Need Advice on a Mortiser

I recently purchased a shop fox and have been very satisfied with it. It is able to pivot on its base so that you can mortice long peices. I looked at four of them isde by side and chose the shop fox, I was nervous as i have never used any Shp fox tools but it has been working well.

Give it a look.

-- Hope Never fails

I built a mortising jig that will cut a mortise on the end of a rail using a loose tenon any angle by just using a center line to line up to see photo

This is the jig http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2534/3926678251_000584e1d8_m.jpg

This some of the cuts it can make http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3420/3927467140_88e5e71d81_m.jpg

This computer table has 175+ mortises not one missed http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2548/3926659787_143ab79e7b_m.jpg

Larry

-- lcurrent ( It's not a mistake till you run out of wood )

I would have to say that the mortisepal looks like it will fit your needs and for the money and being able to storage it fast and out of your way looks good but I also think it come down to you if don’t think you will use it much I would look for something you can build cheap and works for you .

I ended up going a dedicated slot mortiser , and use the Mortise Pal occasionally . No regrets on either set up -

david roberts,
I went with the shopfox mortising machine that Grizzly had on sale. It was on sale and for the money I don’t think it can beat. It has a larger chuck than most as well as the ability to be mounted and perform end mortises on any length board. Mine gets a real workout and I wouldn’t be able to get by without it. Yes it does take up some bench space, but you can always move it! Good luck on making your purchase, which ever you decide.

Sincerely,
Ken McGinnis

-- woodbutcher north carolina

I’ve got a different brand. It was sold by Wilke tools and they have gon out of business. I love the tool because it has a solid lockup of the wood and the wood is moved by an x-y action on the table. I only paid $189.00 as they were closing them out.

-- What happens in the workshop stays in the workshop. No wait that doesn't sound right. Karson Southern Delaware karson_morrison@bigfoot.com †

Thanks everyone. In the meantime, the mortiser decision will have to wait a while as I ran across a good deal on an old Dewalt RAS which now has my attention. By Christmas, it’s either the Grizzly or the Mortise Pal. I do want to cut through mortises which I believe the dedicated mortiser is more capable of. But I like the idea of a quick setup and storge for the Mortise Pal. Thanks again for the comments.

PS, Karson I think it was a wilke planer i was wanting to buy but could not find a distributor. Know I know why. Thanks

-- david roberts, houston area, "A little knowledge is a dangerous thing, but that has never been a problem for me."

I had a Mortise attachment for my drill press and it worked OK but I got tired of setting it up all the time. I came across a brand new Jet dedicated mortising machine for $150.00 at a store closeout sale and I love it. It’s easy to set up and performs very well.

-- Eagles may soar, but weasels don't get sucked into jet engines! Mike D.

I have a de;ta bench top and a laguna floor model they both work fine . You might see if you can find a used one.

-- Jim from Heirloom Woodshop, custom furniture ,maker, woodworking school, heirloomwoodshop.com

I would try to look for a used one. They come up on craigslist around here quite often. I found an old but new looking multico brand mortiser made in germany for $200. It’s built like a tank, and will most likely outlast me.

-- Julian, Park Forest, IL