chopping mortises with bench chisels?

reikimaster · 01-20-2008, 06:12 AM

Anyone done this? How bad would this be for my Marples bench chisels? I don't have any mortising chisels excelt for one real old 1/4" one and the mortises I'll be making are huge (for my workbench base). Like... 4-1/2" x 1-1/2" and all the way through a 5" square leg.

I did a couple practice runs yesterday and discovered it was much faster to just mark 'em and chop 'em rather than mark 'em, pre-drill, and then try and clean them up. Setting up to pre-drill is a pain because I just have a bench drill press.

Should I spend $40 for a mortising chisel knowing it will get almost no use after this? I sure don't have a router bit long enough to attempt this.

Whatcha think?

**bobj3** · 01-20-2008, 08:30 AM

Hi reikimaster

Marples bench chisels are nice to have but they do take alot of work and are only as good as the user...it's hard to get the hole true and in the right place every time..

I would suggest getting one of the items below, one for your drill press or one of the stand alone type...

They can be use in many ways ,,, e.g. inplace of round doweling jobs,,, plus you can rip your own sq.dowel pins on the table saw....

I have two, one from HF and one from Grizzly, I do like the Grizzy one just a little bit more than the HF one, it comes with many rings to fit just about any drill press..

MORTISING MACHINe

http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/cta...emnumber=35570

Mortising Attachment Kit
http://grizzly.com/products/Mortisin...ment-Kit/H7789

http://grizzly.com/products/1-4-Prem...-Chisel/T10016

http://www.grizzly.com/catalog/2008/Main/120

reikimaster · 01-20-2008, 09:55 AM

Only problem I see with the mortisers for the drill press is that in THIS case, my mortises will be so deep that I don't think the mortiser will have near enough travel to get through the stock.

Unless I go with blind mortises and draw bolts or do draw bored dowels, in which case square dowels might be kinda cool.

rmaxa · 01-20-2008, 10:10 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bobj3

Hi reikimaster
I have two, one from HF and one from Grizzly, I do like the Grizzy one just a little bit more than the HF one, it comes with many rings to fit just about any drill press..

MORTISING MACHINe

http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/cta...emnumber=35570

Mortising Attachment Kit
http://grizzly.com/products/Mortisin...ment-Kit/H7789

http://grizzly.com/products/1-4-Prem...-Chisel/T10016

http://www.grizzly.com/catalog/2008/Main/120

Bob, do they work with any Drill Press. I have a bench top Craftsman, and I can't see spending the money right now for a dedicated mortisier.

**bobj3** · 01-20-2008, 10:22 AM

Hi rmaxa

Get your mike out and check the O.D. of your drill press quill , then take a look at the Grizzly web site...

OR

Let me know what size it is and I will check the set I have to see if it's in the set...

==============

Quote:

Originally Posted by rmaxa

Bob, do they work with any Drill Press. I have a bench top Craftsman, and I can't see spending the money right now for a dedicated mortisier.

**bobj3** · 01-20-2008, 11:27 AM

Hi reikimaster

With mortisers all you need to do is flip the stock over..because it has a fence it will come out dead on and you will not it blow it out on the back side as well...use it just like a hole saw ,cut from both sides when you can..

The sq. type pins are cool looking, just let them stick out, but round them off b/4 you hammer them in place with a small drive jig...that you can make with the mortisers,,,,2" x 2" x 6" long Oak, sq. hole in the end and you have a drive jig that will not damage the pin

=========

Quote:

Originally Posted by reikimaster

Only problem I see with the mortisers for the drill press is that in THIS case, my mortises will be so deep that I don't think the mortiser will have near enough travel to get through the stock.

Unless I go with blind mortises and draw bolts or do draw bored dowels, in which case square dowels might be kinda cool.

**bobj3** · 01-20-2008, 03:17 PM

Hey reikimaster

Here's some snapshots just for kicks...

============

**Hamlin** · 01-20-2008, 06:47 PM

I purchased a mortiser attachment for my craftsman drill press a few yrs. back. Dug it out the other day, thought well, I'm gonna need to use this soon... well, it won't fit. Looks like I'll be either getting a dedicated mortiser, or a small drill press.

**bobj3** · 01-20-2008, 07:11 PM

Hi Ken

Easy fix,, just make a ring out of some hardwood,,, using your hole saws, that's what I did when I got the HF one I have ...

If You want to see a snapshot of it just ask, it's easy one to make..

, in fact it's the green one, in the picture...#8113

==========

**Mike** · 01-20-2008, 09:45 PM

This is a job is easily accomplished with a plunge router. You can purchase a bit that is 3" in length, plunge one side, then flip for the other side. Just clean out the mortise with your chisel.

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