Average Reviews:
(More customer reviews)I bought this machine at my local woodworker store. They were having a sale and the lower price included two extra drill/chisel sets. Plus the machine was already assembled and ready to go. Sorry Amazon.
First of all, make sure to read the manual completely before assembly or attempting your first mortise. This includes the little sidebars and warning captions. Especially the one about cutting sequence.
I found the manual to be pretty complete and informative, apperantly they have upgraded it since the last reviewer got his machine. I also found the fit and finish to be very good, without the burrs and misshaped screw heads previously reported.
After reading the manual, I set the machine up with the 1/2 chisel set and did some practice mortising in a couple of 2x4's.The large door opening makes bit/chisel changes easy, even if you have large hands. There is a learning curve involved in getting the drill bit set correctly in relationship to the chisel head. You need the drill to lead the chisel by a 1/32 of an inch...thickness of a dime. Once I got the proper clearance figured out, I was cutting mortises with ease. This is a pretty strong machine, and I found that by letting the machine do all the work, I achieved very nice results. Being able to adjust the handle, for deeper cuts, with one hand is a very nice feature. I have used the Delta and Jet Mortiser's and find that I do prefer the Shop Fox. That extra 1/4 hp does make a differance. It cut easily thru the fir 2x4's and made very square holes. Once I had the fence square to the chisel, it stayed in place. The hold down functions well and has a nice big foot. I leave it a little loose and use a wedge between it and the material, something I saw on New Yankee, so I can slide the material along with minimal hassel. One thing that is a must is securely clamping or bolting the machine to your work surface, as you produce quite a bit of torque pulling the handle down. I bolted mine to a piece of 3/4 plywood and clamp that to my bench. Mine has to remain portable, because of the lack of space in my shop. I have cut mortises in several types of hardwood (quebracho, vera, maple) and achieved very good results. Just slow the feed rate down a little and it cuts right thru. The twin colums and ability to swivel the head so you can do large pieces is icing on the cake. I gave it a 4 star rating because of the particle board table, it is flat and level but I would have preferred it to be cast iron, I guess ya can't get everything your heart desires. I am very happy with this machine and would reccomend it to anyone, looking for a benchtop mortiser.
Update...I took the chisel's in to be sharpened by the same local outfit that has been sharpening my saw blades and cutters for years. Been using them quite a bit and have xmas projects coming up. First thing they did was send me home for the drills. Brain fart on my part. They told me that most customers don't bring the drills in, and that is the part that does the most work. So just a heads up...if the chisel needs sharpening, the drill does to. Still recommend this machine.
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Shop Fox®; introduces the King of benchtop mortisers. This rugged high-quality machine has all the features found in the best mortisers made, with none of their faults. The super heavy-duty fence and hold down eliminates unwanted wood movement and "sticking chisels", an all too common complaint, thus ensuring accurate and fast operation. The unique swiveling base allows easy off the bench operations and opens new possibilities for custom mortises. The precision 1/2" chuck eliminates the need to modify chisels and bits, and the extra capacity allows the use of larger stock. The all-steel quick-adjust depth stop is easy to set and provides a positive stop. With features like a 22" long solid steel quick-positioning handle, 8-tool holder, easy two-door chuck access, large base and twin hardened and ground column insures perfect mortises every time. ? Mortise to the center of a 8" wide board ? Mortise lumber to 8-3/4" thick ? Aluminum finned 3/4 H.P. 3450 R.P.M. motor for years of trouble free service ? Heavy cast iron construction ? Includes 5/8" and 3/4" chisel sleeves ? Shipping weight approx. 94 lbs.Patent Pending
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