Delta mortising attachment or...

[Dan Williams]

I'll soon be working on building new kitchen cabinets. It will involve 24 or so frame and raised panel doors. That's about 100 mortise and tenon joints. Does anyone have anything good to say about the Delta mortising attachment for a drill press, or would a dedicated benchtop mortising tool be a better route to go? Either tool would be something that would see future use, although I don't anticipate that volume of doors at any one time again. I currently use a forstner bit, for mortises, looking for something quicker. thanks.

[<marierdj]

The mortising attachment for drill press does not works as good as a real mortising machine. If you have a router and a carbide be you would be better off to make a jig and fixture to make your mortising. If not you can buy a made in china mortiser for around $200.00 CAD.

[Charley]

For raised panel doors you would be much better off using a rail and stile bit set with a router. A panel raising bit will do a good job making the raised panels too and you can buy a bit set that includes all three. You'll need a router table and a 3 HP router to run the raised panel bit though, and it would be a good idea to use a router table when cutting the rails and stiles too.

[C & S]

I did the kitchen door thing, 21 + another 5 in the pantry

I did the mortises with a dedicated mortiser. I like my mortiser, but if I were to do it again I would just do with stub tenons formed by a rail and stile cutter set. just because it would be a whole lot faster and the I'm not convinced that the true M&T is warrented in a kitchen .... kitchens are disposable (by heirloom furniture standards). They only have to last about

20 years before someone will want to remodel.

As for the drill press attachment, I had one and never could get it to work satisfactorily.... Others have had better luck.

-Steve

[SteveC]

Consider using pocket screws instead of mortise and tenons. Much faster and easier. Otherwise, IMHO a dedicated mortising machine is better than the drill press attachment .

[DonkeyHody]

I have a Delta mortising attachment. It's a fair amount of trouble to mount it and set it up, but that shouldn't be a big issue for you since you have so many to do. But it requires so much downforce that I was afraid I'd bend the handle on my drill press. And it keeps the drill press tied up so you can't use it for anything else. Like others said, I'd use rail & stile bit for doors, but if you insist on mortises, especially that many, go for the dedicated mortise machine.

DonkeyHody "Even an old blind hog finds an acorn every now and then."

[Lew Hodgett]

Pat Warner seems to have a handle on that one using a router and a router jig.

IMHO, a drill press is a total PITA for mortises, if you have a properly configured router.

Lew

[purduephotog]

I know this is contrary to your question, but in Rochester NY we have a Habitat for Humanity 'building supply' store, where home builders/remodelers can donate leftovers.

On my most recent trip I saw several 'entire kitchen's worth' of doors in excellent shape (maple, cherry) stained and finished- and they were selling the doors for about 5 to 7$ a piece. Some even had the closure hardware still attached.

And if I didn't have the wife with me I probably would have bought it for just the wood....

Good luck!

Jas> I'll soon be working on building new kitchen cabinets. It will involve 24 or