Mortise Hold down on the 520

[Greenvilleguy]

I've never been able to get the mortise hold down to work correctly on the 520 fence. The manual shows a fence with a single T slot (510?), but the 520 has two. The hold down won't reach at all from the far one and when used in the close one, it interferes with the mortise attachment.

I've gotten by, by place the hold down to the side of the mortise attachment instead of straddling it, but it peaves me since that isn't really where it is supposed to go.

What I think I need is a 3/8' wide sacrificial fence to attach to my 520 fence. That would give me the spacing I need.

Has anyone else had this problem? Do I have a 510 hold down? Any other ideas?

[paulmcohen]

The current one works for the 500/510 and 520 but I don't remember if the installation instructions were different for the 520. I have a 520 and have not had the issue you describe.

[Bruce]

The photo Shopsmith has of the mortising attachment in the online catalog shows it being used with a 520 fence (the outer slot). I wouldn't think that the distance from the slot to the face of the fence would be much different on the 510 and 520, but without having a 520 fence to compare, I can't be sure of that. Maybe someone with a 510 and 520 fence can check the measurement for you.

[paulmcohen]

I found the instructions, the hold down is assembled the same way for the 520/510 and 500 with "new fence". For the 500 with old fence the rod is put in upside down. Other than that the instructions for all 4 fence versions is the same. Do you have a picture of what is wrong, I can compare it to mine which works on the 520.

Don't ask me the difference between the two 500 fences while I had them both my memory gets faulty after 25 years.

The other issue might be the mortise attachment is assembled wrong, I don't think it is symmetrical.

[dusty]

I don't have the SS Mortising Tool but I do have both the 510 and 520 fences. I have measured the distance from the near edge of the t-slot to the plane of the near face of the fence.

The 510 measures 5/16" while the 520 measures 1/4". The 1/16" difference cannot possible cause the problem described here.

Pictures would be good. But, until then, what exactly interferes with what? (a) The fence with the mortise hold down??? or (b) The fence with the mortise tool??? or (c) The mortise hold down with the mortise tool??? or What???
___________________
Making Sawdust Safely

[Ed in Tampa]

I've never been able to get the mortise hold down to work correctly on the 520 fence. The manual shows a fence with a single T slot (510?), but the 520 has two. The hold down won't reach at all from the far one and when used in the close one, it interferes with the mortise attachment.

I've gotten by, by place the hold down to the side of the mortise attachment instead of straddling it, but it peaves me since that isn't really where it is supposed to go.

What I think I need is a 3/8' wide sacrificial fence to attach to my 520 fence. That would give me the spacing I need.

Has anyone else had this problem? Do I have a 510 hold down? Any other ideas?

I think I know what you saying and yes you may have to use a sacrificial fence. If your putting your mortise so close to the edge of the wood that mortise hold down touches the mortise chisel holder it would interfere no matter where the hold down is attached.

First make sure you want to put a mortise that close to the edge, it could split out.

But if your sure that is where you need it the mortise then yes you will need to put a strip of wood 3/8 wide and the the thickness of the board to hold the wood your mortizing far enough away from the fence so all the equipment can get between the fence and spindle.

Again it is not a problem of where the mortise hold down attachs to the fence but rather mimimum distance mortise has to be from the fence and still allow the equip clearance.

Look at this way if you were putting the mortise 4 inches from the edge of the board you would have all the room in the world. The mortize holdown would be about 4 inches from interfereing with any thing. However if you want the mortise to be 1/4 inch from the edge of the wood you only have a quarter inch between the fence and mortizing chisels. I doubt you would even be able to do it that close with or without the hold down.

Ed

[Greenvilleguy]

Thanks all. Ed has stated the issue better than I did. When I'm mortising a 3/4" thick stile, I use a 1/4" mortise that is centered, i.e. 1/4" from each edge. There isn't enough room for the mortise hold down and the mortise Chisel for both to "fit".

I've included a picture that may help show the issue. I guess I could always buy another hold down so I could put one on each side.

[Ed in Tampa]

Thanks all. Ed has stated the issue better than I did. When I'm mortising a 3/4" thick stile, I use a 1/4" mortise that is centered, i.e. 1/4" from each edge. There isn't enough room for the mortise hold down and the mortise Chisel for both to "fit".

I've included a picture that may help show the issue. I guess I could always buy another hold down so I could put one on each side.

Looking at your picture you can see the foot of the hold down isn't even on the board, you holding board down by wedging the board in behind the hold down. The way to fix this is with an aux fence. Make it 3/4 inch thick and you should be good to go. This would happen with any fence 500, or 510. It is not a 520 fence problem just the nature of the beast.
Ed

[Greenvilleguy]

Right. I happen to have a 3/4" aux fence already made up with T-Bolts and matching allen head bolts, but it's too thick. I believe the only solution is to make a 3/8" aux fence.

Thanks for your attention. I just wanted to make sure I was missing anything obvious and it doesn't look like I am.

90% of all mortises I do are 1/4" mortise in 3/4" stock for rail and stile construction. Unless someone gives me the new Domino tool, I guess I keep doing them. I usually cut the bulk of mortise with my overhead router and only square up the ends with mortiser so I can live with it.