Replies

1. 
   WillGeorge | Jan 24, 2005 12:30am | #1

   School..  Hardly any money I would guess.  I would get a Single Spindle Boring Machine.. Grizzly Model G0540   About 300.00 plus shipping and they can learn to make jigs too!  Some money for books left over for the First grade children,,,

1. 
   Aaron1996 | Jan 24, 2005 06:24am | #2

   In reply to the slot mortiser:

   We are looking for a quality machine that can withstand many years of use by students.  It's definately got to be 'kid proof'.  I'm skeptical of the Grizzly machine, it just doesn't look like it would last in a school setting. I'm looking for something in the price range of $1000-3000. Any other makes that you can think of? Thanks

   --Aaron

1. 
   WillGeorge | Jan 24, 2005 05:12pm | #3

   Laguna and General In't make really nice units. Delta is ok.

2. 
   RickL | Jan 26, 2005 05:40pm | #4

   The Invicta comes to mind in that price range. Last I saw the Invicta was $2,600.  Congratulations on going the horizontal slot mortiser route. You will love the ease and simplicity of using it and loose tenons are such a great way to go. I've been using slot mortisers for over 20 years and have used most of the models out there and all the shops around me use them as well. If you have any questions I'll do my best to answer.

   http://www.woodworking-pro.com/html/horizontal_mortiser.html

   http://www.invicta-usa.com/mortisers.html

   http://www.atlanticmach.com/standard/misc.html

   http://www.lagunatools.com/mortisers.htm

   There's also, Bini, Paolini, Laguna, Knapp, Griggio, SCMI Felder to name a few companies that make slot mortisers.

   Edited 1/26/2005 11:29 am ET by rick3ddd

   Edited 1/26/2005 3:20 pm ET by rick3ddd

2. 
   JohnGreenwood | Jan 26, 2005 06:29pm | #5

   Aaron: 

   We are in the same lookup.  I'm looking for quality machine since i do reproductions of furniture antiques, repair them, and make things like interior doors seen in homes on the cape from about the late 1600's to early 1700's.  They were all mortised.

   I am not a purist in technique, a la doing it by hand.  I've found a mfgr from Austria, told to me by a local all around furniture/cabinet maker that he's looking into.  The manufacturer is Felder.  I just put an inquiry into them on their machine. 

   I'm sure its not cheap.  I have a Delta industrial table top model that does ok.  Found one from Powermatic model 719 and 719T.  Also Wilke Mfg in Pennsylvania.  Those are both around $900 - $1000.  Wilke you deal direct with.  Powermatic primary is WMH Tool Group, but has wholesale and retail outlets for the as well as mail order.

   Really interested in the one from Felder.  Anxious to get a quote and catalog from them.  You can find them on the internet as well.  Again, i will be doing a lot of mortising for tables, cabinet doors, doors, etc. 

   Up from there are the horizontal mortisers.  You can pay $5000  and up for them.  Have to have a lot of volume to justify that purchase.

   There's always the delta, et al table top models.  Fine for weekend warriors and hobbists, but not for producing quality mortises. 

   The cabinet/furniture maker in town also uses a plunge router with fixtures he's made.  Another way of going at it that is again more economical, and more accurate than the delta table top machines.

   Hope i'm not boring you, but though i would share my thoughts.

   John Greenwood

    

1. 
   Aaron1996 | Jan 27, 2005 03:13am | #6

   I have been in recent contact with felder about their slot mortising machine, the RD 250.  The basic machine runs about 3g with a bunch of accessories pushing it to around 5g.  That can include 800 for variable speed.  I'm not sure is thats worth it really.  The saleman really talks the Felder line up (as any good salesman would) so I'm interested in getting a different perspective.  I've heard Felder machines aren't cheap, but the money you spend is justified by the quality.  The only hitch is that there is a 3 month delivery time as it must not be stocked in their DE wharehouse.  I guess that means that it's shipped from Austria.  Has anyone out there dealt with Felder?

   -Aaron 

1. 
   JohnGreenwood | Jan 27, 2005 04:05pm | #7

   Quality and life cycle are worth something.  This is a horizontal, and any horizontals i've looked at are in the 5500 to 6000 range.  Look at Wilke, the 'low end' of the bunch, their horizontal is like 5695 if i remember correctly. 

   A three month delivery time says they are an agent, not a distributor here in the US.  That is a downside of dealing with them.  I'd wonder how long it takes to get parts, etc if they don't stock machines.  That would be foremost on my mind.  I might wait the three months for a quality machine, but i won't wait 3 months for replacement parts or pay a premium because the mfg'r isn't willing to support the product with a local service inventory.

   I've heard good things about the equipment.  Good quality, but I don't own one, yet.

    

   John

1. 
   RickL | Jan 27, 2005 04:52pm | #8

   What machine are you referring to at Wilke? They don't have any slot mortisers listed I know of. I have some sources that you won't have to wait three months for a machine and they are pretty simple and parts should not be an issue. We have an older Griggio slot mortiser in our shop and it's really pretty indestructible and very simple. I think the Invicta I listed is a good buy at $2,600. Invicta used to make the bigger machines for Delta. Good quality stuff. I have sources for all the tooling as well.