Page 1 of 2 12 LastLast
Results 1 to 15 of 24

Thread: Thoughts on a Mortiser

  1. #1
    Join Date
    Apr 2010
    Location
    Ft. Wayne, IN
    Posts
    1,453

    Thoughts on a Mortiser

    I am thinking of picking up a Mortiser for my shop. I have a couple of projects coming up where a mortiser would come in handy.

    The one I've been looking at the most is the Powermatic PM701 3/4hp model.

    Any thoughts? Comments? or otherwise?
    "I've cut the dang thing three times and it's STILL too darn short"
    Name withheld to protect the guilty

    Stew Hagerty

  2. #2
    Join Date
    Sep 2009
    Location
    Atlanta, GA
    Posts
    6,393
    Would not be without my mortiser, Stew.

    No experience with the PM 701. I started 15 years ago with the standard-grade Delta benchtop. That adventure lasted 6 months - donated it to local HS shop. Got the PM 719.

    But, then - when I have a project, it is usually overrun with M&T joints, so this thing was a great investment for me.
    When I started woodworking, I didn't know squat. I have progressed in 30 years - now I do know squat.

  3. #3
    Join Date
    Apr 2010
    Location
    Ft. Wayne, IN
    Posts
    1,453
    I am a Hybrid Woodworker. I have no problem chopping a mortiser by hand or drilling then cleaning up. I actually prefer chopping to drilling. I actually think it's more difficult to clean up the opening than to chop it from scratch with one of my heavy mortising chisels. But the projects I have coming up are going to require a lot of M&T's.
    I also thought about a Domino, but I would need the XL and it's over a thousand dollars. I'm sorry but Festool stuff is ridiculously priced and I've seen several tool tests where they don't win even though they are often 2-3 times the price of the winner.
    So that leaves me with a mortiser.
    "I've cut the dang thing three times and it's STILL too darn short"
    Name withheld to protect the guilty

    Stew Hagerty

  4. #4
    Join Date
    Dec 2008
    Location
    Northern Michigan
    Posts
    4,973
    Stew I have the same Powermatic as Kent, I think? Mines not tilt, came out just after I bought mine. I would buy it again but would prefer a tilt model for those once in a while situations where it would make life easier. I have made scores of doors with it and it has not hiccuped once.

  5. #5
    Join Date
    Apr 2010
    Location
    Ft. Wayne, IN
    Posts
    1,453
    Quote Originally Posted by Larry Edgerton View Post
    Stew I have the same Powermatic as Kent, I think? Mines not tilt, came out just after I bought mine. I would buy it again but would prefer a tilt model for those once in a while situations where it would make life easier. I have made scores of doors with it and it has not hiccuped once.
    The PM719 is a big floor model with tilt. Plus it's like 3X the price of the PM701. In fact it's priced very much like
    the Domino XL. I don't have. Not to mention that I don't have room for a floor model. I also don't foresee many times when I will need the tilt feature. If I do run across one then I will revert to my chisel & mallet.
    "I've cut the dang thing three times and it's STILL too darn short"
    Name withheld to protect the guilty

    Stew Hagerty

  6. #6
    Join Date
    Oct 2011
    Location
    Seattle
    Posts
    549
    The basic Delta mortiser has worked well for bunches of projects. I've had it for 20+ years. The key is keeping the chisels and drill sharp. I do like the looks of the powermatic tho.

  7. #7
    Join Date
    Apr 2010
    Location
    Ft. Wayne, IN
    Posts
    1,453
    Quote Originally Posted by John C Bush View Post
    The basic Delta mortiser has worked well for bunches of projects. I've had it for 20+ years. The key is keeping the chisels and drill sharp. I do like the looks of the powermatic tho.
    Well, and I don't think Delta, or anyone else for that matter, make them the way they did 20 years ago.
    I like the look of the hold downs and rollers to keep the work where it's supposed to be.

    Hey,while I'm at it... Any suggestions as to some good chisels?
    "I've cut the dang thing three times and it's STILL too darn short"
    Name withheld to protect the guilty

    Stew Hagerty

  8. #8
    Join Date
    Jan 2004
    Location
    Lewiston, Idaho
    Posts
    28,504
    As others have stated, regardless of which one you buy sharp chisels and bits are the key to having good results. I use both the sharpening kit sold by Woodcraft and the honing kit sold by Rockler. One kit cuts a new bevel and the other one hones it with a diamond hone. I use a jeweler's file and a diamond hone card to sharpen the cutting edges on the bit. Be sure to flatten the flat surfaces on the outside of the chisel just like you would flatten the back of a bench chisel. My first project with mine was a white oak swing with close to 50 mortises. I sharpened before and touched up with the diamond hone about half way through the job. Worked great!

    I have the General International 75-050T M1 mortiser. It's a little more money. I am sure either one will give you good service. But.....sharp is the key!
    Last edited by Ken Fitzgerald; 02-03-2015 at 11:38 AM.
    Ken

    So much to learn, so little time.....

  9. #9
    Join Date
    Oct 2004
    Location
    Wellford, South Carolina
    Posts
    32
    I have had the PM 701 for several years now and it works great and have had no problems with it. As another poster mentioned get a good set of chisels for it.

  10. #10
    Join Date
    May 2008
    Location
    near San Diego: unincorporated section of county
    Posts
    764
    I guess someone has to be the contrarian here. I had a Powermatic, no tilt, but I do not remember the model, bought it around 2000 or 2001 so it was whatever they were selling at the time. I never, and I mean never, got a decent mortise from it. Tried the OEM chisels and later Clico chisels from Tools for Working Wood. Honed them to death getting them sharp (both inside and outside), but every mortise I cut the chisel followed the grain and mortises requiring multiple side by side holes ended up staggered, after cleanup they were no where near the nominal width of the chisel. Each mortise cleaned up a little differently so all my tenons had to be custom sized one at a time. Got to where I could cut better, more consistent mortises faster with a big chisel and mallet so I gave the PM away (not literally, but unloaded it super cheap). Maybe I just got a lemon that slipped through QC with too much slop in the head (I tried to adjust it to no avail) because lots of others seem to love them, but I certainly am glad it is no longer taking up space and slowly rusting away.

  11. #11
    Before you buy a hollow chisel machine, look at the Grizzly G0540. I bought one, and although I have not built anything with it yet, I have experimented a bit. Pretty accurate mortises, and pretty easy using milling cutters.

  12. #12
    Join Date
    Sep 2009
    Location
    Atlanta, GA
    Posts
    6,393
    Quote Originally Posted by Stew Hagerty View Post
    The PM719 is a big floor model with tilt. Plus it's like 3X the price of the PM701. In fact it's priced very much like
    the Domino XL. I don't have. Not to mention that I don't have room for a floor model. I also don't foresee many times when I will need the tilt feature. If I do run across one then I will revert to my chisel & mallet.
    OH, yeah - it is pricey compared with the 701. Just for the record - Yes, it is a "floor model", assuming you mount it on the cabinet. I never did - it has always been on a bench. Sold the cabinet here many years ago. Total footprint is really not that much different than the other's style - the floor-standing thing should not be a part of your evaluation. You can see it on the back bench to the right of the plane till.

    Bigger motor; much more solid table, with worm-gear X & Y table movement. Very heavy-duty. Mine is the 719A - replaced by the tilt 719T. You never need the tilt until you need it - rare for me, so no big deal, but when it comes up, that woulda been a big plus. Not mission-critical.

    Its like anything else - you get what you pay for. If you don't need the capabilities, then you wouldn't benefit. But I would still pursue some version, one way or the other.

    Then, there are the guys here that have the real deal - floor-standing, foot pedal operated, big iron. Serious machines.

    A001.jpg
    When I started woodworking, I didn't know squat. I have progressed in 30 years - now I do know squat.

  13. #13
    Join Date
    Dec 2006
    Location
    Toronto Ontario
    Posts
    11,248
    Hi Stew, I've owned the GI mortiser for about 13 years now, cut a thousand mortices with it.

    It's consistently ranked in the top picks by magazines, and it has a strong column, brass wear bars, a good vise and hold down.

    I would put it at the top of the list for benchtop machines.............Regards, Rod.

  14. #14
    Join Date
    Dec 2010
    Location
    WNY
    Posts
    9,648
    Another contrarian (sp) viewpoint here. After I started using a router to cut mortises I never gave buying a mortiser another thought. A router cuts mortises cleanly and precisely, every time, with no cleanup, etc. required. It is limited only by the size of the router bit you use. You can still make square ended mortises, too, with a little handwork afterwards. A few years ago I built a horizontal router mortiser, and you (OP) may want to take a look at it. This link describes my mortiser, with general guidelines on how to build it. At the bottom of the page is a SketchUp file that you can download, which gives a complete model of the machine and every major component. I built it for about $50, yes $50. I've been using it for over 3 years and cut hundreds and hundreds of mortises with it. It is fast, safe, precise, and very easy to use. Not only will it cut mortises, but you also can cut integral tenons, sliding dovetails, some finger joints, rabbets, and raised panels. Did I mention it cost about $50 to build. You will not find a better bang for your woodworking dollars.

    https://sites.google.com/site/jteney...outer-mortiser

    John

  15. #15
    Join Date
    Jan 2009
    Location
    Wilmington, NC
    Posts
    455
    I have this machine. I have used it twice now and it has been excellent. The biggest hurdle I had to overcome was to understand that I needed to sharpen the chisels. Once that was out of the way, it did all I could have expected. I had to do some angled mortises and needed it as I had been using the router before.

Tags for this Thread

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •