Experience with new Delta Mortiser

[Ken Weaver]

UPDATE -
I added some pictures illustrating my screw ups - just in case someone gets the idea that I know what I'm doing.

I started a new project building three mission style end tables and I'm at the point where I get to use my new Delta 14-651 mortiser. I put together some notes about the process of getting used to using it here. Hope it might help someone else who has a new mortiser or who is thinking about getting one. Let me know if you have any suggestions or changes I should make.

[Popeye]

Nice tutorial Ken. Gonna be super looking tables too. Pat

[cgallery]

Excellent info about a purchase I plan to make in the future. Thanks!

[JR]

Good tips, Ken. And the project is looking great. Keep it up!

JR

[Jeffrey Schronce]

Ken, what do you mean when you say the handle kept slipping?

[Ken Weaver]

Ken, what do you mean when you say the handle kept slipping?

The handle has slots where it connects to the shaft that lowers the cutting head. These slots are so you can readjust the leverage and put more force on the bit if you need to. There isn't a mechanism to keep the handle tight against the shaft (a tendency of all the mortisers from the reviews I've seen). Its not so much a problem as long as you expect it. You can see them in the two pictures in the tutorial showing the set up and clamps. The Jet and others had the same characteristic if I remember the reviews right.

[Jeffrey Schronce]

I have the same machine and have never had mine slip. I'm going to go take a look at it right now to see if there is something different.

[WayneJ]

Ken,
Thanks for the tutorial. Thats something I've been wanting to learn, this should help a lot.Now I just have to get the machine.

Wayne

[Tequila]

The handle has slots where it connects to the shaft that lowers the cutting head. These slots are so you can readjust the leverage and put more force on the bit if you need to. There isn't a mechanism to keep the handle tight against the shaft (a tendency of all the mortisers from the reviews I've seen). Its not so much a problem as long as you expect it. You can see them in the two pictures in the tutorial showing the set up and clamps. The Jet and others had the same characteristic if I remember the reviews right.

Ken, I recently got the Delta mortiser as well, and while I haven't uesd it on a project yet, the handle on mine didn't slip at all while I was making test cuts.

I know exactly what you're talking about in how the handle indexes against the shaft. On mine, there's a spring that does a very good job keeping the two pieces from coming apart by accident.

I almost missed the part about installing the spring when I first put it together. I hope you don't mind my asking - did you install the spring on the bolt that locks the handle and shaft together? If not, maybe the part was missing from your box.

[Ken Weaver]

Joe/Jeff -
Going to check mine out, maybe I missed something!

[Ken Weaver]

Joe/Jeff -
Going to check mine out, maybe I missed something!

Well DOHH! Helps if you put in all the parts! Will have to change the tutorial tomorrow. Am glad it wasn't something important like the chisel or bit.

[Tequila]

It should be installed on the shoulder bolt like this:

[billbeery]

delta mortiser

Thanks, Ken, for the photos of your fine work in progress, and for the photos and commentary on use of the mortiser. They will be very helpful soon. My Delta Mortiser is "in the mail" through Amazon. I have enjoyed chopping them by hand, but some future projects have over 20 mortises - - and I don't enjoying chopping that much. Bill

[Ken Weaver]

Thanks, Ken, for the photos of your fine work in progress, and for the photos and commentary on use of the mortiser. They will be very helpful soon. My Delta Mortiser is "in the mail" through Amazon. I have enjoyed chopping them by hand, but some future projects have over 20 mortises - - and I don't enjoying chopping that much. Bill

That's the reason I got mine. This project has 48 of them. The Delta makes a huge difference over my first attempt, especially after I got the handle on right. Thanks to Joe and Jeff for pointing it out to me - must've had a brain fart to have missed it. Just makes my point of double checking everything, except in my case, twice isn't enough.

[JimD]

Ken,

Very nice pictures and good tutorial. I have the Jet mortiser. I have cut the mortises like you suggest but I do not anymore. I do not enjoy that first cut and have found I can get straight sided cuts without several plunge cuts and then clean out cuts. I just do the one 4 sided plunge cut and then go to the other end. I have also gotten to where I can slide the material down the fence and get a square sided cut consistently (at least the last few I did were fine). It is safer to clamp, like you recommend, however. I have also messed up doing the cuts without clamping. Fortunately messing up in this case is a slightly oversized mortise which will work but there is a loss of strength.

My mortiser is mounted lower than my workbench, it looks like yours may be higher. Lower allows me to get more leverage for 1/2 mortises in hardwood, my handle does not adjust.

Do you mortise deeper than the tenon will be long so you do not have to clean up the bottom with a chisel or do you clean it up? I used to go over-deep but have started cleaning up in recent projects. It doesn't take that long and seems like a better way to do it. On the other hand, who but me would know?

Jim