Replies

1. 
   alexlisa | May 01, 2002 09:28pm | #1

   I have used one once. a guy brought it into a woodworking class I was taking. I cut a buch of through mortises with it. It is definitely the cadillac of benchtop mortisers. The fit and finish and quality of machining are excellent. The drawback on the Jet and Delta models is the hold-down, which never really works like it should. I usually end up clamping everything down for each cut, which is slow. The Multico has a big forked holdown attached to the main post, so it's rigid as hell. I have the Jet mortiser, which is fine for my weekend use, but if you have the money, or need something for all-day heavy use, get the Multico. Get the Clico bits while you're at it. They are expensive ($60-75 each), but made of much higher quality steel than the Taiwanese bits. I save the Clico bits for through mortises, and use the Taiwanese ones for blind mortises.

1. 
   Kerfman | May 01, 2002 10:41pm | #2

   Thank you for your input.  It really helps in the decision making process.   Where do you get the Clico bits?

1. 
   alexlisa | May 01, 2002 11:58pm | #4

   You can get the Clico bits through Garrett Wade, but Hartville Tool carries them for less, which of course I didn't know until after I bought mine.

2. 
   alexlisa | May 03, 2002 03:40am | #6

   Correction:

   The Hartville Tool bits are Fisch, not Clico, but they are Austrian made and appear to be a big step up from the cheap Taiwanese bits. They also carry the conical and knife edge hones shown in this months FWW.

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   Kerfman | May 03, 2002 05:11pm | #7

   Thanks,  I talked to a Hartsville rep yesterday who said the made the switch because the reliability of the Clico was not consistent.  Do you have an opinion on the Clico.

1. 
   alexlisa | May 03, 2002 05:27pm | #8

   I only have one Clico bit, a 1/2" size, since I do a lot of 1/2" mortise and tenon work. I keep it sharp, clean it after every use, and keep the sides mirror polished. The Clico and Fisch bits are taper ground so they don't bind up in the wood. I haven't had any problems with it, and the cut is noticeably better than my Taiwanese bits. The problem with the cheaper bits, other than dulling quickly, is that often the auger bit diameter is a few thousandths greater than the square chisel width, so every cut has tiny "half-moon" edges that result in a ragged looking cut. If you buy some bits, check the auger diameter versus chisel width with a micrometer. If the auger isn't the same or slightly smaller than the chisel, send them back.  I "cherry pick" the Taiwanese bits in the store to find a well machined set. Another problem is that the Taiwanese bits are made of softer steel, so under the tremendous pressure of plowing through hardwood, the auger "wings" can bend outward, again resulting in cuts beyoun the chisel width. This will also happen if you have too much clearance between the auger and chisel. Give the Fisch a try and let us know how it goes.

2. 
   WannaBeJazzer | May 01, 2002 11:20pm | #3

   a while back I started a thread on through mortises - the forum folks recommended flipping the piece over (and end for end) to eliminate the potential blow out on the back side. 

   Sounds like you may not be suffering from much blow out when using the Clico bits?  If so, do I assume you're placing fresh backing material for each material?

1. 
   alexlisa | May 02, 2002 12:12am | #5

   I use scrap oak as backup and move it often to keep a fresh surface. I always cut in from the finish side first (in the case of through mortises), so that if there is any minor blowout, it's gets covered by the tenon shoulders. This goes back to the holddown issue, because if the piece moves up at all, you will get blowout, or the chisel will bind up. Flipping the piece over works fine, as long as you keep the same face registered against the fence so that the center of cut stays consistent. Even then, you get tiny misalignments inside the mortise, which I think is caused by the chisel itself bending minutely inside the wood.