Thread: Masterwood mortiser in action

I had to look this up to see how it worked, others might also benefit from this diagram of a swing chisel mortiser (sorry if it isn't quite correct for you machine albert):

Originally Posted by Austin_Turner

I had to look this up to see how it worked, others might also benefit from this diagram of a swing chisel mortiser (sorry if it isn't quite correct for you machine albert):

Yes thats how the machine worked except the knife is pointing to the right... its much easier to see how it works when you have the machine operating at front of you

There are nozzles in the knife to blow out the waste, use 3x more air than my 30 years old sander!

I likeee...

Very interesting!! Bit like a Domino, except square!

cheers

Originally Posted by Albert

Yes thats how the machine worked except the knife is pointing to the right... its much easier to see how it works when you have the machine operating at front of you

There are nozzles in the knife to blow out the waste, use 3x more air than my 30 years old sander!

With the forces on the chisel plus the air ducts and the rarity of the machines, I'm not surprised they cost so much for a chisel.

Originally Posted by Austin_Turner

With the forces on the chisel plus the air ducts and the rarity of the machines, I'm not surprised they cost so much for a chisel.

thats true, the chisel I ordered cost about just under $1000 NZD...

It is a shame that Masterwood does not have matching machine for making tenon, I would have bought it if they have it. Balestrini makes a matching tenon and mortising machine but its a bit limited the max tenon length (the dimension into the mortise) is only 50mm.

There are machines out there makes long tenon but they are $30k for Asian machine and $60k for European. I think I will stick to my Robland for now, I have the tenon attachement which you use with spindle moulder, but its just too slow, for a hobbist its more than adequate. I am lucky I bought the long version of the Combi machine so I can place the tenon attachment at the far end of the carriage, the panel cutting function is not affected. see photo below for detail:
IMG_3681.JPG


tenon by the spindle moulder + tenon attachement, I used Leuco grooving blade, tenon length is 75mm, its not perfect and sometimes when I am pushed for time there is a 0.5mm gap between the corner.

IMG_3667.jpg

Originally Posted by Albert

thats true, the chisel I ordered cost about just under $1000 NZD...

It is a shame that Masterwood does not have matching machine for making tenon, I would have bought it if they have it. Balestrini makes a matching tenon and mortising machine but its a bit limited the max tenon length (the dimension into the mortise) is only 50mm.

There are machines out there makes long tenon but they are $30k for Asian machine and $60k for European. I think I will stick to my Robland for now, I have the tenon attachement which you use with spindle moulder, but its just too slow, for a hobbist its more than adequate. I am lucky I bought the long version of the Combi machine so I can place the tenon attachment at the far end of the carriage, the panel cutting function is not affected. see photo below for detail:

tenon by the spindle moulder + tenon attachement, I used Leuco grooving blade, tenon length is 75mm, its not perfect and sometimes when I am pushed for time there is a 0.5mm gap between the corner.

Sorry I don't follow, are you using the saw blade to cut those tennons? Or have you got a horizontal slot cutter on the spindle moulder that you pass it over? I imagine the saw blade would be very very slow.

Originally Posted by Austin_Turner

Sorry I don't follow, are you using the saw blade to cut those tennons? Or have you got a horizontal slot cutter on the spindle moulder that you pass it over? I imagine the saw blade would be very very slow.

The blade I use to cut the tenon is set horizontally on the spindle moulder, you have to lower the saw blade to use the spindle moulder, it's kind of in the way.

Robland recommends under 2900 rpm for cutting block/blade diameter larger than 200mm. The lowest speed on the spindle moulder is 3000 rpm so I just use that. The blade I use is 180mm but it's set at 3000rpm anyway.

Originally Posted by Albert

The blade I use to cut the tenon is set horizontally on the spindle moulder, you have to lower the saw blade to use the spindle moulder, it's kind of in the way.

Robland recommends under 2900 rpm for cutting block/blade diameter larger than 200mm. The lowest speed on the spindle moulder is 3000 rpm so I just use that. The blade I use is 180mm but it's set at 3000rpm anyway.

Ok fair enough, its a nice cut quality by the looks of it, and provided your stock is sized accurately you would easily get a good fit (I presume you have a readout on your thicknesser otherwise separate batches of tenons could be off compared to mortise size...).

Originally Posted by Austin_Turner

Ok fair enough, its a nice cut quality by the looks of it, and provided your stock is sized accurately you would easily get a good fit (I presume you have a readout on your thicknesser otherwise separate batches of tenons could be off compared to mortise size...).

yes I have digital readout on my thicknesser, but I still need to sand the tenon from time to time, just a light touch to make it snug fit.