Go here https://www.leighjigs.com/fmt_overview.php and watch the videos. Leigh products do everything that they say they will, and very precisely.
Charley
Go here https://www.leighjigs.com/fmt_overview.php and watch the videos. Leigh products do everything that they say they will, and very precisely.
Charley
Thanks Bill! The mortise that you show is nicely cut! If I were not working by hand it would be by hollow chisel mortiser, the mortise sidewalls need not be smooth in order to produce an excellent joint, but one with square corners is appealing to me both for practical reasons. Through tenons only appeal to me when they're square/rectangular (outside of chair making) and square mortises offer more glue surface with side grain/side grain than round mortises.
Bumbling forward into the unknown.
Made do with DP based method alongside hand done for 30+ years.Found a 40's Wallace floor model for a very reasonable $$.Spent an afternoon wiping/cleaning accumulated chips and dust off.Little squirt of mobile 1 here and there,plugged it in and been smiling ever since.Nice medium sized footprint.Round base model that can be moved by one person.
Over time;made a few fixture plates for reoccurring jobs,along with adj air assist.
Sure, here's a link to my horizontal router mortiser: https://sites.google.com/site/jteney...outer-mortiser You have to use spiral upcut bits if you want to cut smooth mortises, especially deep ones. You can buy router bits that will allow you to cut about 1.5" deep, maybe a little more. To go deeper I use 2 or 3 flute center cutting end mills, which is what I used to cut that 2-3/4" deep one in the photo. You can buy them at McMaster Carr and many other places. You can get 1/2" diameter ones with 3" depth of cut, or more, and 1/4" ones that will go 1-3/4" deep.
The key to routing mortises is to take small see-saw bites. Chatter is a sure sign of poor technique.
I find it funny how many folks are whetted to the technique they use as the best way, and will advocate for it no matter what. I didn't start out making mortises using a router; I got there after trying lots of other ways and being frustrated by how slow it was, or how rough the mortises were, or how poor the accuracy was, or how much custom fitting I had to do to get the tenon to fit the mortise. The router (and/or slot mortiser) was the answer for me. All those problems were eliminated.
This is my newest rendition of my machine:
The tilting X-table opens up a whole new level of capability.
John
I've used a plunge router (PC 690 mostly) with a spiral up-cut bit to make mortises. I will still do it for certain projects. I don't really enjoy using routers that much, however. They scream and it takes awhile to get things set up and start making sawdust. I prefer to use my Jet bench top mortise. I would not argue it is better than others, I have not used others, but it works. The only thing I really don't like is on the first cut, it is really hard to get the chisel back out. Backing off several times as you cut helps. Waxing the chisel helps (but I generally don't because I think it can affect glueup). Clamping the work to the table helps and is generally what I do. Especially with the 1/2 chisel (it's biggest) it can still be a struggle. But once that first cut is made, the rest are easy. The sides of the mortise are not as pretty as with a router but it doesn't seem to affect strength at all. Set up time is much less than a router, for me. And the noise level is much more pleasant.
Biggest mortise the powermatic will handle is 3/4"? Not having much luck seeing it in their specs. Fixing to read through the manual.
The baileigh intrigues me. Up to 1" mortise. That's huge! Never heard of the brand, but I hadn't heard of north field before I bought my jointer. Is baileigh decent quality, or even better than powermatic?
I think the fmt is out, more than double what the powermatic is cost wise. Or is that because the powermatic is on sale? It's around $500 on amazon, but I don't know for how much longer if it is.
And thanks John. Looks like you have a couple of them laying around, lol! I may still take you up on your offer, even if I do get a true mortiser. What would you want for one?
I bought my JDS Multi Router ten years ago. It is not only an incredible joinery machine but it can be used for many many other uses that no other "mortiser" could ever do. With three axis's the applications are only limited by your imagination.
For production runs on several identical mortises, the MR with pneumatic clamps can't be beat.
The PM 701 goes up to 3/4" in capacity.
Baleigh is very common Asian quality, nothing special but solid, fit and finish is a step below Powermatic but I was impressed with the mortiser in person, at least for the money.
The PM 701's "normal" street price just under $490 shipped and you can find it at that price all the time except when it is on 10% off sale which happens 2-3 times a year. IIRC Elite Metal Tools has the best prices on the Baleigh, note a metal tool company carries them since Baleigh was a metal machine company before going into woodworking machines.
Of all the laws Brandolini's may be the most universally true.
Deep thought for the day:
Your bandsaw weighs more when you leave the spring compressed instead of relieving the tension.
I loved my Multi-Router when I first got it (I was making a lot of chairs at the time) and used all its capabilities. Then I got a Leigh jig and it was quicker, easier and did more in the way of box and dovetail joints. Then I got a Domino and it was quicker and easier for loose tenons. Then my work needed fewer and fewer round and angled tenons and it just got used less and less until I sold it and used the $2k I got out of it for other things. If you need some of the difficult tenons it can make it is THE machine and does a LOT of other stuff but all the other stuff can be done quicker and easier unless it is a fairly large production run of say loose tenons. There are days I miss it but unless I start doing a lot of chairs again I doubt I will ever buy another one. It is also a VERY well designed and built machine.
Of all the laws Brandolini's may be the most universally true.
Deep thought for the day:
Your bandsaw weighs more when you leave the spring compressed instead of relieving the tension.
I have had a pro shop for about the last 20-25 years.
I have never needed, or wanted to make a 3/4" or bigger mortise.
Ever.
Unless you are doing true timberframing type work with 1 1/2" and 2" mortises being the standard, but then that is always green wood, very large timber, and done with a drill, mallet and chisel.
Even thick doors 2 1/4" - 3" are done with dual 1/2" mortises, leading to a much stronger joint than only 1 joint that is 3/4".
Of all the laws Brandolini's may be the most universally true.
Deep thought for the day:
Your bandsaw weighs more when you leave the spring compressed instead of relieving the tension.
Timber frames could easily use 1" mortises and one might want to cut those on a mortiser for smaller beams. Usually for big beams you use a clamp on mortiser.
Bumbling forward into the unknown.
Any sized timber will tip over most mortisers that are being discussed here though.
I have serveral mortisers including a Fisch bench top. I know they make chisels so probably it's a rebranded import. I would say it is one of the worst machines I have ever used. Even with sharp tools the hold downs and adjustments are not reliable and very flimsy. I could not imagine doing 3/4 or 1" mortises on one of these. I am sure some of the bench tops are better but I would think a heavier used HC would be money better spent.
We have a Domino XL for odd jobs and for the money it is precise and clean. Limited to loose tenons though. Sometime I am going to try squaring up a Domino mortise with the HC to see how that works.