I’ve been frustrated by the existing fence and hold-down system on my hollow-chisel mortising machine. It works, but often forces me to add clamps to keep the workpiece stable. And the clamps have to be untightened and repositioned after each square hole I cut. Also, I have to reposition the fence to create mortises that are wider than my largest bit.

I solved these problems once and for all by adding a machinist’s cross-slide vise to the mortiser. The vise holds workpieces firmly and accurately, and can be moved in the X and Y directions by turning two large handles.

First I removed the standard fence and hold-down on my mortiser. Then I drilled holes in the cast-iron table, and bolted down the new vise so it was beneath the mortising bit and square to the mortiser’s table.

The vise steals 5 in. of plunge capacity from the mortiser, but I added most of that back by placing spacers under the post. One is cast iron, which came with the machine as an accessory, and the other is a 1-3/4-in.- thick, shopmade maple block. If you lack the accessory spacer, you can simply make a thicker hardwood block. Either way, you’ll need longer bolts for attaching the post to the base.

The cross-slide vise is a simple fix for a frustrating problem. Now I can create perfect mortises of all sizes, in far less time than before, and I look forward to the process.

—MICHAEL CHAPMAN, Stilwell, Kan.

Illustrations by Dan Thornton
From Fine Woodworking issue #301

Fine Woodworking Recommended Products

Freud Super Dado Saw Blade Set 8" x 5/8" Bore

Leaves a dado with a flat bottom and even performs excellent on plywood and melamine.

Buy at Woodcraft

Ridgid EB4424 Oscillating Spindle/Belt Sander

With five spindles sized from 1/2 in. to 2 in. and a 4 X 24-in. belt, this sander has become a staple in many a shop Fine Woodworking visits.

Buy at Amazon

Grizzly G0495X Industrial Helical Cutterhead 8-in. Jointer

Regardless of the board’s grain, this jointer produced excellent results. Its fence was totally flat, worked smoothly, and locked well, staying in place even after jointing multiple edges. Getting the fence to 90° was very easy, but the 90° stop was a little tricky to set and the fence did not go back to square when using it. For those who would use it, there is also a digital depth-of-cut scale.

Buy at Amazon