Mortiser

[woodbloke]

Just having a noodle round the Axminster site and wondered if anyone's got this mortiser? Seems like a very good machine for the price with a decent sideways travel mechanism...got some good reviews as well - Rob

 

[Night Train]

I have one of those. Very nice for its size and price.
All I would want to change is to increase its downward travel as my 6mm cutter is a little short for making through mortises within the grip area of the vice.

 

[NeilO]

Rob,
As posted in another thread for someone asking the same question..
I have one, and given some decent chisels its a pretty reliable machine, Like NT said very nice for the price..
IIRC some 100mil (4in) front to back travel, 150+ mil (6in+) side to side and i think its 100mil (4in)-/+ chisel tip to table capacity.
no doubt you have read the spec on Axi site :wink:

 

[Rich]

Well I'm am very happy with my 16bm, which swivels as well as rotates, but I must confess, I don't use the clamp, it gets in the way for my money and slows up production, I have installed mine at the same height as the SCMS so it serves as an extension table as well.

Rich.

 

[Ironballs]

Mine works okay too, though it does require some fettling to make it go properly. Be warned, the sod weighs an absolute ton and is a job to lift on the bench.

I found that you have to do everything up super tight, more so than I would expect, ie I've had the auger get pushed back towards the chisel and the clamp requires a real tug to stop your work moving

 

[woodbloke]

Mine works okay too, though it does require some fettling to make it go properly. Be warned, the sod weighs an absolute ton and is a job to lift on the bench.

I found that you have to do everything up super tight, more so than I would expect, ie I've had the auger get pushed back towards the chisel and the clamp requires a real tug to stop your work moving

Damian - I was a little concerned that there appears to be no hold down bars to keep the work steady when the chisel's withdrawn. Presumably you need to wind the handwheel up really tight to grip the timber. I wonder if the jaws were lined with some fine sandpaper to help grip...would this be an advantage? - Rob

 

[OPJ]

Of course, most industrial machines only have the clamp with no hold-down at all. Sandpaper might help but, if the workpiece does lift then, it's going to scratch the surface! :? I wonder whether adding a larger jaw (hardwood?) would help?

 

[Corset]

I have this and it is a good machine. However while making some doors recently it did struggle (hardly surprising) and I think the chisels that came with it were not great. For big cuts the morticer does stuggle and my biceps feel the pain. Mind you if I bought some better chisels this may be less of a problem.
Owen

 

[stuartpaul]

I too have one of these and find it generally quite a good machine.

Like many I think I need to invest in either some better bits or some sharpening!

Given that most of my stuff is small the jaw travel is fine for me. No problems with tightness when clamping although i do tend to wind it up a bit tight.

Overall I'm pleased with it - much better than the old Draper I had

 

[big soft moose]

we've got one at work (as a back up to our multico) and its an okay little machine.

it doesnt hold a candle to the multico but thats not really to be expected - we use the axy for cutting small mortices and the multico principally for doing finger posts ( to save continually changing chisels in the multico)

Ive never found the lack of hold downs to be a problem (the multico doesnt have them either) , but it it were it would be straight forward to add a couple of f cramps over the work and the bench top either side of the mortice.

 

[Ironballs]

The sandpaper trick could be worth a try Rob, more than once it has pulled up the piece as I lift the chisel up. Lack of a hold down aside it does have a lot of features for the price

 

[Night Train]

This probably isn't a good idea but it works for me.

To stop the chisel from being gripped by the wood I apply a little wax to the sides of the chisel and the drill. It then cuts really smoothly. It probably leaves wax in the mortise but as I always hand finish the mortise any wax residual is removed anyway.

 

[woodbloke]

This probably isn't a good idea but it works for me.

To stop the chisel from being gripped by the wood I apply a little wax to the sides of the chisel and the drill. It then cuts really smoothly. It probably leaves wax in the mortise but as I always hand finish the mortise any wax residual is removed anyway.

NT - now that's an interesting tip. Another one that Pete (Newt) did if memory serves is to fettle the sides of the chisel that make contact with the mortise, in other words they can be relieved slightly so that only the first 6mm or so at the pointy bit is in close contact with the timber. The relieving only needs to be very small and can be done with a coarse DMT slip stone (I think that's how Pete did it) - Rob

 

[DaveL]

I have used the spray lube that is sold for router cutters on my mortice machine to good effect.

 

[neilc]

Rob,

I have this machine also and am very happy with it. The only thing I'd advise to keep in mind is it accepts only 3/4 shank chisels. I'm thinking of getting someone to machine it to accept the more common 13/16 shanks, allowing me to upgrade to better quality mortice chisels.
Neil

 

[newt]

Neil, I was just about to mention this, it is a restriction if it will only take 3/4" shank diameter chisels. Top quality chisels are different sizes, the add says it is bushed to take 3/4" does this not mean the bush can be removed thus revealing an alternative diameter. Yes Rob I did relieve my cheap Chinese chisels 3/4" dia :evil:

 

[paulm]

This is the one I use which seems pretty good, no real problems with it, haven't used it a whole lot yet though and haven't tried others to compare it to, but happy with it to date

http://www.rutlands.co.uk/cgi-bin/psProdDet.cgi/F14651

Cheers, Paul

 

[NeilO]

I dont know about all the other users/owners of this model morticer, but mine HAS a sleeve within the casting which is removable (hope so anyway) by taking out the bolt which locks the chisel.
Not really sure how relevant it is to 13/16 chisels but the ones I had given fit perfectly ( probably cheaper brand as there are no visible markings on them)

HTH

 

[Chems]

This is the one I use which seems pretty good, no real problems with it, haven't used it a whole lot yet though and haven't tried others to compare it to, but happy with it to date

http://www.rutlands.co.uk/cgi-bin/psProdDet.cgi/F14651

Cheers, Paul

I have that one in SIP brand. Although its ok it has quite a few flaws. The work holding is terrible, and the fence is very difficult to get straight. But a new table and fence would fix that.

If it was me I'd save the £300 and get the Axy floor standing version.

 

[woodbloke]

I did relieve my cheap Chinese chisels 3/4" dia :evil:

Pete - I'll have another natter with you about them next time I see you...June perhaps :wink: :wink: - Rob