Sliding motrtise table

al_killian · Post by **al_killian** » Sat May 10, 2008 10:40 pm

I was wondering if anyone has or knows how to make the Mark5 turn into a sliding mortise machine.http://www.grizzly.com/catalog/2008/Main/81. This is a spindle boring machine grat for mortise joints.

charlese · Post by **charlese** » Sat May 10, 2008 11:00 pm

Sure! Take a gander at Sawdust session # 4. Nick uses the OPR to mill mortises at right angles. You could do the same thing with the Mark V alone, or with the speed increaser and a router bit chuck. Either of the last two methods (Mk 5 and with Speed increaser) would require that you take very small depth cuts.

Here's a photo of some mortises I made on table legs. - - Shopsmith's Overhead router is about $450 as compared to $1600 for that horizontal boreing machine. Sopsmith's unit will also work in the horizontal position.

[ATTACH]1481[/ATTACH]

al_killian · Post by **al_killian** » Sun May 11, 2008 7:56 pm

Thanks chuck, I wwill check it out. The one I was referring to was the top one. My freind just brought one home from grizzly and it makes short work out of this type of work and was hopeing that the ss could do it with out adding one more machine to the shop.

brown_hawk · Post by **brown_hawk** » Sun May 11, 2008 8:50 pm

As Chuck said, the SS will do it using those two options. There is also the option of the mortise and tenon chisels http://www.shopsmith.com/ownersite/cata ... chisel.htm

Another option would be a router table, or even a jig that you could use with a hand-held router.

The best all around choice is the OPR, as it allows you to SEE the cut as it is being made.

The least expensive is the router bit chuck without the increaser. Slow shallow cuts, but visible and doable. For that matter, use drill bits to cut, then the router chuck to clean out.

For me, $350 for a speciality single use machine is not a good expenditure of money. But that is an opinion and worth what you paid for it.

Besides, since your buddy has one already, just take your stuff over and use his machine.

If you look at the Sawdust Sessions on the OPR, you will start to realize all of the possibilities of the OPR. Easily 10 times the uses of the Grizzly machine.

How many of these joints are you going to make in a years time? The answer to that should give you a realistic view of what you want and need.

Hawk

charlese · Post by **charlese** » Sun May 11, 2008 11:01 pm

Al - I just went back an looked at your referenced machine. Sorry about not understanding you were referring to the $350 one.

I noticed the spindle speed of that machine is 3,450 RPM. Wow! that is slow! One of the reasons the Overhead router is easier than the Shopsmith alone is the rotation speed of the spindle.

The Mark V, at fast speed, turns around 5,200 RPM. Although I have made mortises, rabbets, and tongues using the Mark V, and a router bit, it is a little slow, and requires patience. However, the Mark V's speed is quite a bit faster than the dedicated Grizzly.

The 5200 RPM spindle speed is the only limiting thing using the Mk. V as either a vertical or horizontal mortising machine. I've found the Overhead router (with speeds of 20,000 RPM) to be much easier.

I also noticed the small table on the Grizzly machine. Looks a little limiting. I think you should ask your friend for a demonstration.

I won't go on too much about Shopsmith's Overhead router, as you are more interested in using only the Mk. V - but kindly allow me these two sentences: It is also a pin router that enables multiple duplications of any shaped object. It can also edge rout, make tenons and all kinds of joints, including dovetail joints.

Before you make up your mind, review the entire series of Sawdust Sessions on the Overhead Pin Router.

al_killian · Post by **al_killian** » Mon May 12, 2008 12:59 am

brown_hawk, I do have the Hollow chisel attachment. Just never took the time to use it, as I have heard they are a pain to put on and off and readjust each time.

charlese, I am still looking at option and have looked into getting theover head router. This add one more positive to the list of reasons to buy it.

As far as quanity, well Right now dowels are the main joint used in the shop and I make proably 10 dowel joints per month on average(furniture repair). Right now I am makeing a platform bed for my sone and there will be over 30 dowel used. If this was mortise(lose) then there would be about half that. The wife thinks I am addicated to tools, but there is no problem that can I can see.

a1gutterman · Post by **a1gutterman** » Mon May 12, 2008 3:08 am

[quote="al_killian"]
............... The wife thinks I am addicated to tools, but there is no problem that can I can see.]
Hi Al,
You know, that reminds me of the guy that was told he had a drinking problem. He replied, "Problem? What problem? I drink; I get drunk; I fall down: No problem!":D

brown_hawk · Post by **brown_hawk** » Mon May 12, 2008 8:47 am

[quote="al_killian"]brown_hawk, I do have the Hollow chisel attachment. Just never took the time to use it, as I have heard they are a pain to put on and off and readjust each time.

charlese, I am still looking at option and have looked into getting theover head router. This add one more positive to the list of reasons to buy it.

As far as quanity, well Right now dowels are the main joint used in the shop and I make proably 10 dowel joints per month on average(furniture repair). Right now I am makeing a platform bed for my sone and there will be over 30 dowel used. If this was mortise(lose) then there would be about half that. The wife thinks I am addicated to tools, but there is no problem that can I can see.]

Al,

You've already got a horizontal boring machine that will blow your buddy's away. I hadn't noticed the RPM either. What about bits and boring heads? Are they special sizes, or will standard bits (drill and router) work?

As for the addiction: Tell her it's a fine furniture addiction. "Look honey, I bought this platform bed for our son, and they threw in this OPR free of charge!:rolleyes:

"

Hawk

woodburner · Post by **woodburner** » Mon May 12, 2008 11:36 am

Don't believe the Grizzly Boring Machine listed above is made to make mortises. I think they are actually referring to dowels when they are writing about mortises. For use as a regular boring machine as I think they intend, the speed is fast enough.

Anyway, the speed is not fast enough to make loose mortises with the Grizzly machine. Also, to have an actual mortiser as you want you need to have a sliding table that moves the wood across the spinning bit. You can make a jig that does this for use on the SS. Someone was actually making and selling them on ebay not to long ago.

A great one is what David Marks uses in his studio and on his show "Woodworks" on DIY. It's called a multi-router and allows you to make all types of router and mortising cuts with the proper hold-downs and moving parts/tables.

He has info about it on his website including the manufacturers website info. It costs a pretty penny but if you are going to use it a lot it is worth the investment, just like a Shopsmith is.

scottss · Post by **scottss** » Mon May 12, 2008 1:08 pm

Horizontal router table. I use my ss joint-matic for all my mortises and it works great. Sure I still want to get a opr someday but I have a tool that does the job quite well right now. You can build your own or check out http://lumberjocks.com/jocks/EagleLakeW ... /blog/1292
There are several out there.