Steel City Bench Mortiser

[gad5264]

I have been checking out the Model #25200 bench top mortiser at a local tool supplier and was wondering if anyone has any feedback on this? The mortiser is on sale for $219 out the door, it also includes a 4 piece bit and chisel set.

http://www.steelcitytoolworks.com/pr...y=3&tool=25200

[MikeMcCoy]

There was a review on Woodnet sometime last month and the write up was good. Not surprisingly, that thing looks a whole lot like my Delta pro model except this one appears to be greatly improved (and cheaper).

[ScottGolden]

Grant,

I just got one of these and it works great. There were a coule of issues I had when setting up.

1) The gibs were way too tight initially, but there is a procedure for setting them in manual.
2) One of the rollers assemblies had a t-screw and knob that did not thread. Customer service fedexed new ones.

The people at customer service (Eric and John Box) were both very helpful and friendly.

I would recomend it.
Scott

[SARGE..g-47]

First, I have had a Shop-fox for several years and don't own the Steel City mortiser.... but I have checked it out along with all the Steel City offering at the International Woodworking Fair last August here in Atlanta. I also got to run one at the Atlanta WW Show last week-end at the Redmond & Son Machinery booth which is the local Atlanta distributor.

Is is perfect? No, as all bench-top mortisers come up short of there bigger cousins (floor model with serious x-y table for rapidly moving stock from one cut to next position to be cut). Is this one well made and how does it rate among the competors?

IMO.. it is among the top of the class only to be out-ranked with a bench PM which cost approximately $150 more (the PM is 9 pounds heavier and has a 3/4 hp motor). But at the price of the PM bench.. you might as well look for a used floor model if you warrant cutting that many mortises.

Extremely well made and designed. The 35" extending table is feather in the SC cap with the on-board hold downs. Machine operates smoothly and efficiently. A 5 year warranty that is backed up in customer service second to none ( I have the Steel City 18" band-saw and soon the 8" jointer). And if you did have to call SC technical, you won't get someone clueless on the line as I ran into at Dewalt the other day. You'll get a "tool guy" that knows his machines and it might very well be Scott Box the co-owner as I did my first call with a question.

These guys know machines and have designed theirs well. The two owners are former long time employees of Delta and decided they could do it better. The two owners of SC also own the Orion zip code saw patent that Sears sells and is so well tauted on this forum. Is the SC hybrid the same as the Sears zip code? Mark Strahler (the other co-owner) designed the zip code saw at Orion so close. The SC hybrid has a few improvements in the gut and the table-top is a little tighter tolerance.

Regards and hope that helps...

[SARGE..g-47]

Scott...

Not a big deal, but the person you spoke to at SC is either Scott Box, Jim Box or Mike Box. You are correct on Eric Taylor. Jim Box is the brother of Scott Box (co-owner with Mark Stralher) and Mike Box is Jim's son.

I had the distinct pleasure of working for 4 hours with Scott and his son Mike along with Stacy Davis (SC southeastern rep) at the Redmond & Son Machinery both last week-end at the Atlanta WW Show. I dropped by to purchase a 8" jointer and Scott Box put me to work demo'ing BS for customers (long story that involves a SC 18" BS review for FWW magazine).

Again.. not a big deal, but I'm kinda a stickler for detail and straightening crooked pictures on the wall. ha.. ha...

Regards...

[ChrisD]

I dropped by to purchase a 8" jointer and Scott Box put me to work demo'ing BS for customers (long story that involves a SC 18" BS review for FWW magazine).

Again.. not a big deal, but I'm kinda a stickler for detail and straightening crooked pictures on the wall. ha.. ha...

Sarge, congrats on the new jointer. So, are you about to rebutt Roland Johnson's review of the SC BS??? That would be interesting!

[SARGE..g-47]

Hey Chris...

"Sarge, congrats on the new jointer. So, are you about to rebutt Roland Johnson's review of the SC BS??? That would be interesting!"... Chris

I already have, Chris. Log into Knots (FWW wood forum) and do a search in the archives (within the last month) for the thread "Steel City Smear". Pete Bradley created the thread and I carried the ball from there as I did some extensive reviewing also posted on that forum before the mag article appeared.

Frankly Roland Johnson has no clue about BS's and shouldn't have submitted the article. He found the "table crowned .024 with the pin out". You do not.. repeat, do not measure a BS table with the pin out. It is ground at the factory with the "pin in" and unless it is in when you check flat, you will be way off as cast iron will flex at the split groove where the blade slides through the table.

Johnson stated the blade twisted badlly on resaw as the guides were not put on out of alignment. What Johnson didn't state was the SC 18" (all their BS's)have a well thought out micro adjustment for the guide bar and guides. He didn't see it nor did he call Steel City to get a replacement for what he assumed was a defect. SC went to a lot of design trouble to give the you most advanced adjustments in that price range and he overlooked them.

Basically RJ took it off the pallet without checking and making all necessary tunes that any BS requires to operate properly. All BS's.. MM.. Aggazanid.. Laguna.. Tannewitz.. or Harbor Freight. That's a no-no.

Steel City sent a formal letter to Fine Wood-working magazine and as a result of their protest and the thread mentioned, FWW has sent a formal apology to SC and it will be printed in next months edition in the letter section.

And yes it was interesting as Scott Box was following the thread day by day till the issue was resoved. Bottom line contrary to the FWW article "Steel City 18" BS has FLAWS", the MAJOR FLAW turned out to be Roland Johnson as he is totally clueless about BS's and the article was printed without anyone from FWW realizing the so stated was based on b*ll-sh*t concocted to meet a deadloine.. ha.. ha...

Regards...

[ScottGolden]

Sarge,

I beg your pardon. It is very possible that I mis-rembered Jim's name. I do remember that the customer service was excellent. And that they are definitly 'tool-guys' and I am impressed with the company.

Scott