I’ve noticed that there are many more hollow chisel mortisers available than the horizontal slot mortiser type. The smaller ones are also less expensive. Is one style inherently better than the other, or is this a matter of personal preference? My ultimate goal is to have a machine that I can use to make interior doors.
Thanks, John
Edited 3/8/2008 5:45 pm ET by JohnCujie
Replies
While we're on the subject, I don't really understand how a slot mortiser even works. Never seen or used one. Does it make a round or square mortise? Is it an oscillating bit?
Just curious.
Brian
In a nutshell -
The benchtop type of hollow chisel mortisers are a rather finicky kind of tool. The better ones, with sharp blades, make fine mortises.
The horizontal borer is a much faster way of producing mortises, although of course they are round-edged. They are as accurate as the care you want to take in setting up the depth stops, etc. This is the common industrial solution.
The great advantage (in my opinion) to a horizontal borer is that it can make a mortise in the end of a board (as well as on the edge or face). If you want to work with loose tenons you need to do this. Again, as a production system, loose tenons and a horizontal borer are incomparably faster than any chisel mortiser setup. That said, a small shop can get excellent results from the hollow chisel type.
David Ring
http://www.touchwood.co.il/?id=1&lang=e
http://www.lagunatools.com/platinummortiser3.htm
Like David said the slot mortiser is far superior, faster and more accurate, but they have been expensive and certainly not well covered in the hobby mags. The idea is too use loose tenons. They do leave round edge slots which isn't a problem. The festtol Domino and their aggressive marketing seems to be making a big difference but I still prefer the stationary machine with the more options in loose tenon size plus I can use it as a doweling machine or horizontal borer.
A slot mortiser consists of a table, to which the work is fastened, that is able to move on the X, Y, and Z axes - side to side, up and down and in and out. Mine is mounted to the side of a MiniMax combo jointer/planer.
I have read countless posts about difficulties with drill press or dedicated mortisers; so I opted for the slot mortiser attachment. The second photo shows a small "carrier" I made to allow me to roll the rather awkward and somewhat heavy attachment to the combo unit for mounting. Raising the table allows the mortiser to settle down on the mounting studs.
Frosty
"I sometimes think we consider the good fortune of the early bird and overlook the bad fortune of the early worm." FDR - 1922
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