Just purchased the Powermatic 701 Benchtop Mortiser along with a Delta 1/2"
Austrian made chisel/bit set. Had a few issues testing it out and I wanted
to see what was normal as well as some recommendations.

1.) How much noise should you hear from the bit inside the chisel when
you first power the machine up? I put in the chuck extension and I can
still only grab a small portion of the drill bit with the chuck and I'm
worried I might have runnout because of it, creating the noise inside the
chisel. It's not a loud noise but up to the point the bit hits the wood
there is a bit of screeching. When it contacts the wood that stops.

2.) How tight should the chisel fit into the bushing on the machine? I
had to use a block of wood and a hammer to get it on. I'll probably need a
wood dowel and a hammer to get it off.

3.) How hard can you safely bear down when drilling? To get the first
hole into rock maple (my first test in cedar wasn't so bad) required quite a
bit of force.

4.) How much should I try to take off with subsequent holes? Is there a
rule of thumb, such as half the width of the chisel or two thirds?

5.) What are the most useful sizes of chisels? I started with the 1/2".
They had a lot of 5/16" in stock and some 1/4". I realize it depends what
type of woodworking you do, but I'd still like to know whats most popular.

6.) What brands of chisel/bits do you recommend? I've read the Austrian
bits are worth the extra money, but maybe only if you use them a lot.
Also, where do you recommend purchasing them?

TIA
Joe

"Joe Tylicki" wrote in message
news
Just purchased the Powermatic 701 Benchtop Mortiser along with a Delta
1/2" Austrian made chisel/bit set. Had a few issues testing it out and I
wanted to see what was normal as well as some recommendations.

1.) How much noise should you hear from the bit inside the chisel when
you first power the machine up? I put in the chuck extension and I can
still only grab a small portion of the drill bit with the chuck and I'm
worried I might have runnout because of it, creating the noise inside the
chisel. It's not a loud noise but up to the point the bit hits the wood
there is a bit of screeching. When it contacts the wood that stops.

The bit tends to SQUEEEEEEEEELLLLL does it? ;~) Normal. Mine does it, a
Delta and so does Norms. However if you spray a bit of TopCote or a
similar dry lubricant on the spinning bit it will quiet things down for a
short period.



2.) How tight should the chisel fit into the bushing on the machine? I
had to use a block of wood and a hammer to get it on. I'll probably need
a wood dowel and a hammer to get it off.

That does not sound right. Did you loosen all the adjustment screws? Mine
will push up with my finger pushing up on the pointey end.


3.) How hard can you safely bear down when drilling? To get the first
hole into rock maple (my first test in cedar wasn't so bad) required quite
a bit of force.

I do not know of any chisel that does not need to be sharpened, when new,
for optimum performance. LeeValley sells a sharpening cone to take any burs
out of the end of the chisel and then you should polish the 4 bottom sides
near the point to a mirror finish and your effory should deminish greatly.


4.) How much should I try to take off with subsequent holes? Is there
a rule of thumb, such as half the width of the chisel or two thirds?

I personally try to take as much as possible on the remaining plunges taking
care to not leave any small partitions behind. Once the first one is cut
the remainder tend to go easily as long as only 3 sides are cutting into the
wood.


5.) What are the most useful sizes of chisels? I started with the
1/2". They had a lot of 5/16" in stock and some 1/4". I realize it
depends what type of woodworking you do, but I'd still like to know whats
most popular.

It is easy to break the 1/4" bits so I try to work with 3/8" exclusively.
The smaller the bite, the less stress on you and the machine.


6.) What brands of chisel/bits do you recommend? I've read the
Austrian bits are worth the extra money, but maybe only if you use them a
lot. Also, where do you recommend purchasing them?

I am still on my original Delta set.

The bit tends to SQUEEEEEEEEELLLLL does it? ;~) Normal. Mine does it,
a
Delta and so does Norms. However if you spray a bit of TopCote or a
similar dry lubricant on the spinning bit it will quiet things down for a
short period.

Yeah, that's the noise. Thanks, I'll give that a shot.

That does not sound right. Did you loosen all the adjustment screws?
Mine will push up with my finger pushing up on the pointey end.

Well, once the bushing is out of the machine, there are no remaining screws
to loosen. I either have too narrow of a bushing or the chisel is too
thick.


I do not know of any chisel that does not need to be sharpened, when new,
for optimum performance. LeeValley sells a sharpening cone to take any
burs out of the end of the chisel and then you should polish the 4 bottom
sides near the point to a mirror finish and your effory should deminish
greatly.

The Powermatic actually comes with a sharpening cone. After the first try
in rock maple was defeated, I dressed it up a little on there and was able
to make a hole, albeit with one hell of a lot of force. I was nervous about
doing anything to the outside of the chisel lest I change the diameter. Can
you tell me more about how you polish the bottom sides?



I personally try to take as much as possible on the remaining plunges
taking care to not leave any small partitions behind. Once the first one
is cut the remainder tend to go easily as long as only 3 sides are cutting
into the wood.

Perfect, thanks.

It is easy to break the 1/4" bits so I try to work with 3/8" exclusively.
The smaller the bite, the less stress on you and the machine.


Funny, my F-I-L suggested 3/8", and he's never used a mortiser. I had to go
for the big bad 1/2". Good thing he wasn't stocking any 3/4" or I might
have gone that route.


I am still on my original Delta set.

Do you know if they are Taiwanese or Austrian. I think Delta distributes
both. If they are Taiwanese and working well for you I won't bother
spending the extra dough.

Here's The Forty Cent Method for setting the bit to chisel
distance

http://home.comcast.net/~charliebcz/...tingTrick.html

Polish the sides of the chisels - makes them go in AND out
a bit easier.

charlie b

Another nice thing about the Powermatic is that it comes with spacers that
slide in and out to be used this way. Based upon the heat generated, I
don't think I'm rubbing at all at the tip, just clanking around in the
column.


"charlie b" wrote in message
...
Here's The Forty Cent Method for setting the bit to chisel
distance

http://home.comcast.net/~charliebcz/...tingTrick.html

Polish the sides of the chisels - makes them go in AND out
a bit easier.

charlie b

Joe Tylicki wrote:

Another nice thing about the Powermatic is that it comes with spacers that
slide in and out to be used this way. Based upon the heat generated, I
don't think I'm rubbing at all at the tip, just clanking around in the
column.

Sounds like the bit is out too far.

Another possibility is the drill bit position in the chuck.
Try turning the bit a quarter turn in the chuck and see if
the clanking gets better or worse. Not all round shafts are
in fact round.

charlie b

"Joe Tylicki" wrote in message

3.) How hard can you safely bear down when drilling? To get the first
hole into rock maple (my first test in cedar wasn't so bad) required quite
a
bit of force.

That will vary for every type of wood, and often on the oopposite end of the
same stock.

4.) How much should I try to take off with subsequent holes? Is there
a
rule of thumb, such as half the width of the chisel or two thirds?

Again, that can depend upon the bit size and the particular stock your're
mortising at the moment.

I generally start with a cut on either end of the markup, then take as big a
cut as I can without leaving anything between. Smaller bits, generally more
generous cuts, depending upon the stock.

*It helps, on subsequent cuts, to insure that the chip clearance slot in the
chisel is pointing into a previously drilled void.

5.) What are the most useful sizes of chisels? I started with the
1/2".
They had a lot of 5/16" in stock and some 1/4". I realize it depends what
type of woodworking you do, but I'd still like to know whats most popular.

Depends ... my most used are 1/4 and 3/8's, with an occasional 1/2" ...
rarely 3/4.

I have cut a _BUNCH_ of mortises with my machine and I am still using the
same Chinese bits that came with it three years ago. But I do use the Lee
Valley sharpening cones often.

Sharp chisels and bits, and a reasonable feed rate, are the keys to getting
good results from these benchtop machines.

--
www.e-woodshop.net
Last update: 12/13/05

1.) How much noise should you hear from the bit inside the chisel when
you first power the machine up? I put in the chuck extension and I can
still only grab a small portion of the drill bit with the chuck and I'm
worried I might have runnout because of it, creating the noise inside the
chisel. It's not a loud noise but up to the point the bit hits the wood
there is a bit of screeching. When it contacts the wood that stops.

I have a delta and does the act same thing... It has gotten better over
time, however. Or maybe I'm just going deaf.

2.) How tight should the chisel fit into the bushing on the machine? I
had to use a block of wood and a hammer to get it on. I'll probably need
a
wood dowel and a hammer to get it off.

I use vice grips. It isn'y pretty.

4.) How much should I try to take off with subsequent holes? Is there
a
rule of thumb, such as half the width of the chisel or two thirds?

I do 2/3rds

5.) What are the most useful sizes of chisels? I started with the
1/2".
They had a lot of 5/16" in stock and some 1/4". I realize it depends what
type of woodworking you do, but I'd still like to know whats most popular.

1/2" is huge. I would not use that size except in softwoods. I think that is
at the outer limits of the machine's capability. The material removed
increases exponentially. a 1/2" chisel removes 4 times the material of the
1/4"

Definitely 1/4" for stuff like cabinet doors. I like 3/8" for hardwood
carcass joinery.

6.) What brands of chisel/bits do you recommend? I've read the
Austrian
bits are worth the extra money, but maybe only if you use them a lot.
Also, where do you recommend purchasing them?

I go to Lee valley, though I have not yet tried their new "premium" line. Do
get their sharpening cones and make sure that you lap the outsides of the
chisels.

Cheers,

Steve

I have the General morticer, and it was a good move up from the Delta
bench top that I had. I used the origional chisels that came with the
Delta for 10 years, and they still cut fine. I probably cut 1,000 plus
mortices. I use the 3/8 chisel only, and use it for m & t for my
tables. For some reason, the first plunge always seems to take the most
force, but the next one is a lot easier. If it is requiring a lot of
force, I will stop, and move to the next cut, then back to the first
cut, moving back and forth until I hit bottom. I also make one cut at
each end of the mortice, and then take out the middle. I noticed that
If I took out only about a 3/16 cut each time, that there was a
noticable deflection in the chisel as I cut, so now, it is a full 3/8
cut each time, then backtrack 1/2 cut to remove most of that small
piece that is left between the chisel corner and the bit.
robo hippy

On Mon, 27 Feb 2006 04:26:46 +0000, Joe Tylicki wrote:

The Powermatic actually comes with a sharpening cone. After the first try
in rock maple was defeated, I dressed it up a little on there and was able
to make a hole, albeit with one hell of a lot of force. I was nervous
about doing anything to the outside of the chisel lest I change the
diameter. Can you tell me more about how you polish the bottom sides?


Nothin' to it, mate. Lay it out on a (flat) fine bench stone and give each
face a few strokes. You aren't trying for a mirror ... just making it
smoother than it was. It's unlikely you'll remove even .005" unless you
make a second career out of it.

If you aren't sure if your stone is flat, rub it against another identical
stone for a while. Use lubricant.

Bill

"W Canaday" wrote in message
news
On Mon, 27 Feb 2006 04:26:46 +0000, Joe Tylicki wrote:

The Powermatic actually comes with a sharpening cone. After the first
try
in rock maple was defeated, I dressed it up a little on there and was
able
to make a hole, albeit with one hell of a lot of force. I was nervous
about doing anything to the outside of the chisel lest I change the
diameter. Can you tell me more about how you polish the bottom sides?


Nothin' to it, mate. Lay it out on a (flat) fine bench stone and give each
face a few strokes. You aren't trying for a mirror ... just making it
smoother than it was. It's unlikely you'll remove even .005" unless you
make a second career out of it.


Well that is better than nothing but I'll call you on a mirror finish.
Nothing cuts quite like a chisel with a mirror finish in addition to a sharp
edge. Less friction is what you are looking for.

Thanks everyone for their replies. After seeing a couple people
mention the Japanese Lee Valley chisels, I ordered the set of four
yesterday at lunchtime (1/4, 5/16, 3/8, 1/2). I also added the package
of two sharpening cones in case I find that's easier than using the one
permanently attached to the machine. Once I get those I can determine
whether the super tight fit was due to the original chisel or the
bushing, in which case, one of them is going back to Woodcraft. I may
send the original chisel back anyway as the bit was a little on the
short side, even with the chuck extension installed in the mortiser. I
was a little nervous running the machine with so little of the bit in
the jaws.

Anyone know if I have a shot of seeing my chisels by the weekend? I
haven't ordered anything from LV is several years (I think it was the
plug cutters), but they still had me on file. The confirmation email I
received yesterday said everything was in stock.

Thanks
Joe

Anyone know if I have a shot of seeing my chisels by the weekend?

That all depends on where you are. They ship out of Ogdensburg, NY (due
south of Ottowa just inside the US) which happens to be about 90 miles from
me. The regular UPS ground gets order to me the secon business day after the
order is placed very consistently. I am pretty sure that I have gotten stuff
from them via FexEx Ground and UPS. I never pay for preminum shipping
because I'm so close.

So, it depends on where you are. If you are in the Northeast, I would say
that it's highly likely you will have your order.

Log onto their site and set up an account. You will be able to see you
entire order history and get a carrier tracking number for your current
orders.

Cheers,

Steve

Thanks Steve

I just got the shipping notice. Since its after 1:30, that means it
will ship tommorow. The service is FedEx Residential (or Home
Delivery), which does delivery on Saturrdays, as opposed to FedEx
Ground. I'm guessing I'll have it on Saturday based on plugging in
Odgensburg, NY on the FedEx site. The tracking number doesn't work
yet, probably will tommorow when they arrive to pick up the package.

FWIW, I'm in Wisconsin, which geographically is sort of Northeast, we
just call it the Midwest.

Joe

*Follow Up*

Received my set of four Lee Valley Japanese made chisels and two sharpening
cones yesterday. All problems are solved. Setup runs great. Only bug I
have to work out is to tighten up the gibs a little. When the chisel hits
the wood it can shift about 1/64 back towards the hole.

The Austrian made Delta chisel will be going back to Woodcraft next week.





"Joe Tylicki" wrote in message
news
Just purchased the Powermatic 701 Benchtop Mortiser along with a Delta
1/2" Austrian made chisel/bit set. Had a few issues testing it out and I
wanted to see what was normal as well as some recommendations.

1.) How much noise should you hear from the bit inside the chisel when
you first power the machine up? I put in the chuck extension and I can
still only grab a small portion of the drill bit with the chuck and I'm
worried I might have runnout because of it, creating the noise inside the
chisel. It's not a loud noise but up to the point the bit hits the wood
there is a bit of screeching. When it contacts the wood that stops.

2.) How tight should the chisel fit into the bushing on the machine? I
had to use a block of wood and a hammer to get it on. I'll probably need
a wood dowel and a hammer to get it off.

3.) How hard can you safely bear down when drilling? To get the first
hole into rock maple (my first test in cedar wasn't so bad) required quite
a bit of force.

4.) How much should I try to take off with subsequent holes? Is there
a rule of thumb, such as half the width of the chisel or two thirds?

5.) What are the most useful sizes of chisels? I started with the
1/2". They had a lot of 5/16" in stock and some 1/4". I realize it
depends what type of woodworking you do, but I'd still like to know whats
most popular.

6.) What brands of chisel/bits do you recommend? I've read the
Austrian bits are worth the extra money, but maybe only if you use them a
lot. Also, where do you recommend purchasing them?

TIA
Joe