Mortising Machine

[Rob Will]

Where would you go to purchase an industrial duty mortising machine?
Any particular brands come to mind?
What features should it have?
Anything to avoid?

I'm looking for something in excellent to new condition. 3ph power is ok.

Thanks,
Rob

[Chris Barton]

Hi Rob,

All of the big names make morticers. I have a Delta that was reviewed well by some of the mags and it has served me well. But, except for the biggest commerical units, none are 3hp. May I ask why you need that much power?

[David Eisenhauer]

You might try the commercial guys over at WOODWEB for some hands-on brand advice. There is a firum specifically for machining wood and someone ought to be able to help.

[Chris Rosenberger]

Keep an eye on the bay or woodweb. I see alot of Powermatics there.
I have owned & used a General 220 mortiser for over 14 years.
It has a tilt table & foot feed. The table is easy to raise & lower & adjust in & out. I have only seen one General 220 for sale used.

[Rob Will]

Hi Rob,

All of the big names make morticers. I have a Delta that was reviewed well by some of the mags and it has served me well. But, except for the biggest commerical units, none are 3hp. May I ask why you need that much power?

3-phase is ok since I have it but not a necessity. Otherwise, I want a really heavy machine with clean lines and a smooooth feel. You know, the sort of machine that makes you feel good just to look at it.

Rob

[Chris Barton]

If you need to cut mortises up to 3/4" then this machine will do the job but, only the very biggest machines need anything more than 110v.

http://images.amazon.com/images/P/B00002237P.01._SCLZZZZZZZ_.jpg

[Bill Simmeth]

Where would you go to purchase an industrial duty mortising machine?I thought you were just at Bill Kerfoot's place? He has one of the biggest assortments of industrial mortisers that I am aware of.

[Rob Will]

I thought you were just at Bill Kerfoot's place? He has one of the biggest assortments of industrial mortisers that I am aware of.

Bill, you're right, I was at Bill's place last week. Unfortunately, he had another appointment and I did not have enough time to look.

Just in passing some of the mortisers were older than what I have in mind. I suppose that is why I am asking questions (to see what is out there). I know absolutely nothing about mortising.

Rob

[Brian Jarnell]

Might pay to look at a slot morticer,I like mine as it does doweling as well.
I bought the one off the Robland which I believe is available in the USA.

http://www.jacks.co.nz/combi_planer__thicknesser.html

[Chris Barton]

Might pay to look at a slot morticer,I like mine as it does doweling as well.
I bought the one off the Robland which I believe is available in the USA.

http://www.jacks.co.nz/combi_planer__thicknesser.html

That's and XSD which, as you stated, is the right hand side of a Robland X31 (I have an X31). This mortiser is exceptional but, also includes a 12" jointer/planner...

[Brian Jarnell]

That's and XSD which, as you stated, is the right hand side of a Robland X31 (I have an X31). This mortiser is exceptional but, also includes a 12" jointer/planner...
I was able to buy seperately and mount on an RSJ.

[lou sansone]

From what others and told me and after seeing a couple in person, I would say the Wysong & Miles Co. # 284 is probalby one of the best older ones out there

lou

[tod evans]

rob, one of the slickest mortisers was made by a company called "maka" they used an oscillating chisel to achieve square shouldered, flat bottomed mortises.. ask dev he knows lots about these machines...02 tod

[Cliff Rohrabacher]

Where would you go to purchase an industrial duty mortising machine?

Industrial? An industrial equipment dealer. Used or new dependson what you want.


Any particular brands come to mind?

So many here are two: SMC, Powermatic, Ritter - there a re many manufacturers.


Anything to avoid?
Equipment that is made for the hobbiest.

[Dana Van Pelt]

You might try Edward B.Mueller Co. in Cinncinati Ohio

[Brian Hale]

Have you looked at what Wilke offers? I have the MS-10 and i'm quire pleased with it.

http://www.wilkemachinery.com/default.tpl?cart=114398471040473&id1=9&startat=1&--woSECTIONSdatarq=9&--SECTIONSword=ww

Brian :)

[Rob Will]

rob, one of the slickest mortisers was made by a company called "maka" they used an oscillating chisel to achieve square shouldered, flat bottomed mortises.. ask dev he knows lots about these machines...02 tod

Is the "oscillating" motion a hollow chisel and bit - both automatically plunging to full depth?
Do you stop the machine to advance the work left to right?
These things are huge......is this what we are talking about?
(Maka DB7 etc.)

[Rob Will]

Have you looked at what Wilke offers? I have the MS-10 and i'm quire pleased with it.

Those machines look really clean. The vertical arrangement takes up a lot less space.:)
Thanks,
Rob

35483

35484

35485

[Brian Hale]

Rob, i put up a couple pics of the MS10 when it first followed me home. You can see them here...

http://www.sawmillcreek.org/showthread.php?t=19273&highlight=MS10

Brian :)

[Ken Garlock]

Rob, take a look at what General Tool (http://www.general.ca/pagetitre/ang/mortisers.html)has to offer. I have seen their model 75-075, and it is a heavy duty machine, IMO. The price is right at around $900. IF you really want to spend big money, General can help you out with their 220 models.

[tod evans]

Is the "oscillating" motion a hollow chisel and bit - both automatically plunging to full depth?
Do you stop the machine to advance the work left to right?
These things are huge......is this what we are talking about?
(Maka DB7 etc.)

rob, they made a smaller one,7-800lbs, here`s drawings of the cutters....02 tod

35506

[Barry Bruner]

Rob there is a Woodtek, but it one is a 1 hp. .I have one like Chris has but I am not impressed with mine at all ,it is under powered ,the bit sticks and you maft to shut it off quick of course to keep it from burning it up. If Chris reads this maybe he can tell me what I am doing wrong. I have even went to useing a brad point bit in mine and chiesling it out square. BARRY BRUNER

[Barry Bruner]

Rob, there is a 1 HP.Woodtek. I know that is far from a 3 HP. I have a Delta and I am not near as satisfied as Chris. It seems to me its underpowered and stops, I make multipule passes WITH NO BETTER SUCCESS, I have went back to a Brad point bit and chisel. If Chris or anyone can straighten me out on this I would appreciate it. BARRY BRUNER

[lou sansone]

i believe dev has a maka morticer
lou

[Dev Emch]

i believe dev has a maka morticer
lou

Yes. I will be pulling it out very soon as my current project moves from the realm of baltic birch into the realm of maple and other REAL lumber. Photos are forthcomming. Right now, I am in mask up and glue up of several hundred pieces made of baltic birch.

The Maka has more more personalities and versions than does Sybil! Some are truely monsters and others have multiple heads. Others work only in the vertical and yet others are truely hornizontal only machines (like mine). Yet others can swing into position for either horizontal or vertical work.

Some are driven by air power and hydraulic power. The actual head contains a hydraulic motor and the speed of oscillation is controlled by throttling a fluid control valve.

Mine is an STV-161. Size wise, its actually smaller than a unisaw. I would say its about the size of a unisaw. The main table is fixed and is about 8 inches wide and about 3 feet long. The oscillation motor is electric but the actual feed system is air powered. So you need both compressed air and three phase to run this thing. Pneumatic interlocks keep the motor from running if there is not enough air to cycle the feed and retract system.

The Maka works like a linear router bit. The bit actually rotates like a crank shaft on a motor with a stroke of about 1/8th inch. So it does not technically make a square bottom in a blind mortise, but it comes darn close.

Using the appropriate tooling, you can cut haunched mortises in a single pass. Or you can do it using a single tool and multiple setups.

This machine does not cut super deep mortises. So if your doing lots of timber frame and large doors, your better off using a chain mortiser. This is a furniture and fine woodworking machine only.

The smallest square hole this machine can cut is 3/4 in by 3/4 in. Now I can cut a 1/4 in by say a 3/4 inch or longer mortise with ease by using the correct chisel. But I am not cutting 1/4 square or 1/2 in square holes with this machine! So if your doing honest of goodness Stickley spindles, then your going back to the stone age concept of driving a square peg into a round hole (i.e. the hollow chisel mortiser).

Truth is, the hollow chisel mortiser is for the most part more adaptable than the maka. In otherwords, I need less tooling to do more things with a hollow chisel but the overall quality and precision of the hole is not as good as that of the maka. That is why I have a 1941 Wysong 284 hollow chisel mortiser.

[Chris Barton]

Photos are forthcomming.

Dev,

Weren't you saying this a year ago?;)



Rob,

Here are a couple of pictures of my 3hp mortiser...

[James Boster]

Rob, I have an old Monarch made by American Sawmill Machinery. The Bridgewood that you have pictured at the bottom of your earlier post looks like a exact match to mine. I had a delta benchtop before I got the monarch and there is NO! comparison. If you are going to a lot of mortises or large ones get a serious machine. I like the foot pedals but others prefer the handle operated machines. That boils down to personal preference. Good luck on you decision.

[Brian Jarnell]

Here is a pic of my slot morticer with a 2hp motor.http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y79/cicero1520/Mortiser1.jpg

[Rob Will]

Hey guys, I'm not looking for a 3 horsepower machine, I said it could be
"3-phase" if need be. Odds are I'll buy a 1-2 hp hollow chisel mortiser.

It appears to me that a good mortiser has a cast iron backbone and dovetailed ways for rigidity. The handle needs to be strong enough that an Ozark Mountain Shop Gorilla* can swing on it.

(*I've not actually seen one but I have heard of their existence. Does anybody have a picture?):D

Rob

[Rob Will]

Here is a pic of my slot morticer with a 2hp motor.http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y79/cicero1520/Mortiser1.jpg

Brian,
Where's the fence?
Rob

[Brian Jarnell]

Brian,
Where's the fence?
Rob
Rob,You can just see a lip at back of platen,thats it.Works ok.

[Paul B. Cresti]

Rob,
I use to do M&T joints with my PM 719a and the shaper for tenons ( I have a sliding table shaper). While the PM was not a production machine it was much heavier duty than the normal run of the mill little mortisers. The best thing about it was the table movement on the X & Y axis. I used Clico chisels and as long as they were kept sharp they worked OK and did provide square corners and clean sides....but no matter what I did I always ended up needing to clean out the bottom. By the way I started out long ago using a mortising attachment on my drill press and it work also albeit much slower.

When I got my MM j/p I opted to use the mortising attachment feature. So now I have a horizontal mortiser that replaced my PM 719. Loose M&T's are a very nice way to go. The mortises using the birdsmouth bits come out PERFECTLY clean but with rounded shoulders. The best feature is since you are using the same setup on both the style and rails the mortises line up perfectly. The other great thing is that you are able to cut perfectly square "shoulders" on your stock (since it is cut to length and not required to allow the extra for the tenon) using whatever method you use to cut your stock, I use my slider of course. The tenon stock is made via the planer and you can get perfectly sized mortises using your scrap stock (match the wood species though) and not fool around with your actual pieces. You then simply rip the tenon to width, round over the the tenon on a router table and cut to length....and bingo perfect M & T's

So my opinion get a horizontal slot mortiser.....

[Rob Will]

So my opinion get a horizontal slot mortiser.....

Paul,
That is indeed a logical approach. I'll look into that.
Rob

[lou sansone]

I have the powermatic floor model morticer and it works very nice.

lou

[tod evans]

I have the powermatic floor model morticer and it works very nice.

lou

i use the same unit..02 tod

[Brian Ross]

I recently purchased a Crescent Mortiser that is at least as old as I am, late 50's.This beast weighs in at about 700 lbs and it cost me $531 at an IRS auction out of Stirling Heights,Mi. These things are indestructable. They have dovetailed ways on all the moving parts with a table that tilts and has an XY axis, I believe thats what it is called. Foot pedal control of chisels. It is 1 HP, 3 phase. The motor is about the only thing that may cause you problems and they can always be repaired. It is the only tool in my shop that I talk to and it never talks back. Can you tell, I like the old IRON.
Brian

[Tim Devery]

If you want really big machines, look here
http://www.irsauctions.com/index.asp?flash=7