Howdy
I have access to a Powermatic 701 that’s been collecting dust and I wanna get into it. Before I drop my hard earned cash on a set bits, I wanted to check in here and see if anyone had any recs. I’d like to start budget to get to know the machine but am not gonna buy some random stuff off Amazon. I plan on using it to make some beefy Krenov style saw horses. 1/4″ and 1/2″ bits should do it.
Thank ye in advance.
Replies
I'm not sure why you want to "start budget" while you get into a hollow chisel mortise. It is a pretty straight forward machine that does one thing and one thing only and the one you have does it very well. Your success with the machine could be affected by the quality of the chisel so I would recommend the premium chisel that Lee Valley offers but if you insist they do offer an economy option as well but I have no experience with them.
2nd the premium set from Lee Valley (Made in Japan). You will be disappointed with budget chisels.
I have the same machine and I absolutely love it. I did have to adjust it a bit after arrival to get it cutting well. I have the Powermatic chisels and they have worked well also. I assume the Lee Valley chisels are also high quality and look identical to my chisels (possibly the same manufacturer). I do tune up the cutting edges on a regular basis with the kit from Lee Valley. I don't disagree with the 1/4 and 1/2 inch sizes, but my most used chisel is 3/8. Just don't buy budget chisels.
Well alright. Point taken. I guess I figured they're similar to drill bits. I typically found that I like to touch up my forstner bits before use regardless of quality if I want really great results.
Also figured it was a finish issue that could be taken care of once I had them in hand. Don't mind polishing the flats on the chisel and cleaning up the bit.
I'll look into a premium bit to get started.
Thanks!
The "premium" chisels that Lee Valley and Grizzly sell (made in Japan) are Nakahashi. You can search by name and find them at many other vendors as well.
The company has been around for decades and make great chisels. They are a little expensive but IMO, they're worth it.
I've been replacing my cheap ones, one at a time.
I know the bits for my Powermatic floor model are not interchangeable with the Delta benchtop I owned before. I forget what the difference is, it's been so long since I bought bits. But be careful, as they are not all interchangeable.
Yep. The Auger bit in Lee Valley's Premium set has a longer shank than Delta's and bottoms out in the mortiser's auger bit chuck before the bit fully inserts into the hollow chisel. Here's a pic of the Delta benchtop mortise chisel and Lee Valley's premium chisel.
I have the Powermatic table top mortiser. I went with either the Powermatic Brand or the Lee Valley ones (can't recall which). I have been happy with them.
Thanks for all the info everyone. I was able to borrow a Fisch bit from a studio mate and try it out. It's pretty great, and a definite time saver, but left a pretty messy mortiser. It wasn't stepped out of square, but the bit seemed to deflect towards me me every few cuts. This could be due to a milling error, or not perfectly sharp chisels I guess. I did hone them a bit and hit the spur with a file, could've done a better job for sure but didn't seem like these need to be razor sharp.
That being said, I'm sold. This thing rocks. I'm gonna order one of those Nakahashi's asap, just trying to decide what a good compromise is on size.
The finish on the Fisch seems to leave a little to be desired.
I would like to be able to get this machine to cut a bit cleaner for through mortises, it seems like some have been able to make it work. I'll keep practicing I guess. On the through mortises I cut yesterday, I just clean them up with a file.
One more question. Anyone have success using cutting mortises larger than the bit? Say, a 1/4” bit to cut. 1/2” mortise? I know you want the cut to be equally supported to avoid deflection, but wondering how much you can get away with. Thanks for lookin!
I wouldn't bother using a 1/4 bit to make 1/2" mortises. Too much trouble. To make really wide mortises, say 1" or more, I'd use the widest chisel set I had, and make multiple passes if necessary.
95 percent of the time, my mortises are done with the 5/16" bit. All my frame and panel doors, drawer dividers, etc.
It's not uncommon to make cuts wider than the bit. It all depends on what kind or work you do, a 1/2" or 3/8" chisel may be all you need. If you have to go larger, an overlap shouldn't be an issue. The bit should not deflect if it's held in the housing/bushing properly.
found a hollow chisel mortiser & complete set of bits on Facebook sales for about $300. The bits doubtless need sharpening but it's a good deal, if you don't mind owning a dead man's tools.
Somebody's gonna own mine. I have good friends that argue in front of me about who will show up first at my estate sale.
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