Mortising attachment for drill press

[Brian Runau]

I will not use this much, but need one for a project. Looking for suggestions on least expensive?

Thanks.

Brian

[Richard Coers]

That's no place to buy cheap. A cheap mortising chisel for the drill press will be of softer steel, and very poorly sharpened. The drill bits will be no better. Sock that cheap set into hardwood and you will get smoke. The whole attachment for a drill press is sketchy to start with. Short handles on the quill feed and a poor mechanical advantage through the gear will make for hard work or bending the handle if it's an equally cheap drill press.

[ChrisA Edwards]

I have one, I've never used, for my Delta Drill press.

Where are you located?

[Adam Herman]

i also have one i have not used. if you are on this side of the country.

[Andrew Nemeth]

I have one for my Jet drill press, I never use it either. If it will fit your drill press, you’re welcome to mine if you’re closer to me than the others. I’ll have to see if I have any chisels with it or not.

[Brian Runau]

that's very generous, thanks. It's not the money, just don't want to buy something I suspect I would only use once.

I need to make a 3/4" square mortise for a wedge. I tried using a forsner bit and cleaning it up with a chisel, looked like shit. No skills with a chisel. Any other suggestions on how I might do this?

Thanks. Brian

[Lee Schierer]

I have one and use it whenever I need to make mortices. There are some set up things and hints I can give you if you decide to get one. Mine is an old Delta one on a Homecraft Drill press.

[Andrew Nemeth]

An alternative to using a hollow chisel mortiser would be to drill a hole and follow it up useing a square hole punch like this one from Lee Valley:
https://www.leevalley.com/en-us/shop/tools/hand-tools/punches/65380-square-hole-punches

You may be able to do the same with just the chisel portion of a hollow chisel mortiser and strike it like a chisel or punch. However, a hollow chisel for a hollow chisel mortiser is not designed for impact like the Lee Valley square punch. I don’t know how hard a hollow chisel is, but if it’s too hard it may break or shatter. Make sure your wearing eye protection if you go this route. Also, I’ve never seen a hollow chisel that did not need some work to get it sharp enough to cut well. I’d imagine you will need to sharpen it well prior to use no matter if you are putting it in a hollow chisel mortiser or striking it with a hammer.

[Jamie Buxton]

.. I need to make a 3/4" square mortise for a wedge. I tried using a forsner bit and cleaning it up with a chisel, looked like shit...

I don't understand what you're doing, but when I need to make a square through-mortise, I find that the important thing is that the only place where squareness is important is the exit point -- the part that is visible. The supposedly-square part of the hole inside the wood doesn't need to be square or accurate. So focus on getting that visible part square and accurate and good-looking, and just whack away at the remainder of the hole.

[Richard Coers]

that's very generous, thanks. It's not the money, just don't want to buy something I suspect I would only use once.

I need to make a 3/4" square mortise for a wedge. I tried using a forsner bit and cleaning it up with a chisel, looked like shit. No skills with a chisel. Any other suggestions on how I might do this?

Thanks. Brian
Nearly impossible to use a 3/4 in a drill press, you just can't get the force required on the drill press feed. Hopefully you are working with soft wood!

[David Kreuzberg]

Don't know what you're making, but you can try this:

Make the piece you want to mortise in two pieces, both halves to be glued up to make one piece. In each half, cut a dado 3/8 in. deep x whatever length you need. Mill a removable alignment block 3/4 in. thick x required width x required length. Insert alignment block in one half, glue other half to first half, position and tighten clamps, then remove alignment block.

[Derek Cohen]

that's very generous, thanks. It's not the money, just don't want to buy something I suspect I would only use once.

I need to make a 3/4" square mortise for a wedge. I tried using a forsner bit and cleaning it up with a chisel, looked like shit. No skills with a chisel. Any other suggestions on how I might do this?

Thanks. Brian

Hi Brian

Here's how to do it with a chisel ...

1. Careful marking out! Thin pencil lines extended to both sides.

2. Score the lines with a knife. Lightly at first, then deeply. Both sides.

3. Use a chisel to undercut the lines from inside the mortice - in other words, to create a chisel wall.

4. Drill out the waste to the centre of the board from each side. No deeper. You can use 4 thin drill bits, or one large drill bit. It does not matter what type of drill bit. Half way and leave about 1-2mm from the sides.

5. With most of the waste removed, place your chisel against the chisel wall, and use a mallet to tap it down vertically. The chisel wall will prevent the chisel moving off the line. You are only going half way. You do not use a 3/4" wide chisel - that is too much work. Use a 3/8" or 1/2" and overlap the cuts. Sharp chisel!

6. To ensure you are vertical, either use a square alongside as you chop, or place a squared board/block against the boundary of the mortice to act as a guide for the back of the chisel.

Regards from Perth

Derek

[Thomas McCurnin]

I think the mortiser attachment for a drill press is worthless. I use a bench top mortiser.

Having spent a week at a chiseling class using the Paul Sellers method, Derek is spot on. Sharp chisels, knife walls, and not getting too aggressive is the way to go. Watch one of his videos. For a single mortise, I think I could chop one faster by hand than setting up the mortiser, squaring the bit, layout and a few practice cuts.

[Brian Runau]

Hi Brian

Here's how to do it with a chisel ...

1. Careful marking out! Thin pencil lines extended to both sides.

2. Score the lines with a knife. Lightly at first, then deeply. Both sides.

3. Use a chisel to undercut the lines from inside the mortice - in other words, to create a chisel wall.

4. Drill out the waste to the centre of the board from each side. No deeper. You can use 4 thin drill bits, or one large drill bit. It does not matter what type of drill bit. Half way and leave about 1-2mm from the sides.

5. With most of the waste removed, place your chisel against the chisel wall, and use a mallet to tap it down vertically. The chisel wall will prevent the chisel moving off the line. You are only going half way. You do not use a 3/4" wide chisel - that is too much work. Use a 3/8" or 1/2" and overlap the cuts. Sharp chisel!

6. To ensure you are vertical, either use a square alongside as you chop, or place a squared board/block against the boundary of the mortice to act as a guide for the back of the chisel.

Regards from Perth

Derek

thanks brian

[bill epstein]

that's very generous, thanks. It's not the money, just don't want to buy something I suspect I would only use once.

I need to make a 3/4" square mortise for a wedge. I tried using a forsner bit and cleaning it up with a chisel, looked like shit. No skills with a chisel. Any other suggestions on how I might do this?

Thanks. Brian

Apologies if you know this but the 2 keys to using a forstner bit for mortise are:
1) carefully mark a center line that leaves more than just a bit of waste on either side of the bit
2) make certain the point of the bit is always on the wood, not in the air

Then tap out the waste following best practice, i.e., taking 1/2 or less of the waste with the first passes with the chisel, not cutting to the line until there is an 1/8" or less.

[Ole Anderson]

I have the Delta mortiser attachment adapted to fit my Craftsman DP. Used it to make 5/8" mortsies for a QSWO headboard and a few other projects. Was it as good as a dedicated mortiser, not likely, but it worked. I did pick up a good Japanese chisel as it only came with chisels up to 1/2". Certainly not worthless.

[Ben Helmich]

THAT is a nice headboard! Did the drill press mortiser work on the upper curved rail also?

[Ole Anderson]

THAT is a nice headboard! Did the drill press mortiser work on the upper curved rail also? Thank you. It worked very nicely. The chisel portion bit into the wood before the drill started removing material. Foot board is similar construction, just shorter.