Crescent Mortiser

[Jonathan Spool]

My friend is offering me his old Crescent/Rockwell Mortiser. It runs. Has some rust but nothing is frozen up. Table moves side to side OK, and back and forward is tight, as is the table raise and lowering mechanism, so they'll need to be cleaned up and lubed. one half of the top motor cover is missing, as is the clamping mechanism that holds the work piece in.
Foot pedal operates extremely smooth.
Takes up some floor space, but since I can lower the table height to below my miter saw RAS bench, it can live on the same wall.

Has anyone any experience with these old mortisers? I noticed that the bits will have to have extra long shanks, or an extension will need to be made. Anyone know where to get the extra long bits? I can have the mortiser for a couple hundred bucks plus my General 75-050MI mortiser. Good deal?

[Jonathan Spool]

Here is a picture of a couple of the type of mortiser I refer to above, not the actual one I'm looking at.
http://vintagemachinery.org/photoindex/images/9156-A.jpghttp://vintagemachinery.org/photoindex/images/3145-A.jpg

[Neil Brooks]

The ones I checked out at OWWM look *extremely* cool.

If it's anything like this one ... I'd be interested !

http[colon slash slash]vintagemachinery[dot]org[slash]photoindex[slash]detail.aspx?id[equals]375

[Stephen Cherry]

I went from a powermatic 719 to a big bridgewood mortiser, and it does make mortising somewhat easier. In my opinion, a mortiser needs to have the sliding table and a good vise to accurately place the hole on the board.

[Van Huskey]

If it were me I would do it in a heartbeat.

[Jonathan Spool]

Stepen,
That Bridgewood is beautious!
Anyone have a source for mortise chisel/bits with long shanks?

[Stephen Cherry]

Stepen,
That Bridgewood is beautious!
Anyone have a source for mortise chisel/bits with long shanks?

405 spacebucks for the bridgewood, which came with cutters and sharpeners.

All of the cutters I have come pretty long, and needed to be cut down to use. woodcraft, forest city, griz, etc sell these. My guess is that forest city could help you if the cutters are unusual. Also, the owwm people would know all about this machine.

https://www.forestcitytool.biz/products.asp?mode=bit&section_id=1&cat_id=8

[Jonathan Spool]

Thanks, and what a deal on the Bridgeport!