Steel City mortiser

[srjdsmith]

So, once again, breaking out another tool left to me by my Dad. It’s a Steel City mortiser 25200. It’s not the Rolls Royce of Mortisers, but it seems to work well enough. I have five chisels with it. It seems to use a slightly non-standard 5/8 collar chisel size, but that’s not a big problem.

Biggest issue I have is that I can’t find the work hold-down; no set screw in the fence, no post, no hold-down extension. Does anyone know if something else will fit?



My only other issue is that it doesn’t plunge through the base and a sacrificial board is needed to do clear-through cuts.

 

[alinc100]

I would venture a Delta/Jet/grizzly mortiser would likely have the same hold down. The travel is restricted so that the chisel and bit do not impact your cast iron base, otherwise you'd be buying a lot of bits and chisels. You could also mount a block on the back fence wide enough to mount a de-sta-co type lever clamp to keep your work held down. Another thought is many have taken the mortiser,turned the base around and mounted an x-y vise in its place ,giving you a work holding clamp and the ability to move in 2 axis's

 

[pinebeetle1]

Woodriver by woodcraft sold the same unit with their branding I believe, I have one that appears identical. Might check see if replacement parts still available on their website. Possibly epartsdirect.com ?

 

[toolmiser]

I think you could weld one up and make it work without much trouble. Doesn't need to be real precise, and you can file it a little to make it pretty good.

 

[tyyost]

Try Grizzly - https://www.grizzly.com/products/g0645/parts