There seems to be a huge variation in the price of mortiser chisels.
Rockler has quarter inchers at $17. Taiwan Made.
Delta has them at a range of $25-30 also made in Taiwan.
My tool supplier pulled out some of his stash that were Delta, with the same stock number, but made in Austria for $40. Razor sharp.
I go through them about every 2 years, they heat up, get brittle and ultimately break, especially the smaller ones.
Comments on price vs quality of mortiser chisels.
Regards,
Boris
Boris
“Sir, I may be drunk, but you’re crazy, and I’ll be sober tomorrow” — WC Fields, “Its a Gift” 1934
Replies
I've been using Fisch chisels in mine for years and they still cut great!
Aaron
I got some German made mortise chisels - Two Cherries - the hold an edge for a long time. Not cheap, but worth the extra money IMO.
Available at toolsforwoodworking and several other places
http://www.toolsforworkingwood.com/Merchant/merchant.mvc?Screen=PROD&Store_Code=toolshop&Product_Code=EE-500-20.XX&Category_Code=CTC
Ole.... I Love the smell of sawdust in the morning....
Boris
your experience begs the question — are you using too fast a feed rate?
Ian
Boris
The more expensive Delta are supposed to be made in Austria? The one's that come stock are Taiwanese.
I use the Fisch. No complaints for paying extra for them as they hold and edge longer than anyting I've used so far.
sarge..jt
Proud member of the : "I Rocked With ToolDoc Club" .... :>)
Believe it or not the $42.00 Delta chisels have "made in Austria" on the package. The $25 Delta chisels are made in Taiwan. My supplier acted like he was selling me pot, "Say listen, you wanna good deal on some Austrian made Delta chisels?" Then went past the display and in the back room and got these Austrian made ones at double the price.
Yeah, I probably have too great a feed rate. I have been making a lot of mortises lately and once I get going with the right set up and stop blocks, it is so quick and so brainless...........
Ah, but thats another story.
Regards,
Boris
"Sir, I may be drunk, but you're crazy, and I'll be sober tomorrow" -- WC Fields, "Its a Gift" 1934
Hi Boris, Just a thought but have you tried different clearances between the chisel and the drill depending on the hardness of the wood?Also do you spray the drill with Dri-Cote?I polish the internal bevel on the chisel and soften the transition from 45* to 90* slightly.
Boris
You might have a look at Fisch if the need arises for new one's down the road. They're reasonably priced for what you get. I spray Pam on my chisels as I do on my Band-Saw blades and that helps. The feed rate and the density of your stock is probably playing a big role in the burning.
Regards...
sarge..jtProud member of the : "I Rocked With ToolDoc Club" .... :>)
Boris,
When you bore the mortises, don't overlap the holes. If they overlap, the auger bit will drift into the adjacent hole and be forced against the side of the chisel causing friction and overheating. Also keep everything sharp and bore the holes quickly, as fast as the machine will go without laboring. The longer the chisel is buried in the wood the hotter it will get.
John W.
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