Morticer

[Lee J]

Planning on buying a pillar morticer but not sure what is what really.

I'm looking for one around the £150 mark and so far I've found these...

Axminster
Draper
Rexon

any preference on manufacturer? Any one of these better than the rest?

 

[wizer]

I think the answer is obvious here. Axminster, just for their customer services. However, the machines in that bracket all struggle a bit and you might want to upgrade the chisels to the Japanese variety.

 

[Lee J]

the Rexon is second hand (SM 16A) off ebay, the Draper is direct from Amazon and the Axminster is direct from Axminster.

Rexon is up at £41 with 5 hours left to run
Draper is £145
Axminster is £130

 

[wizer]

Well if you can get it for under £50 then it's worth a punt, especially if you're going to upgrade the chisels. But on the other hand, if it turns out to be rubbish (why's it being sold?) then you've just flushed 50 notes.

 

[slemishwoodcrafts]

i have the rexon and i am very pleased with it. I have had it for 2 years now and i couldn't praise it highly enough. So if you can get it for that price it's a steal, if it looks to be in good nick.

regards

michael

 

[Lee J]

I suppose Axminster is the way to go here really. I could order some other stuff too at the same time. They seem reasonable on price too.

The morticer was £130 but now it's down to £119, free delivery.

they do 2 versions...

This one at £119...
http://www.axminster.co.uk/recno/2/product-Axminster-AW12BM-Bench-Morticer-33259.htm

This one at £162...
http://www.axminster.co.uk/group_id//prodpage/1/product-Axminster-AW16BMST-Bench-Morticer-577195.htm

from what I can see one is 12mm and the other 16mm

 

[Lee J]

i have the rexon and i am very pleased with it. I have had it for 2 years now and i couldn't praise it highly enough. So if you can get it for that price it's a steal, if it looks to be in good nick.

regards

michael

really? thats got me thinking now if I could get it for a good price...

it's this one...

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/REXON-SM16A-M...trkparms=65:12|66:2|39:1|72:2140|293:1|294:50

 

[zambezi]

I have the second Axminster one that was linked to above. I bought it off eBay for less than half the price of a new one. I like it because you can move the table forwards, backwards and side to side.
The Rexon seems to have a fixed base which means you need to un-clamp, move, set-up, clamp, mortice, undo, move, set-up, clamp, mortice etc. Mine is clamp wood to bed, mortice, move bed using a lever, mortice, move bed using lever, mortice. Much simpler and less of a hassle.
I think any morticer is a good morticer if you have the correct and sharp chisel fitted to it.

 

[John McM]

I also have the Rexon and again I am very pleased with it. Built like a tank.

 

[woodbloke]

I've thought about getting hold of one of the Axminster mortisers but I think Wizer has a good point...the chisels supplied are pretty ropey. If you were to upgrade to the Jap ones (say three) you'd then be spending £300ish on a set up which ain't to be sneezed at...so I'm not going to bother. I cut all my mortises with router, which isn't necessarily quicker, but for the limited number of mortises I make, suits me - Rob

 

[gidon]

I have the Rexon and it's a good morticer - swapped the chisel for a Axminster Japanse one as soon as I got it. Think I paid £200 for it (in red).
Cheers
Gidon

 

[RogerS]

My first morticer was very similar to the first Axminster. It was horrible. Clamping didn't really work. Everytime you released the chisel, it dragged the workpiece up with it.

The second one is way way ahead.

 

[Night Train]

I also have the Axminster AW16BMST.
The movable table with stops is a great advantage expecially at this price range.

I also found the work lifted with the chisel sometimes. It may be my cheap standard chisels but I solved it with a little candle wax on the sides of the chisel. A little wax on the drill also helps it clear swarf more easily.
I may also stick a strip of abrasive on the fence and cramp face as well.

 

[Steve Jones]

I have the Jet HDM morticer, which is basically the axminster AW16BMST with another badge on it. My jet arrived with no instruction manual so axminster sent me the manual for the AW16BMST !

It's a good solid and heavy machine, quite accurate, but IMO you need to discard the supplied chisel and get some decent ones.

Steve

 

[Lee J]

Well, I went onto Axminster's site last night and ordered me this...

http://www.axminster.co.uk/product-Axminster-Axminster-AW12BM-Bench-Morticer-33259.htm


should arrive tomorrow. I weighed up the options between the 16 and this 12 and I thought for what I need the 12 would be sufficient. They're the same power, the only differences are they moving table and the 16mm max chisel size.

I'll let ya know the outcome

 

[woodbloke]

Well, I went onto Axminster's site last night and ordered me this...

http://www.axminster.co.uk/product-Axminster-Axminster-AW12BM-Bench-Morticer-33259.htm

I would have gone for the moving table variant. I had an older Axminster mortiser with a fixed table which was a nightmare. Every time a new cut needed to be made the job had to be unclamped, the chippings cleared and then the workpiece moved up for the next cut...the moving table is a huge leap forward at this price range - Rob

 

[RogerS]

Well, I went onto Axminster's site last night and ordered me this...

http://www.axminster.co.uk/product-Axminster-Axminster-AW12BM-Bench-Morticer-33259.htm

I would have gone for the moving table variant. I had an older Axminster mortiser with a fixed table which was a nightmare. Every time a new cut needed to be made the job had to be unclamped, the chippings cleared and then the workpiece moved up for the next cut...the moving table is a huge leap forward at this price range - Rob

Seconded but then you probably didn't want to hear that.

 

[wizer]

Praps the moving table or a similar solution could be jigged?

 

[Lee J]

Ive made a boo boo haven't I?

 

[woodbloke]

Praps the moving table or a similar solution could be jigged?

Possibly Tom, but for all the effort involved, probably much less hassle to cough up the additional groats and buy the real deal - Rob