How useful is a mortising attachment on a jointer/planer combo

[Mike Kees]

Wondering for those who have one of the mortising attachments for a jointer/planer like Minimax how much do you use this attachment and how well does it work ?

[Bill Dufour]

Never used it on my jointers over 30 years of having a jointer with that option. I always felt the tablesaw or shaper was easier and safer
Bil lD..

[David Zaret]

i used to use mine, and then i bought a domino. never used it again.

[mreza Salav]

Mike, I was on the look out for one to use on my minimax J/P but then got a Domino XL and have never felt the need. Admittedly you can do deeper mortises with that compared to Domino but the versatility of Domino is just sweet.

[Joel Gelman]

I once had one with a prior JP combo. I never used it once. I could have used the money that represented the difference between buy and sell price towards my mortgage. Always nice to have accessories with your machines, but this is one of those things in particular you need to really be sure you will use it to justify the $ and space allocation.

[Robert LaPlaca]

Ok I guess I am in the minority here, I have the mortiser on my Minimax j/p, use it all the time. I build traditional furniture, so I don’t use loose tendons, so the tendons are still done the traditional way (as part of the rail, etc). The mortiser does a beautiful job, excavates deep and wide mortises ( up to 5/8) quickly and fairly quietly.

The only down side is the mortiser does get in the way of the change over to planer mode unless the mortiser table is lowered, which is kind of a bummer if one wants to keep the mortiser setup..

Having said all this, not so sure if I had to do over again, I wouldn’t just get a nice chisel mortiser instead..

[Jim Becker]

I didn't get one for my J/P because for my particular machine, it would mount on the back side which due to my shop's constraints is next to a wall. I did have the opportunity to play with Mark Singer's (RIP) quite a few years ago when I visited his shop and it worked very nicely. That said, I don't do very much work that requires mortises and use a Domino XL for when I do need that. If you like to use "traditional" mortise and tenon joinery, have a J/P and have the space to accommodate the mortiser attachment, they can be worthy when adjusted properly and are equipped with sharp tooling.

[Mike Kees]

Robert my thinking is that these mortisers should work faster and cleaner than a hollow chisel mortiser. What Minimax machine do you have ? I am looking at the possibilities of a jointer/planer combo in my shop and selling my separate machines. I like the idea of more floor space and adding mortising capability in that same footprint. Thanks for confirming that they do work well.

[Derek Arita]

Used to use the one on my MM J/P a lot, till I finally got my Domino. The Domino makes things so much easier, it really was a game changer for me. I also got the XL for larger projects.

[Mike Kees]

Jim I am looking at a used Minimax J/P that includes a mortising attachment as part of the package. I do not have a mortising machine or domino so this will be a added dimension in my shop. This machine I think is an Fs41 ( not positive on model) but is a 16'' with Tersa head and has the center mounted fence. I currently have a great 16'' Italian jointer and a 20 industrial planer that I like. The pros to change would be 1. Tersa head 2. Mortising attachment 3. More space. Cons losing 4'' of planer capacity and changeover time. Not sure this would be much of an issue as I am pretty flexible and learn quickly. How good is the planer aspect of these combos ?

[Mike Kees]

Ok. So I asked about how well the mortiser attachments worked on jointer /planers. Please tell me about THAT. I do not need an infomercial about Dominos. At this time I am trying to make a decision on switching two major machines to one combo machine that just happens to include a mortising attachment.

[Robert LaPlaca]

Mike, I have a vintage 2005 FS41 Elite, with the Elite mortiser. The Elite mortiser weights about 90-100 pounds ish, hangs off the back of the machine, I never take it off the machine.

The birds mouth bits do cut a very clean, fast and beautiful mortise.

I love the Tersa knifes. I wish the machine was 510mm

[Mick Simon]

I came close to ordering one when I bought my A3-41, but held off. I've used them in the past on other machines, but didn't like having to work around them or install/uninstall them.
I got a Hybrid PantoRouter a couple of weeks ago and after using it on a couple of projects, I have to say I would not consider the J/P option again. It does everything the J/P option does and so much more.

[scott lipscomb]

I have an FS35 and really, really like the machine. I really like the no nonsense and straight forward design aesthetic of the Italian machines and find that both the jointer and planer work really well. I also have the mortising attachment, but never use it, as I tend to use a different tool...

[Patrick Walsh]

My two cents.

I have a Felder fd 250. It’s fairly accurate but slow as turd for large mortis in hard wood. The bit whip also becomes a problem in hard material.

I can only speak for myself but I hate setting up and breaking machines down. I much prefer to be able to float back and forth machine to machine vrs having to shuffle this or shuffle that, break down setup it becomes a chore fast.

So I’m not a huge fan of the lower end slot mortiser but I do prefer them to a domino hands down. The bit whip can be mitigated largely cleaning the Round corners with a chisel and in fitting your tenons. Still a bit of pain vrs a couple machines that can just do it with 100% accuracy.

I’m not a fan of either domino. The alignment is just don’t reliable enough for my expectations repeatable. You can get a good result here and there but inevitable if your not hanging on tight enough and in the just the right manner you gonna get enough deviation to annoy the crap out of me. Imop much more deviation than of the bit whip form a low level slot mortiser.

If I had it to do again it wouldn’t be a slot mortiser. Unless maybe a Bacci. Right now I’m using a domino to make some large panels. I’m only doing so as my employer would never let me M&T them. I have had extensive use with both the large and small and I just don’t like them. Not accurate enough and no way a floating tenon is even close to a real M&T. And I’m not gonna argue about it. That’s my opinion and I’m entitled to it lol..

[John TenEyck]

I have a mid '80's MM FS-35 with the mortiser that mounts on the backside, as it should be so you can leave it there full time w/o interfering with use of the other functions. I use the mortiser for cutting large mortises for the passage doors I make, but for 1/2" and smaller I use, no, not a Domino, but my shop built horizontal router mortiser. The MM mortiser works OK but it's awkward and slow compared to my router mortiser. It's main advantage is in being able to cut mortises up to 5/8" inch and deep. The lousy Wescott chuck on the mortiser limits the max. diameter bit to no larger than the size shank the chuck can hold, which is 5/8". Bottom line, I use the mortiser because it came with the machine when I bought it (used), but I wouldn't pay extra for it. If it mounted to the front side of the machine, there's no way I would never use it.

John

[Jim Becker]

Jim I am looking at a used Minimax J/P that includes a mortising attachment as part of the package. I do not have a mortising machine or domino so this will be a added dimension in my shop. This machine I think is an Fs41 ( not positive on model) but is a 16'' with Tersa head and has the center mounted fence. I currently have a great 16'' Italian jointer and a 20 industrial planer that I like. The pros to change would be 1. Tersa head 2. Mortising attachment 3. More space. Cons losing 4'' of planer capacity and changeover time. Not sure this would be much of an issue as I am pretty flexible and learn quickly. How good is the planer aspect of these combos ?

That's an excellent machine...and the same or similar to the one I mentioned in my previous response that I got to play with. I have the FS350 which is 350mm rather than 410mm like you are considering. I love Tersa. Changeover time is inconsequential...like 60 seconds. Thicknessing is excellent...I do face joint boards, but from there, it's mostly thicknessing work since I do my edges on the slider. Good planning mitigates any concern with changeover, IMHO, but in the rare moment where something has to be done in the opposite function from what's currently set, it's a fast change.

[Kevin Jenness]

Mike,

I have used a combi jointer-planer and would not want one unless it had electric lift on the planer bed- winding the planer up and down manually to allow for dust collection is a pain. Mine had a crappy planer section, but there are plenty of newer ones that seem to do a fine job. Personally I prefer separate machines and in your shoes would not want to give up the wider planer and (probably) longer jointer tables for a combi unless I were really pressed for space.

I have a stand-alone slot mortiser (Steton) which I use a lot. Assuming the MiniMax attachment is equally stout and firmly attached to a solid machine frame I think it would give you good service, but I have not actually had my hands on one. I know some j/p's have mortisers that attach to the front of the machine and you could not give me one of those. If permanently set up on the back of the machine it would be fine, and the rotation would allow for the use of standard end mills. As Patrick points out, bit whip can be an issue and calls for using the shortest bit that will do the job and moderate feed rates.

Slot mortisers are very easy to set up and lend themselves well to spline tenon joints that are plenty strong for most purposes. If you are wedded to true mortise and tenon joinery a hollow chisel mortiser (or an oscillating one if you have the budget) makes more sense ( or a slot mortiser and a round end tenoner, but that is another story).

[roger wiegand]

My Minimax J/P (FS-41e) came with the mortising attachment. I've experimented with it some and tried to use it for real on one project. It's been a series of disasters, I obviously don't have a clue how to use it correctly. I've nearly started a fire, had it grab a piece of wood and run, ruining the workpiece, and twice now it's thrown a bit across the room while mangling the wood. I generate more smoke than chips with either end mills or birdsmouth bits (both new), no matter how shallow a cut I take. I'm pretty leery of continuing to experiment with it at this point. I want to like it, but I'm afraid of it now. At some point I think I need a hands on demo with someone who actually knows how it is supposed to work. The 400 page manual for the machine is remarkably uninformative about actually using it. I think they could have sacrificed 50 or 60 of the hundred pages of safety warnings to include use instructions (the mortiser only gets about 4 pages, mostly about how to install it). It's not like I'm a novice at using all kinds of machines, but this one has me flummoxed.

I have the large floor mounted General International hollow chisel mortiser and it works like a champ. With the indexing table and stops I can crank out dozens of identical mortises quickly and efficiently. Good bits, sharpened religiously are essential to making this machine work easily and well.

[Mike Kees]

Thanks for all the responses. Gives me a clearer view of what this attachment is capable of. The machine I was checking out the mortiser mounts on the front or operator side,so would have to be removed. I think at this point I am going to pass on this machine. If I do go the combo route at some time I want a heavier machine,maybe a 20'' one. For now there are too many compromises from the machines that I currently own. John ,I would be interested in seeing pics of your shop built mortiser. Roger there is a Local add for the larger general International, the guy says hardly used and wants $1000, is that high ? I do not remember what these sold for.

[John TenEyck]

Thanks for all the responses. Gives me a clearer view of what this attachment is capable of. The machine I was checking out the mortiser mounts on the front or operator side,so would have to be removed. I think at this point I am going to pass on this machine. If I do go the combo route at some time I want a heavier machine,maybe a 20'' one. For now there are too many compromises from the machines that I currently own. John ,I would be interested in seeing pics of your shop built mortiser. Roger there is a Local add for the larger general International, the guy says hardly used and wants $1000, is that high ? I do not remember what these sold for.

Mike, I sell this unit:

https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/oERp7Ai3Q-Jk2jckSYgwYDMqUFDaMxjZkQyS9Sz-7BZdnzHND1vIGDLqgt8lyocsbwRYej1D-cfqjcm6RZLFs_hSWe29vA8mmEv9B6AUhoa4r64aZK83RoScf3j Z2gsZy-Et2xtnjHmXesMXZV3R-_gNXr6lrX46COSHQkCWB-nLzS5kTSiv_bF_IoPvDAH8DQcXcuLAGYfghF3qGdq5XulaGi5Z GebfKUx9F_Ze04Hc4xbpXGMJwjoAHQaYTLxiBI0ljIBfxqtcIc P3lg16kBL6K8-XS0ioNkvDWZRQFt0fc6mJ9FnRVlAAch1TVTJGqKwE7c7X_AqP9 ZqjdOgCdBDZyIgU3AeomM0fD_RT8TW-J5lpngJ8o7JKrpOYVgxbvD4MqJtvG_I9a-0miRYXiZnWKjghKuUNycUdTgKbTeNsG21Zw7LvRkh3TRrGG4Ct djOcVWjyz7pckH0InchwKRFT5azTYlyjN4Q_KcixUloc-bQvXQ8l5vUO_x4Zy8coFYBJddx3NsFuOKrehDicATgd_dkrAPq 6tAgKvB3dhbufITvvyN_9gV_dO0pst28DjLIQgyy56yLxNt5aM 7kO4Z2gtmWvnj0Gj0ld68qvnb2koI_j5yngZzkOTnkHorzRCJ5 NWmodB22AQP1wqF6REmL6ykfzuZ9B8GyspsELuRcRSgG-yuvERoXosiaJCgJA04qmvqqGxi96Mxek32KDO0E_yXMM5Z9erL Ijzo9YbubA5FA1OOO_0PQF=w835-h626-no

The footprint is 24" x 16".

Or you can build my earlier version for free from the SketchUp model attached at the bottom of the page in this link. https://sites.google.com/site/jteneyckwoodworker/current-projects/horizontal-router-mortiser There are pictures of the mortiser in use and also a video. If you don't use SketchUp but would like to build one I can send you Adobe Acrobat PDF files. The major difference from the older model to the one you see above is higher quality materials and the tilting X-table which is very useful for chair makers and similar applications. Having said that, the one you see at the link is now at least 8 years old and still in use by a friend and has made thousands of mortises. Several folks here have built one.

John

[Kevin Jenness]

Roger,

Maybe this video of a Hammer mortising unit in action will help https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6GM7q-Djf8Y&t=161s. The first half illustrates dowelling and the second shows two techniques for mortising, repeated shallow boring and sweeping side to side and boring full depth overlapping holes followed by sweeping. The latter works better with long thin bits. Solid clamping, sharp bits and moderate feed rates should give safe, consistent results.. Good luck.

[Albert Lee]

I had a mortiser on my JP combo, I used it once and never used it again. its always in the way if you do a lot of your jointing/planing

I later bought a chisel mortiser - still too slow for my need.
and then bought a swing chisel mortiser - I use this if I need very large mortise, otherwise Domino XL will suffice.

If you do mortise a lot you probably can look at chain mortiser or swing chisel mortiser. the swing chisel mortiser makes a lot of noise though.

[roger wiegand]

Roger there is a Local add for the larger general International, the guy says hardly used and wants $1000, is that high ? I do not remember what these sold for.

Mine is the 75-075 (they made an even bigger 1" machine that looks seriously industrial) . They sold new for $1150. After a couple of years I bought better quality chisels for mine from Lee Valley, that added several hundred dollars. So if it's the same machine as mine $1K seems optimistic. For the 1" machine it's probably a good deal. Grizzley makes what looks to be a clone (I've only seen a picture) that sells for $1450.

[roger wiegand]

Roger,

Maybe this video of a Hammer mortising unit in action will help https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6GM7q-Djf8Y&t=161s. The first half illustrates dowelling and the second shows two techniques for mortising, repeated shallow boring and sweeping side to side and boring full depth overlapping holes followed by sweeping. The latter works better with long thin bits. Solid clamping, sharp bits and moderate feed rates should give safe, consistent results.. Good luck.

Thanks I hadn't found a good video. I'm sure it must work and my problems are operator ignorance and/or error. The rest of the machine works fabulously.

[Scott Bernstein]

I bought a 16" Hammer jointer-planer combo machine about a year, an upgrade of my 6" stand-alone jointer - I love the Hammer. The 16" capacity is quite luxurious. I have not used the slot mortiser attachment and probably never will. I have both a Domino joiner and a pantorouter, so I really don't have much use for a slot mortiser.

[Warren Lake]

I mortised on my drill press with a General attachment and it worked well enough to get the work done.


When I got a combo I did my mortises on the combo and they work well. Like Patrick have the birds mouth bits. When I got the mortise machine they were done on that machine, there is also a chain so you can use the chisel on both ends and plunge in and take out between much faster than a chisel.

Both old guys I knew in this full time had SCM C35 combos. Both did their mortises with them. Last time one of them used it was when did he did his kitchen in Hickory. All doors were mortise and tennon and mortises done on the mortiser. Its on the back of the machine and it stays and its not in the way. I still use it when I make a door to clean out the haunch as it leaves a cleaner bottom than a mortise chisel and its auger can do.

I dont get the question how useful it is it. Whether its used or not is another story.

[Mike Kees]

Mine is the 75-075 (they made an even bigger 1" machine that looks seriously industrial) . They sold new for $1150. After a couple of years I bought better quality chisels for mine from Lee Valley, that added several hundred dollars. So if it's the same machine as mine $1K seems optimistic. For the 1" machine it's probably a good deal. Grizzley makes what looks to be a clone (I've only seen a picture) that sells for $1450.
Thanks for the info Roger.

[Joe Calhoon]

I used one of these for several years for door joinery. It got used a lot because that’s all I had. Kevin pretty much pointed out the pro and con. Mine was on a cast iron Invincible J/P on the back side so it was always ready to go. I know you don’t want to hear Domino but it will make a more precise and tight fitting joint. I don’t think the Domino would have held up to the production we did on the SCM though.

One thing to consider is a mortiser that makes rounded ends will pretty much dictate loose tenons for production efficiency. Unless you have some way to make rounded tenons.

[Mike Kees]

Joe not really stuck on one way to do M&T,loose tenons or fixed. I was just trying to get specific information about mortising attachments on jointer/planers.Dominos seem to be very well liked by a lot of people .I just purchased a track saw so maybe a Domino will be in the future. I would like to see one in action and put hands on to try it out. When you used the mortising attachment back in the day did you make up long pieces of "loose tenon" stock and cut to length ?

[Warren Lake]

Joe old guy did square tennons so only three things I can think of from there. If he was still here would ask. I didnt have any issues with accuracy on the slot mortiser. I dont it as easy to see looking down at my stop lines at an angle compared to the vertical machine where its so easy to look down at the lines. When you do a mortise on your Wadkin then assembled feel the rail and style at the joint is every one bang on 100 percent flush?

[Jim Becker]

Mike, I think it's good you're asking about the mortiser that comes with that J/P in the package...but you know what? Even if the mortiser turns out not to be the best solution for that function over time for you personally, that's a great J/P. So if the price is right, I'd still seriously consider it. 410mm/16" is a great capacity to have and while that's a little less than your current planer, it's certainly a step up for flattening wide stock while not taking up a huge amount of space.

[Joe Calhoon]

Joe not really stuck on one way to do M&T,loose tenons or fixed. I was just trying to get specific information about mortising attachments on jointer/planers.Dominos seem to be very well liked by a lot of people .I just purchased a track saw so maybe a Domino will be in the future. I would like to see one in action and put hands on to try it out. When you used the mortising attachment back in the day did you make up long pieces of "loose tenon" stock and cut to length ?

Mike, yes made long stock and rounded the edges on a a shaper. Also ran a couple sawcuts down the length for glue. When I was talking accuracy I am referring to the fit of the loose tenon. With the slot mortiser you get a little whip with longer bits and the fit might be tighter on end grain than long grain. Or visa versa, cannot remember. With the Domino the fit is very precise in both grain directions. I have a Domino but only use it for odd mortising- usually curved to straight pieces on doors. I always thought if someone made a heavy stationary slot mortiser with the same bit movement the Domino has that would make a good machine for slotting. I did try a Domino bit in my current slot mortiser drill and did not work very well.

I look at slot mortisers as a all around mortiser for general purpose. I would add that they are the easiest tool change of any mortiser.

[Joe Calhoon]

Joe old guy did square tennons so only three things I can think of from there. If he was still here would ask. I didnt have any issues with accuracy on the slot mortiser. I dont it as easy to see looking down at my stop lines at an angle compared to the vertical machine where its so easy to look down at the lines. When you do a mortise on your Wadkin then assembled feel the rail and style at the joint is every one bang on 100 percent flush?

Warren, I find the Wadkin DM easy to set for flush joints. I usually just clamp a piece of tenoned stock in the machine and align the bit to the tenon by eye using the handwheel. Easier than the Maka or slot mortiser. I had a benchtop HC and disliked that in every respect but the DM is a different story.

[Kevin Jenness]

"I always thought if someone made a heavy stationary slot mortiser with the same bit movement the Domino has that would make a good machine for slotting."

They do http://www.bacci.com/en/products/mod
although they are typically designed for furniture manufacturing and perhaps not as heavy as you would like. A shop near me that does a lot of chairmaking bases their joinery on an oscllating slot mortiser and a round end tenoner. One of the owners said that when they ditched their manual slot mortiser for the automatic one the problems with bit whip disappeared, as the feed rate was adjustable and consistent.

I get acceptable fits with my manual machine by taking small bites on the infeed. With deep mortises I find I get the most consistent results by drilling full depth overlapping holes and then cleaning up by sweeping side to side, which only works with center cutting end mills. I find it much easier to control the infeed on my old style machine with dovetailed ways than on one with low friction linear bearings like the Felder or Casadei. With those machines large end mills like to self-feed with unpleasant results.

I really appreciate the Dominos, and if I were starting out I might well opt for an XL, but I have my doubts as to the long term accuracy in production of their pivoting action as opposed to a stationary machine.

[Warren Lake]

Kevin that is interesting about the friction aspect. The combos have a heavy slot mortiser with dovetail ways and yes there is drag. Even all cleaned up and lubbed they are better but still have drag, your idea the drag helps rather than the non friction linear bearings, I guess when the table moves around too easily you find you can skate past your marks? or. By doing the ends first as you said you have already established your stops.

Joe ill have to spend more time on the Robinson with some testing, Ive mentioned i can deflect the rear fence on it with clamping. Its massively thick and solid but it will still deflect depending on clamping pressure. I can get bang on but not consistently on all. couple swipes with a hand plane and fine.

For set up I stick a dial on it to see what I am moving in and out. Here cleaning for the haunch on a tennon. I havent sharpened these bits yet and see some have a carbide insert.

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[Phil Gaudio]

I guess I'm late to the party. I just added a mortiser to my Minimax FS41E this year. Once you get it dialed in it does a beautiful job. Its mounted on the back of the FS41E (unlike other/older units) so it can be left installed for use at any time (does not get in the way of jointing/planing operations. Its a very nice (albeit expensive) addition to the machine and I am glad I took the plunge (Ha).


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[Kevin Jenness]

Warren, I have stops set to control the mortise width so there is no skating there. I always work from a center mark on a wooden fence that is flush with the top face of the workpiece. With my dovetail machine I can bump the bit in a controlled amount then feed side to side- it is harder to control that infeed amount with less friction in the system. Large spiral end mills want to wind themselves into the work and that too is easier to control with more infeed friction. When I worked in a shop with a Felder FD250 we had to use birdsmouth bits rather than end mills for sizes greater than 3/8".

[Warren Lake]

Thanks Kevin
that is a good observation and logic. In most cases reducing friction is what we want. Look at how much stuff runs on bearing, tenoning jigs and all. I have stops on there as well, I likely never used them and just visually worked to my lines. I cant remember now but think I read at one point the shoulders are not important that all the strength was in the side grain. these are things id discuss with the old guy as at 15 years old and up he had already done tons of this stuff. Ive only used the birdsmouth but have some other bits as well to try. Seems that feeding thing on bearings is more prone in the router style bits.

[John TenEyck]

Like Kevin, I use center cutting end mills. They are cheaper than birdsmouth bits and don't flutter as long as you use them appropriately. One thing I found with my FS-35 mortiser is if you apply too much clamping force the table will warp just enough to make it difficult to slide on the ways. Also, if you put the clamp right over the top of a wide mortise the wood is likely to bend downward on the top half of the mortise as it gets cut and then you end up with crowned mortise wall on the top side. To eliinate that I put a thick piece of stock on top of the workpiece so the clamp force is directed to the solid wood on each side of the mortise as it gets cut.

John

[Warren Lake]

I do this with sandpaper on the oak block. It extends past mortise ends to where it puts pressure. Different machine but same thing. I cant remember any issues with whip, it runs at 3,500 RPM ive seen it in router stuff at 20,000 RPM. Will put some of the longest bits in and see.

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[Joe Calhoon]

"I always thought if someone made a heavy stationary slot mortiser with the same bit movement the Domino has that would make a good machine for slotting."

They do
http://www.bacci.com/en/products/mod
although they are typically designed for furniture manufacturing and perhaps not as heavy as you would like. A shop near me that does a lot of chairmaking bases their joinery on an oscllating slot mortiser and a round end tenoner. One of the owners said that when they ditched their manual slot mortiser for the automatic one the problems with bit whip disappeared, as the feed rate was adjustable and consistent.

I get acceptable fits with my manual machine by taking small bites on the infeed. With deep mortises I find I get the most consistent results by drilling full depth overlapping holes and then cleaning up by sweeping side to side, which only works with center cutting end mills. I find it much easier to control the infeed on my old style machine with dovetailed ways than on one with low friction linear bearings like the Felder or Casadei. With those machines large end mills like to self-feed with unpleasant results.

I really appreciate the Dominos, and if I were starting out I might well opt for an XL, but I have my doubts as to the long term accuracy in production of their pivoting action as opposed to a stationary machine.


Kevin, I wasn’t aware the Bacci type oscillation was like the domino where the heel of the bit moves just a bit but the tip moves a lot. Interesting.
I also got acceptable results and built hundreds of doors with my old SCM, just saying you can expect a little whip with the longer bits. We also used end mills. The SCM had dovetailed ways and you could really lay into it. When I moved up to a Kolle slot mortiser it had ball bearing head movement and that took some getting used to to avoid over feeding. I regretted selling that machine. The Hoffmann Frame drill and mortiser I have now has linear bearings and you have to watch over feeding with it also. I use it mostly for drilling but do some hardware mortising with it.

[brent stanley]

I do this with sandpaper on the oak f block. It extends past mortise ends to where it puts pressure. Different machine but same thing. I cant remember any issues with whip, it runs at 3,500 RPM ive seen it in router stuff at 20,000 RPM. Will put some of the longest bits in and see.

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I do something similar with mine except I just belt sanded the middle to make a shallow cove and leave the flats on each end with some 180 sandpaper. Tons of mechanical advantage on the screw that moves in the pad, so I try not to over tighten.

[Brian Holcombe]

I’m super happy with the Wadkin DM and the Maka SM6. For slotting I’d rather use a milling machine which is a bit slow but extremely accurate. I know Mark Hennebury likes the Balestrini mortiser and separate tenoning machine, if I had the space I’d probably add them in for chair making.

[Joe Calhoon]

Very happy with mine also Brian. Especially with your blower attachment and getting the right auger bushings. Yes, those Balestrini and Bacci tenoners and mortisers would make chair building easy. I can cut angled tenons easy with my tilting shaper but putting the shoulders on requires multiple after setups. Often wondered if the multi router or similar would be good for small scale chair making. Do you have any experience with those?

[Kevin Jenness]

I had a multi router for a bit, intending to use it as a tenoner. You really had to use the templates, which limited the flexibility, and cut the tenons full depth in one shot, which limited the effective tenon length due to bit whip. It was ok given its limitations, but I was hoping for a bit more capacity. It is a well built machine and a good slot mortiser for small work.

[Chris Fournier]

I have a Minimax CU410 Elite S with the slot mortising attachment and I find it is very useful on certain projects. Doors as in passage way doors, with a 1/2" bit you can build in a hurry. Smaller work like kitchen cabinet doors where you're pounding out a bunch are quickly done with a slot mortiser.

I have made extra little fixtures and jigs for my mortiser that make it quicker and more repeatable for my efforts. You can't turn your brain off and just crank away on this machine especially when you might have a 4" bit on it. I pierce both ends of the mortise to full depth first. Then I cut taking no more than .25" and usually less, I can count on .125" every time (tool stick out is the main factor here). If I'm in a moderately hard to soft wood I'll cut on the climb pass as well but never in a very dense hard wood. You have to be smooth and 100% focused on the operation with this machine.

I would not be without one.

[Erik Loza]

These were part of the standard equipment package on the full combo machines back in my Italian days. Feedback from customers was that some used them, some didn't. Many folks sold it after receiving their machines. We also sold them from time to time as an accessory to someone who already owned a jointer/planer. Once the Domino appeared, that segment of the market seemed to disappear. With the Pantorouter, I can see the same thing happening again. Just my observation.

Erik

[Prashun Patel]

You mentioned that you are going to pass on the JP combo. I will say that I love mine and don't feel that I'm compromising much. The switchover is reasonably straightforward.

One thing that is a little bit of a pain is the dust collection hose on my Hammer A3-41. Because the planer and jointer feed from opposite sides, the collection chute flips between ops. That means you have to have 2 dc drops or if you are space constrained, rigging the flex hose accordingly.

My point is, if you don't have the space to be able to have separates, even moving a combo for dust collection can be an issue unless you plan it properly. If you DO have a lot of space, the only thing you'd be giving up wiht the JP combo is the switchover TIME, which I don't find to be a big deal. Also, I sacrificed a little on the planer vs a separate, and gain a little on the jointer vs the separate. YMMV. I find having the jointer and planer the same width has been good enough for me. I also like being able to share the helical head between the two; not sure I would have done that upgrade if I had separates.

Sorry I can't comment about the mortiser attachment. Have considered adding it, but have other methods that work well for me.

[Erik Loza]

Hey Prashun, do you use a 90-degree elbow at the coupler to the machine? That seems to mitigate the issue of the snorkel pointing opposite directions for me.

Erik

[Rod Sheridan]

Hey Prashun, do you use a 90-degree elbow at the coupler to the machine? That seems to mitigate the issue of the snorkel pointing opposite directions for me.

Erik

I use the Felder right angle connector on mine, my 120mm hose comes down from the ceiling, the right angle connector allows the hose be out of the way without huge loops.........Rod.

[Brian Holcombe]

Very happy with mine also Brian. Especially with your blower attachment and getting the right auger bushings. Yes, those Balestrini and Bacci tenoners and mortisers would make chair building easy. I can cut angled tenons easy with my tilting shaper but putting the shoulders on requires multiple after setups. Often wondered if the multi router or similar would be good for small scale chair making. Do you have any experience with those?

Excellent! I’ll be moving into phase 2 soon enough and making something for the chisels. I don’t have any experience with the multi router, unfortunately. There is a balestrini going for cheap on machinery Max, I wish I had the space.

[Phil Gaudio]

I spent the better part of this morning cutting mortises with my mortiser (SCM/Minimax J/P) and I have to say its the best way to make mortises that I've found (if you are not chopping them by hand).