Jessem Pocket Mill Pro - Loose Tenon System - Thoughts?

[Greg Parrish]

Looks like another new competitor in many ways to the Domino system. Maybe not quite as mobile or flexible, but still looks to be a well thought out system approach. Anyone already pre-ordered? Any thoughts, good, bad or otherwise?

https://jessem.com/products/pocket-mill-pro-loose-tenon-system?variant=40440465621062

[Brian Runau]

Greg, looks like a jig to use drill bits to make mortises?

[Greg Parrish]

Greg, looks like a jig to use drill bits to make mortises?

Brian, from what I can tell, it uses a bit to cut a mortise that uses other brand tenons. The sizes they mention on the website look like it may work with Festool dominos. Don’t know if it’s a good alternative or not but seems like a novel approach anyway. Figured it might be interesting to see others comments and discussion.

[Patrick Varley]

Brian, from what I can tell, it uses a bit to cut a mortise that uses other brand tenons. The sizes they mention on the website look like it may work with Festool dominos. Don’t know if it’s a good alternative or not but seems like a novel approach anyway. Figured it might be interesting to see others comments and discussion.

Conceptually reminds me a bit of Rockler Beadlock. Just a lot nicer fit and finish.
https://www.rockler.com/rockler-beadlock-joinery-jig-with-3-8-drill-guide-kit-and-case

I'd be interested to see a video of it in action, and to know how it does on casework as it seems like it might be cumbersome.

Overall looks pretty nice. But if the price point is $500, seems like it's in a bit of a weird spot. Is it that much better than a Dowelmax or JessEm doweling jig for half the price? Or saving up a bit longer to just get a Domino?

[Greg Parrish]

They show the pre-order price between $349 and $439 depending on which kit you choose. They also have a video of it in use on the link above. Not sure how it compares to the Rockler other than maybe the Jessem is better built and machined than the rockler plastic…… but who knows. I guess another benefit is using dominos versus the headlock items as the dominos might be easier to find.


Conceptually reminds me a bit of Rockler Beadlock. Just a lot nicer fit and finish.
https://www.rockler.com/rockler-beadlock-joinery-jig-with-3-8-drill-guide-kit-and-case

I'd be interested to see a video of it in action, and to know how it does on casework as it seems like it might be cumbersome.

Overall looks pretty nice. But if the price point is $500, seems like it's in a bit of a weird spot. Is it that much better than a Dowelmax or JessEm doweling jig for half the price? Or saving up a bit longer to just get a Domino?

[Ray Newman]

Interesting approach. Use of readily available metric and 3/8" end mills is a good design and probably good deal cheaper than the Fe$tool bits. I wish Jessum success with the marketing. If I did not already have a Domino 500, I would give this design very serious thought.

[John TenEyck]

$450 for that? Seriously? I ship one of these to your door for $475 and it does a lot more than just make mortises, although it does that exceedingly well.

John

https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/pw/AL9nZEXIZD8bJEcS4lgA7mtzDyfTKitzM1esRpEWO4eXSwkW0g WuApK8rnDViYkXaG5gjpo7Qiv-wN0ojbaDl55mO1rXeVqIfn3TYqtLRSCmTVu3YNLBIBsD5CaSMr 6MFxpadFiYm_jpuCCnnWvLAkdHWPLvMA=w1190-h893-no?authuser=1

[Jim Becker]

Looks like it can cut the mortises nicely and is well made, but it's going to be slower than a Domino or biscuit joiner if I'm understanding what I see in the photo. That's not a big thing for more occasional use, but folks who want to use small loose tenons frequently might find the higher initial cost of the hand-held machines worthy.

[johnny means]

The price makes it a non starter to me. At a certain point, you just buy a Domino.

[mreza Salav]

New product? Didn't they have it years ago and stopped producing because there wasn't enough demand? One issue if I recall was the lateral force needed for the bit to cut sideways was too much for a drill chuck.
I have both their Dowling jigs and they are excellent but this one i would stay with dowels.

[Michael Burnside]

I love Jessem products. They are well made with quality parts. Their table saw accessories are second to none and their doweling jig is awesome. I have a Domino so this isn’t something I’d buy, but for the hobbyist it has potential.

[Michael Burnside]

$450 for that? Seriously? I ship one of these to your door for $475 and it does a lot more than just make mortises, although it does that exceedingly well.

John


No idea what that is but it looks cool.

[Dan Rude]

Looks like they upgraded their previous one. I have the old one. https://www.woodmagazine.com/review/drilling-mortising-tools/jessem-mortise-mill I have been looking for a reason to use it.

[Patrick Johnson]

Interesting, but I think it's hard to beat a simple plunge router sitting on a shop built mortising jig with an adjustable table, something like this: https://www.woodsmithplans.com/plan/router-mortising-jig/ There are many variations out there of similar design.

It would be nice to have a Domino, but it's difficult for many to justify the cost due to budget constraints. For production shops, it would be easy to make that call.

Patrick

[Harvey Miller]

Looks like they upgraded their previous one. I have the old one. https://www.woodmagazine.com/review/drilling-mortising-tools/jessem-mortise-mill I have been looking for a reason to use it.

The old version was 1/4" while the new one has 'A 6mm Carbide Endmill will be provided with the Pocket Mill Pro, with 5mm, 8mm, 10mm, ¼” and 3/8” end mills available separately'. At 1/3 the cost of the Domino it looks like a good alternative for folks just getting into woodworking.

[John TenEyck]

No idea what that is but it looks cool.

It's a horizontal router mortiser, similar to a Multirouter, but simpler, easier to build, and a whole lot less expensive. You can learn more about it, and even build one yourself from my original, free design, here: https://sites.google.com/view/jteneyck-woodworker/current-projects/horizontal-router-mortiser?authuser=1

John

[glenn bradley]

Interesting that The Mortise Pal went out of production but,

492914 . 492915

more involved and more costly alternatives continue to market. Apparently I should have held my version 1 more dear. I would look to see if there is anyone as careless as I was who wants to sell their version 1 after buying a version 2 (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j06pLeHOhqU&t=1s).

[Jared Sankovich]

Seems pricey, and rather inconvenient for what it is/does.

[Jim Dwight]

It is interesting and this brand seems to make good products so it probably works. But drill speeds are a lot less than a router which is effectively what my Domino XL uses. So I would expect mortise finish to be at least a little worse. Domino bits are kind of pricey but CMT and Amana offer them for about half as much.

[John Kananis]

for folks just getting into woodworking.

Seems about right.

[Patrick Varley]

Just caught a decent review of this:

https://youtu.be/eK0C95NkeyY

I have to say, it's intriguing. Pretty clear that it's not a good alternative to the Domino for anyone trying to use it for commercial/production work. But it may be a reasonable option for a hobbyist. Still a bit expensive, but not extraordinarily more than people might spend on a Dowelmax or Jessem dowel jig (with some added benefit as it relates to speed/utility).

[John TenEyck]

No idea what that is but it looks cool.

This will explain what it is: https://sites.google.com/view/jteneyck-woodworker/current-projects/horizontal-router-mortiser?authuser=1

John

[Charlie Jones]

I built and used Matthias Wendell’s horizontal mortise machine. His machine works like Johns except the table is stationary and the router moves in the XYZ axis. It worked great but I parked it after purchasing the Domino. It is portable and much more versatile.

[John TenEyck]

I built and used Matthias Wendell’s horizontal mortise machine. His machine works like Johns except the table is stationary and the router moves in the XYZ axis. It worked great but I parked it after purchasing the Domino. It is portable and much more versatile.

Yes, if I were a pro, I would have bought a Domino years ago. On the other hand, the Domino can't cut integral tenons, sliding dovetails, drill dowel holes (at least I don't think it can), or make raised panels, but my Horizontal Router Mortiser can. The Domino doesn't work too well on the ends of narrow parts, either, and it's even more difficult when the ends are cut at a compound angle. Those are easily done on my machine, easily, quickly, repeatably, and safely. You also can make any size mortise needed using low-cost spiral upcut router bits.

Every tool has its advantages and disadvantages but it's hard to beat my HRT on cost vs. capability.

John

[Charlie Jones]

Yes, if I were a pro, I would have bought a Domino years ago. On the other hand, the Domino can't cut integral tenons, sliding dovetails, drill dowel holes (at least I don't think it can), or make raised panels, but my Horizontal Router Mortiser can. The Domino doesn't work too well on the ends of narrow parts, either, and it's even more difficult when the ends are cut at a compound angle. Those are easily done on my machine, easily, quickly, repeatably, and safely. You also can make any size mortise needed using low-cost spiral upcut router bits.

Every tool has its advantages and disadvantages but it's hard to beat my HRT on cost vs. capability.

John

I agree with all of that. If I make anything requiring really big mortises I will get it back out. It looks like your machine could be built even cheaper than Matthias’s.

[Rich Engelhardt]

Any thoughts?

The term, kludge - comes to mind.

Sort of a bad way of using a tool to do something it was never intended to be used for and will probably shorten its life.

Sort of like the time my wife grabbed one of my wood chisels and used it to scrape some old ceramic tile cement off a wall. I yelled at her to stop and she refused to, saying how great it was working.

[John TenEyck]

I agree with all of that. If I make anything requiring really big mortises I will get it back out. It looks like your machine could be built even cheaper than Matthias’s.

The MDF version you see on my website page cost about $50 to build as I already had the clamps. There is a SketchUp model at the bottom of that page which you can download for FREE to make your own. No strings attached. If you don't use SketchUp I'm happy to email PDF files of all the key parts.

Or did you already build one of my HRM's?

John

[Will Blick]

John, your creations are always impressive, wow, kudos to your ingenuity and craftsmanship!

Good Youtube video on the Jessem... He is a great influencer...

My two cents...Jessem really wanted a piece of the Domino market, this upgrade to their previous offering is quite the contraption. Using an endmill is brilliant, as it is designed to cut sideways, same as a domino. The stress is now off the Chuck, and taken on by the tool. Like all Jessem products, seems well engineered, well built. I agree with others, for non production, it will prob. suffice as good as a Domino, justified by the $avings.

I also thought the same as a previous poster. I always wondered why the Rockler Beadlock system did not become more popular, as it seems like a superb very low cost loose tenon alternative, which is prob. every bit as strong (or stronger) than other loose tenon options. Maybe a bit slower than Jessem or Festool, but for occasional use, who cares. Simple to use as well, and love the way you can make long tenons on your router table and then cut to the size you want. I did buy one awhile ago, but never tried it yet as I got a domino shortly thereafter.