Last week I assembled my new Delta mortising machine. Put in the bit and made a few practice cuts in maple. Cut great and I was ready to go.
My first project, however is going to be pine. I got some furniture grade stuff and figured it would be a good way to learn the art of m & t joints. Using the same setup, the bit does not cut all that well. The maple gives off a nice chip that is easily ejected through the slot in the chisel. The pine loads up between the tip and the opening. In 16 cuts, I had to removed it about 6 times. I have the chisel a little honing, but it seemed to make little difference. I tried more clearance and it did not seem to matter. Went back to the maple and it cut OK. I'm stumped. Any suggestions? I have
16 more mortises to make.Oh, I used the "40¢" method of setup. I did not have a dime so I used a nickel and five pennies. It that OK? ;)