# Shop Fox W1743 Mortiser & Grizzly Star-M Mortise Chisels



## Oldtool

Nice review on both items, well written. I have a question though: how did you manage to get the chisel to make round mortise ends on the slots? Tricky!

PS: I also have a Shop Fox mortiser, table top version, and I agree the gas spring is a pain, my machine has three settings for different stock thicknesses. Any way, how or where do you plan to attach a counter weight? If your attempt works, I'd like to try this.
Thanks.


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## darthford

Oldtool I used my Jedi powers…no I predrilled both ends of the slot on the drill press. ;-) TBD how I fashion the counter weight. The back of the column is already drilled and tapped for a cover plate so I could fashion an L arm with a couple pulleys and bolt it on there. If I had a permanent location of this I'd just attach the two pulleys to ceiling joists, I counter weighted one of those big RongFu mill drill heads that way once. I used sand bags for weights, they sold them cheap for weighting down the rear of your truck back east for driving in the snow. That's probably more weight than I'll need for this mortiser though.


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## Oldtool

Thanks.
Actually, with that rack and pinion on the column, I've found the machine fairly safe from dropping. If you counter weight idea works out well, let me know.

Thanks, happy woodworking.


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## LJackson

How do you align your radial arm saw fence to the blade for true 90 degree cuts?


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## darthford

There are several ways to do that but I probably wont' go crazy, just adjust it close with a square then use the micro-adjusting set screws on the saw to dial it in perfect e.g. make a test cut, check with a precision square, repeated until its dead on. I will likely drill and pin those fences at 90 degrees with steel dowels once its dialed in in case I need to remove them or replace them at some point.


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## runswithscissors

I realize this is an old post, but want to mention that my Delta benchtop mortiser has never had any problem with the pneumatic cylinder. Works perfectly.


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## Oldtool

That is not my posted message above, someone has posted on my behalf without my knowledge


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