CM-72 Horizontal slot mortiser set up

[Aaron Hooks]

I have an older CM - 72 slot mortiser. I have had it for less than a year and it is a great machine. I can set up and cut mortises faster than any previous method I have used. I can mill slots for drawer bottoms, I can "drill" pin holes in drop leaf swing arm supports - all kinds of things.

This post is to ask others how they have set up their machine for different uses? The table is cast iron and has a small fence. There are a couple tapped holes (I assume from the previous owner) and a clamp arm to hold the work in place. I know there are a lot of creative people out there who have found ways to make set up fast and accurate.

One of the things I have used is a welders magnetic triangle to act as a simple stop for aligning the next piece. I also sometimes use my table saw tenoning jig with the miter bar removed to hold and bore holes / slots in table legs at a height of 3 - 4 inches from the top of the leg

What have you done to make the work faster, easier or more accurate?

Thanks,

Aaron

[Kevin Jenness]

333289No magic here, just a fence bolted to the table edge with a fine pencil mark centered on the mortise and adjustable side to side with slotted holes. I milled and bored the table edge with an end mill chucked in the mortiser.

[Rick Potter]

I have a Laguna model, and would also see what jigs and set ups others use. So far I am simply using a pencil line and a stop block.

[Aaron Hooks]

Thanks Kevin. What advantage does this fence give over the short factory one?

[Kevin Jenness]

I'm not sure what you have. My Steton came with shallow "fences" integral to the table on either side of a wide gap where the table travels past the bit. You can see a remnant on the left side of the table in the photo. I removed them so stock can be positioned at the front of the table butting the wooden fences which are tailored to the stock height so that center marks on the workpieces are in plane with the mark on top of the fence. The slots allow for precise centering of the mark to the mortise width. Milling the table edge where the fence mounts ensures the fence is parallel to the table travel, and the central position of the fence gives a solid reference for slotting or boring into the end of narrow rails. The fences are 3/8" thick, stiff enough but avoiding long bit overhangs that lead to chatter. I worked with a couple of other models before I got mine and the owners clamped wooden fences behind the table lugs, but that requires a longer bit than my setup.

[Jeff Duncan]

I don't have any fancy jigs, what I did was simply mount a piece of 3/4" material to the table. I have several guides I screw down to the top for the parts I make. When it's time to switch I unscrew one guide and put on another. It's crude but effective.

good luck,
JeffD