Worth buying a chuck for a morticer?

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sammy.se

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Hi,

I got myself a basic bench morticer (an older version of this),

morticer.jpg


and I was contemplating buying a chuck for it, to use as a rudimentary pillar drill.

One Like this: https://www.axminstertools.com/axminste ... ers-400287

chuck.jpg


I don't have a pillar drill (but it's on my shopping list, so will get one as and when I need it).

My question is: Should I buy a chuck for this morticer, or am I just wasting money because it will be too basic (e.g. no speed control)?

Would like to hear if anybody has done this (and if people don't do this, then i think I have my answer :) )
 

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Hi
I have a Multico bench top morticer (great machine). It has a drill chuck with it, I've never used it as I have a pillar drill.
There is no reason why it would not work perfectly well as a small pillar drill. BUT you have no speed control so would only be for small holes. The chuck with mine is only 3/8" so that would be fine.
 
I have a floor standing multico , the chuck has been very usefull when a dead square hole needs to be made.
 
My pillar drill is a floor-stander, but it isn't in the gar, er, workshop, so while I had my morticer, it was very useful to have the chuck for it too, to avoid having to go to the top of the house to use the pillar drill.

Single speed wasn't a big issue, but it can be a bit of a fiddle in use, as obviously a morticer doesn't have a rising table.

One word of caution: the bushing I think is brass rather than bronze, so if not lubricated it will wear. I used engine oil on mine, which seemed to work well.

Also it wasn't the best quality chuck. I had a lot of trouble getting it to tighten symmetrically. I think Axminster has changed the design or maker since I bought mine, but it was rather a nuisance. i would rather have paid a bit more for better quality.
 
I use one all the time on my Axminster floor-standing morticer. I deliberately chose to replace the Draper bench mounted drill with a morticer and the appropriate chuck (check the diameter of the bush, as they come in different sizes). I use it 80-90% of the time as an accurate drill. The clamp and XY table are very useful for accurate drilling. I find the fixed speed is not a problem; I don't tend to drill about 12 mm in wood.

I think the chuck I got was a Charnworth as the Ax one, surprisingly, had the wrong diameter for the bush.

Keith
 

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