Cutting Mortises

I need to buy a tool to cut mortises. I've used a chain mortiser, and it took me about 5 minutes to take out most of the wood in the mortise. But I've never used an old fashoned boring machine. I only know a few timberframers, but all seem to have a boring machine in their shop, but some are on the shelf gathering dust. So, I ask, do they really work? If so, how much slower are they than a chain mortiser? I know they are quieter, safer, and less expensive.

Guilty as charged, I have four boring machines gathering dust. I would love to use them, they all work fine with a sharp bit. I don't like to use them on hardwoods, especially dry hardwoods. I have seen old castings and gears broken and twisted. I can still buy parts for my Makita chain morticer but not for the Millers Falls or The Boss Double Eagle.

As an itinerant timber framer here in the mid-west I work mostly with recycled hardwoods. The only project I have done in the last three years that used green softwoods was in Georga last August. I was glad for the breeze from the motor on the chain morticer.

I talked with an "old timer" once at a demonstration I was giving. He had been watching off to the side as I showed some children how the boring machine was used. After the kids got board an ran off, he told me that as a boy he had worked on a barn framing crew. Because he was the youngest, he had to drill all the mortices. Man, was he smiling when I showed him my chain morticer.

Im wondering what is meant by 'most of the wood'; in what species, how large a mortice and with which morticer. I'm guessing Makita... ?

A manual boring machine will have the fastest set up time but bore slower and leave the most material for final cleanup.

In EWP I can get the boring done with my Millers Falls in well under 5 minutes for smaller mortices. However one of the very first mortices I bored on my house frame was in Hickory (a 2" mortice 4" deep and 6" long), I have no idea how long it took but it was definately more than 5 minutes.

Fortunately most of my hard wood mortices were 1.5" and the bulk of my addition is pine.

PS: I wouldn't trade up my Boss and 3/4" peg hole bit for anything I know of that will do the same job.

I used a Makita in EWP. Inch and half mostly. I need something that works in oak. I'm putting a ridge beam in an existing barn that is sagging, and I'm planning to use oak. I don't have the timbers yet, but I'd expect they will be pretty green. I will have many other uses for a mortiser in the future.

DKR,

The following is my opinion.

A chain mortiser is pretty well standard kit for a full time professional timber framer. It is a serious tool -- a serious investment that results in serious productivity -- assuming you are comfortable and confident with large power tools.

Another option is drilling your mortises with a large 1/2" drill and a large auger. If you go this route, get a corner chisel and learn how to sharpen it. If you're a carpenter, you may already have a big, slow drill (around 500 rpm). You'll use the drill to bore peg holes and countless other carpentry chores anyway. People who are proficient with this method can be very productive. I think it requires more skill/experience to become proficient at drilling mortises than using a chain mortiser, but the investment is minimal and if you're good the productivity isn't bad. I recommend the short wood owl bits (6" long or so). Learn to sharpen them. Most of ours needed some love to get them to cut right, but man they sing once you tune them up.

Boring machines are cool as all get out, but they aren't cheap and they aren't as productive as a decent 1/2" drill. I don't think they are a serious choice for a professional, unless some underlying philosophy dictates it.

If you are doing this for fun, now that's different.
Do whatever you find the most fun

Hope that helps.

Gabel

@ DKR,

I will have many other uses for a mortiser in the future.

If you are really going to use the mortiser more than jsut once I would recommend the Mafell. Once you set it up( and that part is easy as can be) you will cut mortises in no time at all. No clean up required either. Though it is rather pricy it is money well spend. I own one myself and I would not want to miss it.

DKR,
Boring machines not only work they work quite well. In addition they are very efficient and quick to set up.

A recent experiment:

I recently cut and raised a 5,000 square foot Traditional Timber Frame out of Northern Red Oak.

The structure weighed in around 35 tons.

We bored all of the joinery with a Millers Falls Boring Machine.

It worked well and was efficient in the green wood.

Past 4 1/2 inches was a workout and they don't call it a boooring machine for nothing (yawn, crank, yawn, crank, etc).

I have used the Millers Falls in a variety of species and it works well in all green wood.

Personally, I am not a fan of using 1/2 inch drills for morticing.

I would take my Millers Falls anyday over a 1/2 inch drill or the Makita Chain Morticer.

In the same vein I believe the Makita Chain Morticer is ABSOLUTE JUNK, compared to the European design.

Makita makes a European design, but its morticing depth is limited as its availability.

I do own a European Chain Morticer which I use often as of late.

I don't have an axe to grind one way or another on the hand tool vs. power tool issue, but I am intersted in actualising my own developement within the craft.

To that end I have experimented with different power and hand tools in real life (professional business) situations.

This has led me to the conclusion that the two best options are:

European Chain Morticer (hands down the fastest)

Traditional Boring Machine(hands down the coolest)
-Collin

I'd say that sums it up nicely.

Really? No cleanup required? Pardon my skepticism, but I'm surprised that anything with a chain can cut exactly to the layout line. We've cut many frames with our Makita. Is the difference that great? CB.

Having used and abused my Makita morticer for 15 years, I have to disagree. It has survived working on the road as an itinerant timber framer (Mostly Recycled Hardwoods)as well as several Guild events, (Robertson Windmill, Crawford Barn, Phelps Barn, Russell Colbath, Botanical Garden of the Ozarks). It has required very little in the way of repairs. The Makita can also cut 1" housings and 3/4" wide mortices . If my morticer ever needs to be replaced I'll buy another Makita. It may not be as light or fast as a Mafell, but I think that the Makita is more durable.
Oh sure, I'd love to have a Mafell morticer, and a 14"saw too, but $$$. You get what you pay for. Tom

No cleanup required is relative.

With a Mafell mortiser the bottom of the mortice isn't flat, if you've engineered your timbers to allow for over boring then there is no cleanup on the bottom. The chamfer on the tennon helps keep the required overbore to a minimum.

I believe the Makita plunges to three slightly different depths with each set of the head so a similiar situation exists, is this correct?

The Mafell will cut right to the critical lines on the ends of the mortice nice and smooth. The sides of the mortice have some chain texture that cleans off in about 20 seconds/side.

@ Daiku,

I think Collin put it nicely. Go read his post again.
And if you still do not believe it go try a Mafell. As I understand it the Makita needs to be clamped to the wood because it cuts with the grain. Therefore you probably want to stay away from your layout lines because of tear out. The Mafell cuts across the grain and therefore does not need to be clamped down and you can cut right to the layout lines. It also comes with different size chains as an option (1.5" or 2" or diffenrent metric chain sizes). There is some tearout were it dives into the wood but that will be covered by the face of the brace, post or beam. Keep the chains sharpened and the tear is very little. Used to work with an really old model in Germany for years. Never needed to repair it or do any adjustments to it. And believe me it was running a lot every day.
As for the clean up. I usually oversize my beams anyway. So if I have to cut a bit deeper so I do not have to clean the bottom of the mortise it will not matter. And even if it needs to be cleaned, I cannot imagine any faster way to cut most of the mortise than with a chain mortiser.

@ Derek,

Mafell gets'r done. $$$$$$$

I do not disagree there.
Yet, for any serious timberframer that needs to get the frames cut as quickly yet acurate as possible the money spend would be recovered with just a few frames cut. After that you'll be glad to own one.
I have cut exactly one small frame with 1/2" drill. That was enough fussing around for me. Now there is only one tool, maybe two that I rip out when it comes time to cut mortises. My Mafell and when needed a chisel. 2min. per Mortise after it's layed out and if I need to clean up the bottom of the mortise other wise 30sec. per mortise. That compared to several minutes of drilling and then clean up was worth the $$$$ to me.

Thanks for the input everyone. If I were in the business, it sounds to me like I would need to seriously consider that Mafell mortiser. But I'm not. I need a mortiser to build some smaller frames before I start on a house. Knowing me, if I bought the boring machine, it would be gathering dust at some point and I'd buy a chain mortiser. So, I'm just going to bite the bullet and buy the Makita. Thanks again.

I don't see the makita being that far behind the mafell....
I cut right to the lines on the sides of the mortice with my makita and chisel the ends, probably a couple of minutes each end....

Another boring morticing thread. I for the most part agree with Mr Beggs. On the other hand I enjoyed the ability of the Mikita over the worn out Mafell which was present in the shop. I still am going to use hand crank machines in the future. As for "they aren't cheap" I have recieved machines in the price range of free to $340.oo, compared to $4000.00 plus, I would say hand crank machines are cheep, underlying philosophys aside. Tim

Inexpensive, not cheap.......

I'm from Canada but currently in the UK and I've been looking for a Chain mortiser. I currently have my eye on the Ryobi CM31 - 110v version. I've used it once before and it seemed like a very acurate and fast tool that is better than the makita and costs less than the mafell. Has anyone used it and would I have to do more than change the plug? Is there another mortiser I should be looking at?