Morticer or pillar drill

[Junah]

I currently have an Aldi bench drill and it's ok but I want to upgrade, I would also like a morticer, but don't have the space (or budget) for both. Is it possible to use the Morticer with normal drill bits or a pillar drill with mortice bits?
Thinking of this Axminster pillar drill
Axminster Professional AP540PD Floor Pillar Drill - 230V
or a Sedgwick morticer
Sedgwick 571 Floor Standing Morticer Mk2
Any suggestions?

 

[alan895]

At worse with a pillar drill you can bore out most of the material and then chisel the rest, you can get those mortise attachments but I don't think I've ever seen/heard anyone say anything good about them. A mortiser I suppose could work as a pillar drill but you may be limited to what bits could be used, you couldn't adjust the speed and also the throat depth may well be less.

Out of the two I'd go with a pillar drill for being more versatile.

 

[baldkev]

Thats a great answer above.

To add to that, you can make yourself a table with adjustable fence to bolt or screw to your pillar drill table. Ive got a floorstanding pillar drill and made a quick top and fence. It works well enough. I also have a morticer, and you can use it as a stationary drill, but the drill press is more flexible. I havent heard anyone advocate the attachments either... mostly the reviews are poor.

 

[Fitzroy]

Same as above. Also if you were to use the morticer as a pillar drill you’d need long drill bits as the Chuck is further from the workpiece due to the housing that hold the chisel.

 

[Sandyn]

You say you don't have the budget or room for both, but the morticer is £1800 and the drill is £1200, so get the drill and use the £600 saved and find a used morticer and make space. You can always find a place to put a morticer. Must be room in the bedroom to store it?

 

[Orraloon]

How many mortices are you going to be doing? Unless its lots every day and time is tight then you would have to ask do I really need one. Most of us get by with chisels. As others have said a pillar drill will get more use on a day to day basis.
Regards
John

 

[thikone]

You say you don't have the budget or room for both, but the morticer is £1800 and the drill is £1200, so get the drill and use the £600 saved and find a used morticer and make space. You can always find a place to put a morticer. Must be room in the bedroom to store it?

Right, there is no life without either of them!

I consider this to be as one machine:



I can even use drill press table as continuation of morticer table.
Record Power FM25 comes with its own stand but I much more prefer to have it on this bench.
Since it is no longer floor standing (F in the name), one might call it BM25 now

 

[Phil Pascoe]

Bit of a trek, but ...
https://www.ukworkshop.co.uk/thread...ding-morticer-and-chisels.136595/post-1569677

 

[Junah]

Bit of a trek, but ...
https://www.ukworkshop.co.uk/thread...ding-morticer-and-chisels.136595/post-1569677

I saw that, but as you say "A bit of a trek"

 

[Junah]

Thank you for your replies, looks like it will be a pillar drill and use chisels to tidy up the drilled mortices.

 

[Terry - Somerset]

The pragmatic solution - dowels. Others may have a better view but:

• in tension or shear they can have much the same strength as a traditional M&T
• in torsion a single dowel will provide less strength. Multiple dowels - little difference.
• except for through tenons no one will know.
• if through tenons - a disc rather than a rectangle may appeal to some.

Apologies to the woodworking purists for any offence caused!

 

[Molynoox]

The pragmatic solution - dowels. Others may have a better view but:

• in tension or shear they can have much the same strength as a traditional M&T
• in torsion a single dowel will provide less strength. Multiple dowels - little difference.
• except for through tenons no one will know.
• if through tenons - a disc rather than a rectangle may appeal to some.

Apologies to the woodworking purists for any offence caused!

To expand on this, get the drill and spend the savings on a festool domino....

 

[Derek Cohen (Perth Oz)]

Frankly, I find a plunge router and a simple guide/jig does a great job of excavating the waste for mortices.

Regards from Perth

Derek