Please explain diff in Mortiser and Drill Press [Archive]

Mike Cutler

01-01-2015, 6:56 PM

Uhmm,,,, no.
The two machines are similar in appearance, but a mortiser has a fixed chisel, with the bit spinning inside of it. The entire head assembly moves up and down. A drill press by itself cannot hold the chisel in a fixed position, while the chuck spins the bit inside of it.

George Bokros

01-01-2015, 6:58 PM

You need a mortising attachment for a drill press to cut mortises. A drill press without a mortising attachment has no way to hold both the drill bit and the mortising chisel. There are mixed opinions on a mortising attachment for a drill press but a drill press does not provide the leverage to push the mortising chisel into the stock.

Now you can drill out the majority of the stock with the drill press then square up the mortise with a chisel.

Lee Schierer

01-01-2015, 7:11 PM

Please explain diff in Mortiser and Drill Press

With a morticing machine you can only make mortices. With a drill press you can drill holes and make mortices, but you need a morticing attachment for a drill press to make mortices. I regularly use my bench top drill press to make mortices up to 1/2" wide. I have cutters for 1/4", 3/8" and 1/2" that fit in the morticing attachment. The first square hole is the hardest to make since all four sides of the cutter are pushing into wood. After the first square hole is made, the adjacent holes are easier to make. You do have to apply more pressure on the quill handle to make mortices, but it is not impossible. I can slide my handle off center to give me a longer lever arm and it works quite well.

Scott Brandstetter

01-01-2015, 7:18 PM

Now Steve, if I didn't know better you sound a bit put off by my question.......Uhmm,,,, no

Now, the fact that I've never used a mortising machine, I'm not sure how I would have known the difference, thus the question. I could have googled the question, found my answer, but, what would that do to the forum if we never asked "stupid questions". It would simply be a forum for supreme, master, woodworkers, all agreeing with each other. (I'm sure I'm being a bit sensitive, just bustin Steve a bit)

Anyhow, thanks to you Steve, and the others for the education. It makes sense obviously, now that it is explained. The good news is I don't have one of these machines and now I feel the incredible need to buy one. How I've gotten by for 30 years without one is beyond me. Time to go shopping, will let you know what I end up with

Mike Henderson

01-01-2015, 7:49 PM

I'm not a big fan of those dedicated mortisers. And I'm even less of a fan of mortising attachments for a drill press. If you only do a few mortises and tenon joints (including loose tenons) I'd drill out the mortise on my drill press and then trim it up with a chisel.

If I had to do a lot of mortises, I'd get a horizontal slot mortiser. Another option is the Festool Domino, which is expensive, but is a really versatile machine.

Mike

Mike Cutler

01-01-2015, 8:04 PM

Scott

I'm not Steve, but I did preface my answer to your question that way. It wasn't meant to be derogatory or derisive. Just a way to start a post. I was kind of queuing off off your initial sentence.

I have a Delta 14-651 benchtop mortiser. It's "OK". If I had to do it all again I would have purchased a tilting head bench top mortiser, like the General International model, or just gone straight to a Powermatic 719T for much better hold down support.
You will want an X-Y table function. The system to cut the mortise on most bench tops is tedious at best. A search of posts and threads will show many examples of home made adaptions for the bench top models like mine. The Powermatic comes with the X-Y table.
Chisels are another area where there are preferences. Some prefer the cutting angle of the asian imports, some the cutting angle of the Clico's. Either require sharpening during use, and there are slightly differing sharpening systems.

Looks like someone just posted a review of the Rikon Benchtop. It looks pretty nice.

John Coloccia

01-01-2015, 8:09 PM

It would simply be a forum for supreme, master, woodworkers, all agreeing with each other. (I'm sure I'm being a bit sensitive, just bustin Steve a bit)

Other than the agreeing with each other, I think that sums us up pretty well.... :)

Seriously, I had a mortiser....sold it. I sort of agree with Mike Henderson. I'm just not a big fan either, and it's not that they don't work, but I don't find them particularly convenient for a handful of mortises, and I think there are much better solutions for lots and lots of mortises. YMMV, but it wouldn't be a tragedy to get one because people do use them and they can get the job done. :)

Dave Cav

01-01-2015, 10:58 PM

I don't care for the mortiser attachments for drill presses because a DP quill isn't designed for chopping mortises and it seems to me that it would be very hard on the quill feed mechanism. The few people I have known who have tried them have removed them in short order because they just didn't work very well and then when you need to drill regular holes you need to take it all apart again.

If all you have is a drill press and only need to cut a few mortises, I think a sharp forstner bit and a fence, plus some cleanup with a chisel will work fine. I have cut lots of mortises that way.

I considered the options, and ended up going the old iron route. I was looking for a Powermatic, but I ended up with a 50 year old Newman T-20 mortiser that's a joy to use. It is adjustable in 4 axis (x, y, z and tilt), has a chip blower, and works very well.

Of course, once you get a mortiser you really like, then you have to find a tenoner.

Art Mann

01-01-2015, 11:16 PM

Here is the truth of the matter. A drill press, even a beefy one, just doesn't have the mechanical advantage of a well designed hollow chisel mortising machine. Mortising is more than just drilling. You are forcing a square chisel straight down through solid wood. A normal drill press just isn't designed to do that. I have owned a hollow chisel mortiser and it worked fairly well but I sold it anyway. I agree with Mike Henderson. If I did a lot of that kind of work, I would buy a Festool Domino.

Shawn Pixley

01-02-2015, 1:15 PM

I make mortises three ways: hand cut, Domino, and mortising machine (PM benchtop). To me, it matters how large the mortise is, the nature of the mortise (through, haunched, intersecting), and how many I have to do.

A couple mortises, those at a weird angle, or those in large slabs - cut them by hand.
Light furniture - Domino.
Heavy furniture (large and deep mortises) - benchtop mortiser.

They all have their strengths. Only you know what you intend to build. If you want only one completely versatle way to make mortises, hand cutting is the method. Routers, Domino, or Benchtop mortiser's save time and energy but cost money and space.

ray hampton

01-02-2015, 4:15 PM

can a bench- mount press be adapt to cut a straight-side hole after you drill the round hole first

Kent A Bathurst

01-02-2015, 5:08 PM

I simply don't know the diff in the two. What am I missing. Can't you simply put mortising bits in a drill press to accomplish the same thing? Don't get me wrong, I'm all for getting new tools.

And now, for the other view........

In direct answer to your specific question, you can get a mortiser attachment for you DP. However, by the time you get it installed, and take the time to get it accurately alingned, you have burnt a lot of time - only to remove it from the DP. I recall one guy here had a 2d DP with the mortise attachment permanently set up, but other than that, I could not get a very good feeling of this as a legit option. Especially the accuracy and inherent slop in a bolt-on chisel holder........

I have a mortiser. Would not be without it - it is the bigger PM - PM 719. I pitched the base and have it on a bench.

I can set this sucker up accurately first time, every time, in no time. Layout work for the mortises is cut to the bare minimum - one full mortise, and the rest are just start-and-stop lines.The X-Y table is excellent. Since so much of my M&T work is with 13/16" rails, you will usually find that tooling - 3/8" - mounted [and the TS tenon jig is correspondingly set up to center a 3/8" tenon in the rails].

Ken Fitzgerald

01-02-2015, 5:23 PM

A couple years ago my wife asked for a swing for our small covered patio. I bought Norm Abram's video and plan.....I extended the length to meet my wife's specification and built it.

46 mortise and tenon joints ..... I have a General International mortiser. I can't imagine building this swing without the mortiser. It's a breeze to setup and use.

All joints are mortise and tenon in that swing except the seat slats which were attached with countersunk stainless steel screws and then the holes were plugged.

Check it out. http://www.sawmillcreek.org/attachment.php?attachmentid=236113&d=1341459603

If you are on a budget or have limited shop space, using a drill press & chisel or a drill press and mortise attachment will work. I was lucky to be able to afford the mortiser and have the room.

Edward Oleen

01-02-2015, 5:48 PM

And if you don't want a dedicated Mortiser, and don't want to ruin your DP with trying to mortise some really hard wood (my bro managed to screw up the pinion gear that runs the spindle up-and-down), flick over to WWW.woodgears.ca - Mathias Wandel's site - and build or buy the kit for his router pantograph, which will do both mortises and tenons and a whole bunch of other stuff. And YOU get to pick the size if you desire to make your own template - at 2x the final size of things.

I'm saving my pennies for a go at one - I tried one out and it is a pure joy to use.

mreza Salav

01-02-2015, 6:22 PM

Mortiser has a very stiff mechanism to withstand the very high pressure needed for pressing down when doing mortises. Once you try to do a 1/2" or so mortise in hard Maple you'll come to the conclusion that a drill press is not meant for this task.

Ole Anderson

01-02-2015, 6:23 PM

Ok, I guess I will be a tiny bit contrary on the DP mortising attachment. I have the Delta version. The sleeves that it came with didn't fit my Craftsman DP so I had to bore out one of the smaller ones to fit. The mortise chisels that came with it only went up to 1/2" so I had to buy a 5/8" for my mission style headboard/footboard project. That project alone required 84 5/8" square mortises for the spindles, plus the larger ones for the main assemblies. All in QSWO. I have subsequently used it for mortising the legs on two drawer/cabinet assemblies, one in soft Maple (for my workshop), the other in Hickory for my wife's yarn supplies. Yes, I felt that I was straining the ability of the quill to provide the down pressure to drive the chisel. Did the mortises turn out well? Yes. Did I ruin the DP? No. In retrospect, had I realized how many mortises I would eventually punch out, I would have gotten a dedicated mortiser. Not sure where I would put it though...

Stanley Thigpen

01-02-2015, 6:32 PM

I had the drill press attachment several years ago, which worked OK, but with difficulty. It was a pain to set up and of course, I could not use the DP for drilling when so set up. I have not regretted purchasing a Delta dedicated mortising machine.

Bradley Gray

01-02-2015, 6:44 PM

I have 2 drill presses, one of which is used for mortising 90% of the time. I have worn out a number of chisel/ bit sets but the drill press ( an old craftsman) has worked this way for 35 years and has yet to complain. I also have a chain mortiser for large mortises.

Ken Fitzgerald

01-02-2015, 7:02 PM

Hello? C'mon Man!!!!!!

There is no right or wrong. It really is a matter of personal preference and/or budget and available space.

Regardless of which method you use if you are considering a mortising attachment for a drill press, a dedicated mortiser or even a drill press and chisel. Consider this....the key element is SHARP....SHARP....SHARP!!!!

When I began practicing with my newly purchased mortiser, initially I was disappointed but...then I did some reading. I bought the sharpening kit from Woodcraft AND the mortiser chisel conical diamond hone system from Rockler. One cuts the metal and puts a known angle on the inside edge of the hollow chisel. The other hones and sharpens that edge. Then I flattened the outside of the chisel much like you would do to the back of a normal bench chisel. Then using a flat diamond hone, I sharpened the cutting edge on the bit itself. After all of these, it made a WORLD OF DIFFERENCE! If the cutting edges aren't SHARP and the outside of the hollow chisel isn't flat, you won't be happy with what ever method you decide to use.

Frank Drew

01-02-2015, 7:50 PM

If I had to do a lot of mortises, I'd get a horizontal slot mortiser.

Mike,

I think a hollow chisel mortiser can be a pretty good machine but I completely agree with you about the superiority of horizontal slot mortisers; it can be one of the most flexible, useful machines in a shop, IMO.

jack forsberg

01-02-2015, 8:50 PM

unless i am missing something there is no other machine that can make a single square mortise . And to compare a real mortiser to a festoll only goes to show the limit in scope of work by those that make the claim. Farther more it show a lack of interest in the finer tools around the world that do demonstrate the best machines made for mortising like my Stenner that is a chain and chisel and slot mortiser in one. and if that was not suited than my swing chisel Maka is what i would use.

can Festool do this

http://i927.photobucket.com/albums/ad111/tool613/wadkin/doors20001_zpsf87e356c.jpg (http://s927.photobucket.com/user/tool613/media/wadkin/doors20001_zpsf87e356c.jpg.html)

http://i927.photobucket.com/albums/ad111/tool613/wadkin/doors20005_zpsef0dea78.jpg (http://s927.photobucket.com/user/tool613/media/wadkin/doors20005_zpsef0dea78.jpg.html)

Now if a festool was a Maka than there would be a contest:cool:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KJUJ796jxls

http://www.solidwoodmachinery.com/Blade%20photos/Woodmortice2.JPG

Lee Schierer

01-02-2015, 9:37 PM

can a bench- mount press be adapt to cut a straight-side hole after you drill the round hole first

Possibly, but a drill press mortiser drills the hole 1/16" ahead of the square chisel so it does it in one operation. The mounting end of morticing chisels would be larger than most standard drill chuck capacities.

Ole Anderson

01-03-2015, 9:11 AM