ARE PRICEY BUT EFFECTIVE Horizontal (·slot· ) mortlsers are aYallable In two price categories, both expensive. All use a single joystick to control Ihe X Dod Y movement, with e hendwheel for vertical adjustments. And all ar. designed for specialized mortising bits. though Albers had equal success with router bits and machinist's end-mills.
ROJEK IS A GOOD MORTISER FOR SMALL SHOPS
•
The Rojek VDA 316 falls Into the
lower-priced tie, of these machln". But you get a solid base, a large cast-lron table. a at,oo& cam-action clamp. and a heavy-duty mortising
•
chuck wtth a
~n.
End t,ain IN face Inll". SkIt mortise" like the Rojek make
precise mort/ses 00 the edges (left ) Of ends (oolow) of workplaces. A single joystick mo\'es the table In. out. iJnd
side to side.
bit capacity.
Bullt"n adjustable stops make It
ea8y to dIal In the depth and length of a mortise. The table travel was
not perfectly smooth In all directions, but that didn't seem to affect
the results.
ROJEK VDA 316
_ .tech-mark.com Street price: $1,900
INDUSTRIAL MACHINE IS
VERY SMOOTH AND SOLID If you enjoy working with top-end
macnlnery, European manufactur-
er. offer l\eavy-cluty slot mortl. era for $3,000 and up. With a larger machloo like the Felder FD
250, you encoullter a new world 01 fit, finish, smootl1 operation, and W61H!tnglneered stops and clamps that make the most comple" mortises simple, accurate, and repeat· able. The Fekiltt"s table Is lareltt' and heavier than that of the Ro)ek. and a model I. available that tilts
-
on cast.fron trunnions IOf recula, and compound angle•.
FElDER FD 250
www.lelderusa.com Street price; $3,600
68
P I NE WOODWORK I NG
A step up. On Industrial slot mortisers. the head moves. not the table. and the action Is smoother, Also. there ar. better clamping options and stops. Tne Felder nas a clever fence that lOCkS onto the table at 45 ~ (snown) lind 90".