Delta Mortiser column extension

[Jacob Mac]

I jut picked up a delta benchtop mortiser from craigslist. The mortiser was brand new, it had never been opened. So when I was assembling it, I noticed that there is a column extension for the machine. Is this something I should install and leave on all of the time? Or should I put it on only when I need it.

I don't have a lot of experience with mortisers, but I have a few upcoming projects that require a lot of M&T joints so I decided now would be a good time to get one. And the price was too good for me to pass up. But I wonder if the column extension hurts the performance of the machine.

Thanks

[Russ Massery]

I always left it off unless I needed it. which was only once in the time I had it. Buy a sharping cone for the inside of the chisels and hone the outside. You'll be amazed how much better they cut. Also I think the riser block will limit the travel downward. Not allowing to reach depth in a work piece less then 3" hope it helps.

[Mike Cutler]

Jacob

I put the riser on mine when I first got it, and then took it off a little while later. I haven't run into a need for the additional height, but it's still in the shop if required.

A modification to consider;

Add an XY vise. It makes the mortising go a lot quicker and will put a level of accuracy into the tool that you will come to appreciate, it also makes the mortising that much quicker.

Things that I found helpful to know;

There are two angles of grind to the inside of mortising chisels. Yours in the "asian" grind. The other that I know of, is the grind on the Clico chisels. The honing tool for the Clico's is quite expensive, and it won't fit your chisels.
Rockwell has a honing cone that fits your chisel, it goes into a hand drill and makes a perfect hone on the inside of the chisel.

Your chisels need to be honed on the outside edges also. A diamond plate is excellent to flatten and hone the outside.

The drill bit(s) itself will need to be sharpened and hones. You'll need some small stones for that.

Your manual will tell you to orientate the discharge of the chisel to the right. Discharge it to the left and place a vacuum pick up as close to as possible (right on it). This way the vacuum hose doesn't interfere with the handle. Put an air hose to the right to blow the debris out of the mortise, and into the vacuum suction.

The handle has a spring loaded keying at the point that it meets the mortiser. If it slips out, and you break the handle, it will take two weeks to get another one. DAMHIKT:o,;) Make sure of the engagement prior to pulling the handle.

I did some 600 M&T joints in brazilian cherry using the Delta 14-651. Other than breaking the handle, by being a gorilla fisted bonehead. The mortiser was great. Keep the chisels and bits sharp. Don't be in a hurry or you'll overheat the chisel and bit.

Congrats on the mortiser. Mine has been a good purchase for me.

[Jacob Mac]

Thank you for the information. I suspected that I should keep the extension off of the mortiser unless I needed it. But I wanted to make sure. Also thanks for the information about the vise and the sharpening. Is there a particular xy vise that I should be looking for?

I appreciate the advice.

[David Tiell]

I can't tell you anything about the vice. But I went the other direction with my riser block. I've left it on, and use a thick block on the table to bring the work up high enough if the downward travel isn't enough. I had a bear of a time getting that thing on by myself because the upper portion of the mortiser is awkward to handle, and wasn't about to deal with it again.

Dave

[Mike Cutler]

Thank you for the information. I suspected that I should keep the extension off of the mortiser unless I needed it. But I wanted to make sure. Also thanks for the information about the vise and the sharpening. Is there a particular xy vise that I should be looking for?

I appreciate the advice.

Jacob

I just put an inexpensive imported XY vise on mine. I think it cost about $40.00 at a local tool surplus store. It works OK, but the closer you can get to an XY vise suitable for use on a milling machine, the better.

I know that Grizzly has a few different models in their catalog in the milling machine section.
This is one is close to the model I have. Mine is black though. Grizzly is calling it a cross slide vise. I guess I got the name wrong calling it an XY vise. Sorry about that.:o

http://grizzly.com/products/Cross-Sliding-Vises-4-/H0967

[Dave Sidlow]

Be careful with your hold down on the Delta. Mine broke easily and the factory said it is no longer available. It broke on the threaded portion that the secure screw attaches. Any suggestions? Would the XY vise work. I am unfamiliar with it. I need to know because my left hand kills after holding down a number of pieces.

[Bruce Wrenn]

You may want to add a vertical fence and put a toggle clamp on it for a hold down clamp. One of my fellow woodworkers broke the fence on his older Delta. The fence is one casting. My neighbor outfitted it with a 25 MM rod that looks "factory", only better.

[Mike Cutler]

Be careful with your hold down on the Delta. Mine broke easily and the factory said it is no longer available. It broke on the threaded portion that the secure screw attaches. Any suggestions? Would the XY vise work. I am unfamiliar with it. I need to know because my left hand kills after holding down a number of pieces.

Yes it will Dave.

Mount the cross slide vise to the base. This may require that the mortiser riser be place back on the unit. Make two "outrigger" supports for the to be placed on either side of the mortiser to support the ends of the material. The model I have raises the material above the base plate a bit, so some of the height capabilities are lost. It hasn't been an issue yet for me..


Some people have even turned the mortiser backward and mounted it to a rolling cart similar to the design for a miter saw stand to give them adequate clearance.

[J. Greg Jones]

Most modifications to allow the use of a cross slide vise (also available from Harbor Freight) involve some method of cutting the cast table or flipping the mortiser's column and making a new base to get the needed clearance. The vise can be mounted directly to the base of the mortiser, but you will likely need to have two column extensions to get it high enough to work properly. That's the way I did mine and I've never seen another one like it. I ordered the extension from Delta, the vise is from Harbor Freight, and the longer bolts are from BoltDepot. It's not the cheapest solution, by far, to get a cross slide vise on a mortiser, but it does work great.

Also as a FYI, the vise needs to be modified to work on a mortiser. The cross slide vise has the vise clamp on one side and the Y-axis adjuster on the other side. The clamp needs to be flipped, requiring that new holes be drilled and tapped to mount the slide in its new location. It's easier to do than is to describe without pictures, and there are "how to" articles on the Web that document the procedure. I also flipped mine so that the X-axis crank is on the left so that I can work the mortiser handle with my right hand, change the location by cranking with my left hand. Most pictures of the vise modification that I have seen keep the X-axis crank on the right.

http://homepage.mac.com/jgregjones/.Pictures/Shop/Mortiser/DeltaM01.jpg

http://homepage.mac.com/jgregjones/.Pictures/Shop/Mortiser/DeltaM02.jpg

[Mike Leung]

I am about to add a x y vise to my 14-651. Will the HF 5" or 6" fit on the base? I would like the extra capacity. This is the vise I am thinking about. http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/ctaf/displayitem.taf?Itemnumber=32996

Mike

[J. Greg Jones]

I would think that either would fit on the base, however the most important consideration would be the height of the vise. The bigger vises are also taller, which is not a good thing when you already have to add spacers to the mortiser's column to get the needed clearance. I have the 4" HF vise on mine, and its overall height is 5 5/8". The 5" HF vise is 6" and the 6" vise is taller still. I don't see the 4" listed as available from HF, but it might be worthwhile to visit a HF store (if there is one in your area) to see if they still have one in stock. It should be cheaper also, which is another plus. If the 5" and the 6" are the only choices, then the 5" would be your best bet.

[John Eaton]

Shopnotes #100 had an interesting x-y table that I've contemplated making that solves some of the issues with placing a vice on there.

http://www.shopnotes.com/images/issues/100/precision-mortising-table-toc.jpg

Page: http://www.shopnotes.com/issues/100/

-- John

[JohnT Fitzgerald]

I was also intrigued by that table in Shopnotes.....maybe someday I'll bite it off. I was also thinking of adapting it to also fit my drill press.

[Mike Leung]

Thanks Greg. I'll try it out. I just ordered an extra rider block. I am also replacing my chuck and extension as it has a pretty big runout of .007. Delta is sending me replacement parts. I hope my bits stop squealing after the chuck replacement.