A 2" deep mortise is possible with the 500

fshanno

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Sep 20, 2007
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All that is needed is an extension very much like the adapter Seneca Woodworking makes for the XL that permits the use of bits for the 500.

The length of the adapter would have to be tuned to achieve the correct mortise width.

You'd make a normal plunge to max depth using max width.  Then add the extension and reset to the middle width setting.  You'd need to have it powered off to place the machine for the second plunge because the end of the bit is out past the face of the fence.  Power on then plunge

The negatives are obvious.  It's tedious and there's the risk of breaking something.  But the positive is pretty huge, 100mm long tenons for mortises cut with your 500.  There's the old adage, don't tell me what it was designed to do, tell me what it will do.
 
fshanno said:
All that is needed is an extension very much like the adapter Seneca Woodworking makes for the XL that permits the use of bits for the 500.

The length of the adapter would have to be tuned to achieve the correct mortise width.

You'd make a normal plunge to max depth using max width.  Then add the extension and reset to the middle width setting.  You'd need to have it powered off to place the machine for the second plunge because the end of the bit is out past the face of the fence.  Power on then plunge

The negatives are obvious.  It's tedious and there's the risk of breaking something.  But the positive is pretty huge, 100mm long tenons for mortises cut with your 500.  There's the old adage, don't tell me what it was designed to do, tell me what it will do.
That is a very bad idea and will almost certainly never happen. I don't think anyone would make an attachment that is almost designed to create personal injury lawsuits.

Just get a 700 it's designed for the job.
 
Sometimewoodworker said:
That is a very bad idea and will almost certainly never happen. I don't think anyone would make an attachment that is almost designed to create personal injury lawsuits.

Just get a 700 it's designed for the job.

I must say, the notion of injury never crossed my mind.  It seems so incredibly unlikely.  Something will break in the mortise and blast it's way through the work piece, punch through the fence and somehow hit the operator?  Seriously?

Well, okay, to each his own.  That's one in the "no" column.
 
I agree with Jerome, it is fraught with danger.

For those odd times when you need a deeper mortice slot try this...

Do the deepest slot that you can do with the DF500. Then take a brad point drill of the same diameter as the Domino cutter, put a depth mark on it and drill out as much as you can to achieve the full depth. Start this at the two ends in order to make sure that they are clean.

Then taking out  the tiny bit that remains will be easy with a chisel. The depth does need to allow some space for glue at the end - say 2 mm.

In my experience domino work is quite forgiving and that extra rough bit at the bottom of the slot will make little difference to the final strength or look of the joint.

The small number of times that this needs to be done make it a reasonable solution. If you need to do it so much that it is a chore then buy a (beautiful) DF 700.

Peter
 
fshanno said:
All that is needed is an extension very much like the adapter Seneca Woodworking makes for the XL that permits the use of bits for the 500.

The length of the adapter would have to be tuned to achieve the correct mortise width.

You'd make a normal plunge to max depth using max width.  Then add the extension and reset to the middle width setting.  You'd need to have it powered off to place the machine for the second plunge because the end of the bit is out past the face of the fence.  Power on then plunge

The negatives are obvious.  It's tedious and there's the risk of breaking something.  But the positive is pretty huge, 100mm long tenons for mortises cut with your 500.  There's the old adage, don't tell me what it was designed to do, tell me what it will do.

Bad idea.  Just buy a domino xl. 
 
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