Thread: Bench top mortiser - which one

Wwwh have the jbm-5 and I am leaning in that direction all the reviews I have read all have lots of positives to say about it - except for the hold down... I am considering something like the grizzly tenoning jig too.

Pellcorp,

I've got the Carbatec one. Yes it's a mortiser and it works and it's quick. I wouldn't say it's fantastic but it's definitely better that that drill press attachment one.

Build quality is fair. I only say that because of the amout of time I spent in filing the slots in the base so the guides would slide smoothly and smoothing the bore where the chisel goes in. Had a burr where the locking bolt went in and the chisel would seat properly.

As I said it's quick. A couple of weekends ago I did 24 mortices in about 1 - 1 1/4 hours.

The hold down is similar to the Jet. I'm getting different one made that allows a greater thinkness of timber to be morticed.

I have the Jet, the hold down is a pain but build quality is good and it gives no trouble. A lot easier than drill and chisel.

Sounds like my leaning towards jet is the right call. Wanita is getting back to me with a price today

Jet it is - wanita from Wwwh came back with a great price and i hope to pick up next weekend

Hi I have this particular carba-tec machine and find it very good,
The only issue I had was with the back fence part which wasn't perfectly milled and would move slightly out of square when using the clamp screw but a couple of shim washers soon sorted it out.

Hi David,

Yes I had a similar issue but all it needed was the countersinks cleaned out so the bolts could seat properly. The machine functions ok it's just some of the little things that bug you.

I bought the Jet a few years ago and have never regretted it as far as the "important' bits such as motor, quill, ratchet and plunge stops BUT the hold down was aweful as it is on most of this level of bench morticer. I'm going to sound like a cracked record here but I made the alterations shown in the pics below and the addition of a simply modified X-Y vise has turned it into a fantastic tool. From a standing start I can cut a mortice up to 60mm long and 50mm deep in well less than 2 minutes without removing the workpiece from the vise.
good choice but please consider adding the $75 X-Y vise
fletty

I am picking up a jet mortiser and jet tenoning jig hopefully next weekend - then starting on a coffee table soon after!

Originally Posted by fletty

From a standing start I can cut a mortice up to 60mm long and 50mm deep in well less than 2 minutes without removing the workpiece from the vise.
good choice but please consider adding the $75 X-Y vise
fletty

Hi Fletty,

I have also had a Jet for a few years and can see your X-Y vise mod is brilliant. How do you get around the jig interfering with the maximum downstroke of the handle?

Mick

Hi Mick,
I'm not sure that I understand your question but the vise doesn't interfere with the mortise handle but, if it did, the mortise handle can be easily rotated to a position where is doesn't.
If you are referring to the 2 handles on the vise that 'overlap' after I modified the vise, then this hasn't been a problem either.
fletty

Ah Fletty, absolutley brilliant. Consider it 'nicked'.

Hi Pellcorp,
I have the Carbatec one, found the cross slide was not parallel to the chisel, about 1.5mm out over a full slide, made for crap framing first up. required a shim on the left side to square it up. Other problem was the same as Mark's, didn't use shims, used a welder and a mates milling machine !!!!!!!!
That fixed the sucker.
take care
Bushy

Picked up a JET JBM5 mortiser and JTG10 tenoning jig plus 1/4, 3/8 and 1/2" chisels this morning from WWWH - now for the fun to begin as I start practicing to make mortises for my redgum and oak coffee table )