To Brian, regarding Horizontal mortiser

[marc rosen]

Hey, I'm curious to know if you, or anyone else here though about the use of a radial arm saw frame and carriage as the basis for a horizontal mortiser. I have not read all of your text on your website but did read most of the replies to your posts but I have not seen this come up. You would already have vertical and forward travel mechanisms with the RAS frame and then all you would need is the lateral teavel which could be accomplished as you portrayed in your pictures. I'm not advocating abandoning what you have started but maybe this could give someone else inspiration to see if it would work. Marc

[GarageWoodworks]

That sounds similar to how the multi-router operates by traveling on a rod with linear bearings. I don't own a RAS to modify, but it sounds like it might work.

[Leon]

When I had a RAS back in the 80's I used it as a horizonal boreing machine a few times but it tended to be more trouble than it was worth.

[Sonny]

Another option, possibly, for the movement aspect would be a Delta Sawbuck set up. It has a framed arm movement with a circular type saw mounted. The saw travels in one planor direction (x axis), as an RAS. The frame, itself, tilts to 45=B0 (allowing for y axis cuts) and the whole unit can be turned (for z axis cuts). Right off, a problem would be: any cut would be in line of the stationary frame (the motor/ router is mounted onto) aspect.

A used Sawbuck may not be hard to find, and much cheaper than a RAS frame, too, if experimenting with this sort of frame is considered.

Sonny

[GarageWoodworks]

I had a Sawbuck that my brother gave me used. I never found a use for it and it was taking up valuable shop space so guess what? I put it out by the street for someone to take and now I wish I had it. (sigh...)

[Upscale]

Leon, can you email me? I seem to have a problem emailing you privately. I'm not sure why. I wanted to talk to you about Bridge City Tools.

Dave

[Ferd Farkel]

You'll be facing the cutter side on instead of head on, as is usual with horizontal mortisers. Not sure if that's a problem; you can answer that better than me.

Have a radial drill press. Head can be tilted to horizontal, which in theory should produce a horizontal mortiser. Height is totally wrong for that application, too high for comfortable use, however. That could be corrected by setting the machine on a lower stand, but then it would be less practical to use as a drill press.

In a perfect universe, these things would not happen.

[marc rosen]

Hey Fred, On my radial arm saw the turret allows the head to rotate 90 degrees for ripping so a router could be fitted with its bit facing forward. Marc