I have a Jet JWDP12 bench top drill press that I’d like to use as a hollow chisel mortiser. Maybe. Can you share your experience with hollow chisel mortising attachments designed for use with a drill press? I’m a hobbyist with no deadlines to meet, so in that context…do these attachments work? Are they worth the money for occasional use? Names and brands appreciated! Currently, I use Michael Fortune’s router jig from FWW to cut mortises and then square them up with a chisel. Is there much to gain with a drill press attachment? Thanks for your opinion!
Discussion Forum
Get It All!
UNLIMITED Membership is like taking a master class in woodworking for less than $10 a month.
Start Your Free TrialCategories
Discussion Forum
Digital Plans Library
Member exclusive! – Plans for everyone – from beginners to experts – right at your fingertips.
Highlights
-
Shape Your Skills
when you sign up for our emails
This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply. -
Shop Talk Live Podcast -
Our favorite articles and videos -
E-Learning Courses from Fine Woodworking
-
-
Replies
They work,badly, but if that's what you have you can get it done. I had one once but it could have been something like a Rockwell, probably was. Is it better or more efficient than a plunge router? Not much,if at all. I have a mortiser and have at times done mortises with a router and squared them with the mortiser- so there is always some use for every tool.
I think the mortising attachment is tough to use with a standing drill press. I am not sure its worth the effort to set it up on a bench top one. I would be worried about the head not being able to take the abuse. Likely better off using a router or hand-choping
Had one, briefly. Success was had by predrilling waste, then installing and going over the whole thing again with the HC attached. Bought a benchtop Delta, replaced it with a benchtop Jet.
Once I had the mortises dialed in I no longer had a drill press to use w/o busting the setup.
The Delta workes well but screams at 3450rpm, the Jet at half the speed, less noise and less smoke. Anybody wants to buy the Delta it's here with a set of chisels waiting for you.
I had a drill press mortiser for a short while, the end play was too much to keep things in a straight line. you are better off with what you were doing. drill and chisel work.
The happiest days were when I bought the set and then when I got rid of them. The time between was frustrating, fussy, and bloody from mishandling the four-pointed skin piercers.
Would advise against it... Had one on my floor model Delta drill press and it was awful. Pain to attach and detach. Hold downs didn't work well so when trying to raise it out of mortise it would twist and jam. VERY hard to get aligned. Lever arm on drill press handles not long enough to apply adequate pressure. I would imagine all those things would be at least as bad with a bench top drill press!
Also had a Delta. It would do the job, sort of, if you were willing to spend endless time getting it dialed in by trial and error. Was happy to get rid of it.
Now have a Jet HCM and it is a dream compered to the drill-attached. It stays set up.
But.......most of my mortising these days is done by hand.
Don't even think about it.
Just buy a couple of nice mortise chisels.
Seriously. You sound a bit like me. I hardly ever make more than one of anything, and if I do I will usually make a template and cut mortises with a router.
As a result I cut most mortises with a chisel - it's really easy, set-up time approaches zero and the cost is minimal, plus for me it's nice to do the hand work from time to time.
Bear in mind than an HCM is a decent size machine - it's a fair bit bigger than a drill press and it will occupy a lot of shop space you can't then use for something you use more often. The 'opportunity cost' of both the space and the cash, combined with the time taken to learn to use it, maintain it, keep bits sharp etc should not be underestimated.
The money you save not buying the HCM will easily buy you a Mallet, 2 top quality chisels (you only need 1/4" and 1/2" unless you make enormous stuff), a Tormek and all the jigs you need to have all your hand tools, kitchen knifes and gouges razor sharp. You'll even have change to buy some wood to make a project.
Top that!
I agree with the consensus that attaching a hollow chisel mortiser to a drill press is not a good approach. You will be much happier with a purpose-built mortising machine or an alternate method such as a router and templates.
I sent my Delta mortiser to the recycle center, in pieces. Now, I use the drill press with Forstner bits, then clean up with a router. Much less stressful. I think the drill press attachment would be prone to following the grain - not going perpendicular.
The drill press mortising kit is usually of low quality and the drill press lacks the rigidity to take this load. I did quite a lot of mortising using it on my drill press and ended up making a sturdy fixture to hold the piece down and supporting the table with a vertical wood beam resting on the floor, it helped.
Given how many have negative reviews above, maybe the reverse question should be asked just to contrast the difference. How many have been happy with their table top or free standing mortiser? I know I've been happy with mine.
I had a benchtop Delta that was garbage. Everything broke on it, one piece at a time. Total crap. I put it out on the curb.
I have a Powermatic floor model now, with the X-Y table. It's fantastic.
I concur. I have a benchtop hollow chisel mortiser and I have used it on small projects as well as larger projects like doors and sideboards. I used to cut all my mortises by hand (which is still a very useful skill from time to time). The time saving, ease and repeatability of a HCM makes it well worth the space it occupies in my shop.
I have a Powermatic standalone mortiser and it works like great.
A drill press is not a press and not designed to exert the force needed to push a hollow chisel through a piece of wood. Can it be done, sure, but only for occasional use. You certaily run the risk of damaging your drill press with continued use.
Youze guys haven't tried the mortising accessory on a Shopsmith...it works wonderfully! Try it; you'll like it!!
For many years I used a Grizz drill press with a Grizz hollow chisel mortising attachment. There are a lot of down sides to the drill press attachment, as others have noted, but I was able to make it work on a budget. I have since moved to a dedicated mortising machine, but it's expensive. Since you said you are using a router jig - I doubt the drill press attachment would be any better. Probably worse. Good luck.
Wot is this nonsense? You obviously have little idea of how bad these attachments are, how many much better mortising methods there are and what constitutes good value in a woodworking tool.
Anyroadup, I wouldn't be inclined to buy any furniture from that website url you may be trying to foist on us via these recent posts o' yourn. You might have made the mortises with a drill press and an attachment .... somehow. :-)