Good luck with your router. If you need to mortice by hand though you would find it a lot easier with a proper mortice chisel. You use one the same size as the mortice and the large parallel flat sides hold the chisel square in the slot. Firmer chisels are really too thin for deep mortices and the bevel edged chisels are for paring of shallow cuts.

Personally I like the soft start as a big half inch router can give quite a sharp kick on start up and caused me to mess up a few of my early attempts when I was focussing in putting the cutter in the right place.

If you are using your router for morticing you should invest in upcut spiral bits. Carbatec has a set of three here http://www.carbatec.com.au/store/ind...9390_9391_9397

These will clear the chips and make it easier to plunge. Remember you plunge the mortice several times then go back and forwards to clean it out. Do not plunge then try and drag the router through the full depth of the mortice. Sorry if this is suck eggs stuff.