smokey morticer

[wallace]

I have been asked to make some internal shutters. I have about 60 mortices to do. I get a lot of smoke when plunging. I am using soft wood. Why does this happen? Is it a clearance issue with the auger?

 

[custard]

Sharpen the auger and the chisel, give a whisker more clearance to the auger below the chisel. Try and get the chisel slot evacuating into the previously cut mortice. That should sort it.

 

[custard]

Incidentally, my second most profitable job of 2016 was shutters made from solid Wenge to match a client's furniture. The price was right and I didn't appreciate just how once your jigged up for them they fairly fly out of the workshop!

 

[ColeyS1]

Resiny timber

Coley

 

[wallace]

Thanks custard, coley. I'm not making much out of it, more of helping a friend out using my machines. I think he only quoted the customer £500 and he spent £170 on timber. He's still got to get hinges glue and then fit them. I think he's gone a bit over board on timber size. 70 by 30mm and there 2.2m high 300mm wide. There's 4 shutters joined together with hinges. I'm pleased I'm not fitting them

 

[yetloh]

I have had this and a sharp chisel and auger certainly help, but technique counts for a lot too. I find it helps not to bite off too much depth in one go, keeping a rapid but short plunge rate so that the chisel isn't buried in the wood any longer than really necessary. If you can organise a piped blast of cool air on the chisel that helps too and some timbers are worse than others.

Jim

 

[bugbear]

old-motise-machine-t100736.html

:lol: :lol: :lol:

BugBear

 

[heimlaga]

You may have to lower the auger a millimetre or two or maybe three in relation to the chisel.
Pine resin bulids up in the tiny gap between the auger bit and the chisel. Chips get trapped by the resin in the almost clogged gap and the whole tip overheats. It took me a while to figure this out but once I started setting the auger low enough the problem disappeared more or less.

 

[memzey]

I think the thickness of a 2p coin is what's recommended for soft wood. You should be able to get away with a bit less for hardwoods.

 

[wallace]

Thanks Chaps I think a big issue was my friend was not used to using a morticer and was getting greedy with the plunge. I had a look at the clearance and sharpened the chisel and auger. I think its pretty trashed because it was black. I had a go and like you say memzey quick and little seems to work with pine. My friend learnt a very valuable lesson today whilst attempting to cross cut mdf against the fence :shock: I finished the rest using the sliding table on the saw :?

 

[memzey]

He wasn't using your PK for that was he :shock:

 

[wallace]

Yip lucky for him the blade was only raised 10mm and the mdf was 6mm. I was doing some tennons on the RAS and heard that familiar noise of the blade starting to bind and twist the wood then the almighty wack as it catches. lesson learnt

 

[memzey]

Crumbs. 14" blade, wacking great sliding table, perfect for cross cuts, decides to fix the table and use the fence instead! Does he know he's a lucky boy to have retained his fingers? Mind you I'm not one to talk. I managed to mangle a finger on my bench grinder on Wednesday doing something equally ill advised. I'm not sure if the pain or ordeal of going to A&E was worse!

 

[Vann]

Crumbs. 14" blade...

18" blade !!

No damage to your mate, or the blade I hope?

Cheers, Vann.

 

[wallace]

No damage to either luckily

 

[wallace]

Been in the shop today and not a happy bunny. My blade has a distinct small wobble on. Can a blade be brought back to true?