DELTA 17-924 Mortising Attachment with 1/4 Inch, 5/16 Inch, 3/8 Inch, and 1/2 Inch Chisel and Bit Sets

by Delta

Product Description

Amazon.com Product Description

Can’t fit a square peg in a round hole? Drill a new one! The Delta 17-924 Mortising Attachment attaches to your dress press and turns it into a mortising machine. Includes four popular mortising chisel and bit sets and convenient carrying case along with attachment. Use it with Delta models 11-980, 11-990, 14-070 & 17-900 drill presses and 11-090 radial drill press; and Sears model 21313, 21315 & 21317 drill presses.

From the Manufacturer

Delta 17-924 Mortising Attachment with 1/4 Inch, 5/16 Inch, 3/8 Inch, and 1/2 Inch Chisel and Bit Sets

Product Details

• Product Dimensions: 13.5 x 13 x 4.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 15 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Shipping: This item is also available for shipping to select countries outside the U.S.
• Shipping Advisory: This item must be shipped separately from other items in your order. Additional shipping charges will not apply.
• ASIN: B0000223B4
• California residents: Click here for Proposition 65 warning.
• Item model number: 17-924
• Average Customer Review: 3.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (44 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #48,782 in Home Improvement (See Top 100 in Home Improvement)
  • #35 in Home Improvement > Power & Hand Tools > Power Tools > Drill Presses

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

107 of 108 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A good price for a decent tool, April 3, 2000

By 

Lee Hollander (Ann Arbor, Michigan (Go Blue)) - See all my reviews

This review is from: DELTA 17-924 Mortising Attachment with 1/4 Inch, 5/16 Inch, 3/8 Inch, and 1/2 Inch Chisel and Bit Sets (Tools & Home Improvement)

As an aspiring woodworker, I found the Delta mortising tool a useful addition to my collection. Its best feature is definitely the price and the fact it utilizes your existing drill press. However it does have some limitations.

First is the depth of cut. I have a Delta 12" drill press with 2.5 inches of travel. The attachment method of the mortising tool eats up about 1.5 inches of the total travel. I was able to optimize the mounting somewhat to achieve about 1.25" of travel for the 1/2" mortise. The smaller bits are shorter, so this might further limit travel but I haven't tried them yet. If you have a press with 3-4" of travel, this probably wouldn't be an issue.

Bear in mind there are two levels of mortising bits from Delta. The set of four bits included are the cheaper ones made in Taiwain, whereas the better ones made in Austria are about $40 each. To the novice they look similar, but the experts insist you get what you pay for. Personally I opted for the 4 included Taiwanese bits and then bought a single higher quality 1/2" bit which I had an immediate use for. I figure I will use the cheap bits for now and if they break, I'll upgrade them later.

As for set up, it can be very time consuming, especially the first time. I ended up scribing perpendicular cheater lines on my drill press table and support column to assist in determining when the fence and bit were square. Because I was making deep mortises, I had to raise my table several times in order to achieve the desired depth of cut. To facilitate maintaining the proper table alignment, I used a C-clamp to lock the toothed rack in place on the support column. I also referenced the scribed lined on the column described above.

Once set up was complete, I was able to make some nice cuts in a reasonable amount of time. I feel the mortising kit is well worth the price, so long as you are aware of its limitations.

72 of 72 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars This is a solid performer!, June 29, 2000

By 

Scott Pointon "Former Marine, Librarian, Wood... (Crest Hill, IL United States) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: DELTA 17-924 Mortising Attachment with 1/4 Inch, 5/16 Inch, 3/8 Inch, and 1/2 Inch Chisel and Bit Sets (Tools & Home Improvement)

I purchased this attachment a couple months ago, and it has proven to be a real surprise. Since it is an inexpensive tool, with the more inexpensive chisels and bits included, I didn't expect it to be a precision tool, but it really does well. I have now used it to make mortises in red oak, white pine, and southern yellow pine, and am glad that I didn't spend more money than I did. The other reviewers are absolutely correct that set-up is time consuming, but for a hobbyist woodworker like me, it does the job efficiently, cheaply, and well. I would definitely purchase this item again.

63 of 63 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Keep this attachment in perspective, November 28, 2001

By 

brian lanning (chicagoland) - See all my reviews

This review is from: DELTA 17-924 Mortising Attachment with 1/4 Inch, 5/16 Inch, 3/8 Inch, and 1/2 Inch Chisel and Bit Sets (Tools & Home Improvement)

I have mixed feelings about this tool. Here's my pros and cons:

Pro:
Cheap - compared to a dedicated mortiser.

Fits the drill press nicely - once it's set up, it works well

Cons:
Compared to a dedicated mortiser, this is junk. But it's also a fraction of the price. So for that reason, it's a good tool to start with

Some people complain about poor chisel quality and broken chisels. I havn't had that experience. I'm getting ready to cut a bunch of moritses in white oak though so maybe my opinion will change.

When it's set up, you can't use your drill press as a drill press. This is made worse because...

Setup is horrible. In order to cut a mortise (really a straight line of square holes) everything has to be square. This is tough because the chisel and fence need to be perpendicular and parallel. Tough because the table on the drill press moves side-to-side. Then the fence turns on the table. And the chisel rotates in the fixture. I'm planning on making a jig to help line everything up.

The bottom line is that it's good to start with. I like mine. I wish they had included a jig to help with the alignment.