the table rides on easier than playing with the motor? Its been a few years, but I know I didn't shim the motor, there is an accommodation for alignment on there somewhere.

I recently used mine to make 1/2"X3" deep slots in an entry door, and before that made double 1/2"X3 1/4" deep slots for a work bench frame in QSWO. I use a few shop made adjustable saw horses for out feed support, works well enough, and the slot alignment was so good a few swipes with a card scraper flushed the joints! I would never think that the machine could do it by looking at it, but it does.

[Ed Gibbons]

I mean your wife. Nice gal for letting you get the new toy. And yes, nice new toy to. Good luck.

[NICK BARBOZA]

I mean your wife. Nice gal for letting you get the new toy. And yes, nice new toy to. Good luck.

There's a reason I put a couple rings on her finger.
I was talking to her last night about the mortiser and I called it "our" new toy!!!

[NICK BARBOZA]

Your machine is left hand, or counter clockwise rotation, and the motor is NON reversible. Already been there with Laguna Service and took the motor to a motor man, no easy fix. Standard rotation is clockwise, or right hand twist, which is most of the tooling you will find. And most inexpensive end mills are right rotation too. Almost all router bits are right hand unless specified otherwise such as for CNC routing where the heads are reversible and it might be desirable to move through the work from one direction or another.

The Laguna cutters rock, I have not got a set but just buy the ones I need as I need them. The HSS are good, the solid carbide are excellent. The onsrud bits (http://www.onsrud.com/xlink/xlProductDetail&xlProductDetail_xcrit1=24-060&xtdItmsWithSameCharsSort=1,dsc) pictured here are available in 3/16" through 1/2", and work very well for not much money. They won't plunge, so you have to learn to sweep into the work, but they cut both right and left and work very fast!

I built a table on mine to increase its capacity and include hold downs, not so different from what you have there. I think my spindle to table alignment was out but I think that can be adjusted from the dovetail ways the table rides on easier than playing with the motor? Its been a few years, but I know I didn't shim the motor, there is an accommodation for alignment on there somewhere.

I recently used mine to make 1/2"X3" deep slots in an entry door, and before that made double 1/2"X3 1/4" deep slots for a work bench frame in QSWO. I use a few shop made adjustable saw horses for out feed support, works well enough, and the slot alignment was so good a few swipes with a card scraper flushed the joints! I would never think that the machine could do it by looking at it, but it does.

Peter,

I called ONSURD and was told that they no longer make those bits. and the 3/16" ones shown on that link are all thats left in stock... Maybe I was mis-informed but apparently they didn't sell many.

I ordered a 1/2" HSS bit from Laguna yesterday and should see it by weeks end. I spoke with Rick, and he was very helpful and knowledgeable about this tool/tooling also about my LT16 bandsaw.

I have put the machine on the back burner for a little while so I can finish a current piece the wife has been waiting for... and also, i think that with new tooling I will be much happier with the moritser's performance. I think I'll end up getting some more of the bits from Laguna, but I wanted to try one before the investment got to great.

Thanks,
NWB

[Chris Fournier]

I have a slot mortiser on my combo machine and I simply would not be without it! I used to use a router and jigs to do this work and the results were excellent but the process was tedious. I don't think that you'll find the capacity of your machine limiting but having your mortiser attached to a heavy combo machine is a luxury on heavy work.