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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.
8.) Works well with a bit of modification
Reviewed by:
Rating:
I've owned Delta's mortising attachment for about a year. When I first purchased it, I really disliked it. But, over the past year, I've replaced the bits and chisals with high quality versions and have built a more appropriate work table with stops and lockdowns. Now I'd put the attachment up against all but the very best dedicated mortising machines given the amount of use it gets (1 hour per month).
With this attachment you get what you pay for. However, with the right accessories added plus a little work, you get much more.
9.) Good basic set
Reviewed by: coloradoskier Englewood, CO USA
Rating:
This is a tool that will let you make square holes in wood better known as Mortises which are the female part of a Mortise and tenon joint. I bought this because I needed to make some for a project I am building and did not want to fork the money for a dedicated machine. As other reviewers have noted the bit set that comes with is CHEAP. However the tool itself is well made. Set up was easy. It comes with different collars for adapting to most drill presses(check to see that yours is compatible before purchase) If you have a small bench press like I do there is not a lot of room left after attaching. I had to remove the table from mine to make it work! However if you have a 13" or larger drill press there should not be a problem. If you can afford it or if you do a lot of mortises BUY A DEDICATED MACHINE. But if you only use it occasionaly than this is a good way to go. The quality is there ease of set up is good I only rate 4* because of the bit set. A better way to go might be to buy the attachment w/o the bits and then buy a good set of bits to go with it.
10.) Not bad for the money, but could be better.
Reviewed by: LithKnight Stamford, CT USA
Rating:
"For the money" is the key phrase here. Compared to buying a dedicated mortiser or doing it by hand this tool is chpear than the former and quicker than the latter. The good things are that it does work. Once you have it installed, aligned, and tweaked it seems to work fine. I use it in oak without a problem. People who are burning or breaking bits may need to adjust the position of the dril vs the position of the square chisel. Or maybe they have a defect of some sort. It seems to help if you back out often and allow the bit to clear itself of debris.
Now for the bad. The molded plastic case seems like it doesn't really fit. There are not slots for all the piece and no matter how you put the parts in it doesn't seem quite right. This seems like a pretty obvious mistake so I assume Delta is just too lazy to address this. The setup requires a bit of patience and time. If the bit is not exactly square to the fence you get some wacky looking holes. Lots of fussy screws, knobs, etc.
Overall this is better than not having a mortiser and the price is right. I would buy it again since I don't want or need to invest the money or storage space required for a dedicated mortiser.
11.) OK gadget
Reviewed by: jim-of-oz Freeland, MI United States
Rating:
I haven't used this a lot, but I do have some comments. I have the Delta DP400 drill press. I bought the mortising attachment from another company not knowing it was also a Delta brand. When I got it, I read the instructions and started to install it. At first I found out that all three bushings that were supplied didn't fit. A couple of pages later I found out that for my type of Delta press, they weren't needed and it fit perfectly without needing one. The manual didn't make any mention of the DP400 model specifically.
One odd problems was that the T-nut that is used to mount the fence to the table wasn't tapped. I had to anneal it and then run a tap through it. Of course this was happening about 1am, so it wasn't like I could get to a hardware store.
One last item is about aligning the mortising chisel and fence. While I haven't made an alignment jig yet, I plan on making one by very carefully aligning the fence then making a single hole into a straight piece of wood. After that I can just plug the chisel into the hole and use the attached board to align the fence. I will go ahead and drill a hole using all four chisels.
Overall, it seems well made and fits my Delta drill press perfectly. It seems pretty stout and while the carrying case doesn't fit well, it does hold everything. You just have to disassemble almost everything first.
12.) Doesn't fit, but I like it anyway
Reviewed by: brize_books Niles, OH United States
Rating:
I almost sent this thing back, since it didn't fit correctly on my Craftsman 15" drill press. Once I did some necessary modifications, however, (a couple of washers as spacers, mounting it a little lower on the quill collar, etc.) I was able to get it to work and decided to keep it anyway. Most of all, I like the versatility this kit adds to my old drill press. I figured I needed a dedicated mortiser clogging up my little shop as much as I need a (square) hole in my head!
I don't think the set-up is that bad - although I quickly disconnected Delta's "handy" spring loaded spline wrenches on their fence hold-down bolts. (I don't know how your supposed to start the bolt on the nut with those things getting in your way - I just keep them handy for final snugging)
Anyway, I find set-up to be a simple two step process: (1) slip on the collar and the load the desired size mortise bit/chisel, and (2) bolt the auxiliary fence to your table. Too keep everything square, I just clip a 12-inch ruler or straight stick to the back side of the chisel and set the fence at the desired clearance on both ends of the ruler.
I find the whole set-up time similar to setting up a dado on the table saw - it takes a little measuring, but once you've done it a couple of times it's no big deal.
I probably would've given 5 stars if this had fit my drill. I still can't figure out why it didn't, maybe I'm reading my model number wrong...
13.) Fits 10" Benchtop Drill press too
Reviewed by: Stephen Wells NC
Rating:
I purchased this mortising attachment hoping it would fit an old Rockwell Delta drill press I just bought from an estate sale. Well, it didn't fit that but just for kicks I tried it on my previous drill press, a 10" Benchtop drill press from Delta model #DP200.
It fit like a charm and worked perfectly even though this is not one of the Delta models the instructions say that the mortising attachment fits. The chisels and bits are in perfect shape and sharp. I got clean, accurately spaced mortises on my first attempt.
The only reason I didn't give this product five stars is that one plastic handled threaded knob (used for fixing a workpiece holdown in place) was missing from the kit. I had another one the right size that fits my Delta Tenoning jig so it wasn't that much of a problem for me but still, it should have had all the parts when it was shipped.
14.) Makes a perfect mortis but ....
Reviewed by: Jonathan Matt Gorham, ME United States
Rating:
Works very well on my drill press. Set-up was no big deal, it took only 15 min the first time I used it. Do not be swayed by the "handy carrying case" claim however. The case was clearly made for some other tool and the kit will not fit so the lid will close. Delta should stop making this claim!
15.) Mortising attachment review
Reviewed by: James A. Daviner Columbus, Ohio
Rating:
The Delta 17-1924 mortising attachment worked well. I found the hold down bars a bit awkward to use, but all in all it proved to be a helpful addition to my shop.
16.) Delta 17-924 Mortising Attachment
Reviewed by: Analyzer65 Benton, KY USA
Rating:
Easy to set up and to use. The only problem is the substandard chisel and bit sets, and would gladly pay more if they were sharper and were higher quality.
17.) Fits Many Drill Presses
Reviewed by: Novice Wood Worker Lorton, VA, United States
Rating:
Many people have expressed the same concern I have about the set. Will it fit my drill press?
Answer
Taken from Delta's website:
Model 17-924
...Also fits drill presses with quill diameters of 66 mm, 50.8 mm, 48 mm and 38 mm...
18.) A good price for a decent tool
Reviewed by: Lee Hollander Ann Arbor, Michigan (Go Blue)
Rating:
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.
19.) Poorly Cased
Reviewed by: woodworks Oconomowoc, WI, USA
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I've read other reviews regarding this item, and have to agree Delta really got lazy with the kit case for it. Things are jumbled into it with no place for them to be, just piled on top of other components, wherever there's room. The tool itself is what I expected, does the job, and fits my drill press fine. For a shop with not a lot of available space, versatility is a must, and this is a reasonable alternative to a bench top mortising machine.
20.) Nice
Reviewed by: fritzjones Binghamton,NY
Rating:
This unit works good enough for my use. I don't use it that often & running out of room to set up another machine. Outstanding tool for those like me that use it just every now & then.
21.) Definately makes square holes.
Reviewed by: pilch California City, California United States
Rating: 
Once it is set up, it makes great mortises with ease; once it is set up. While the setup is not difficult, it is time consuming. For me the plastic storage box is completely useless. The box is cheap and in order to be used the mortising attachment must be completely dissasembled. Also, the plastic box that came with mine seems to be made for a different version. The part number I received is 17-924 but it doesn't resemble the picture on this page and it doesn't fit the moldings in the box. It took me about 20 minutes to set up the first time and will probably take about 10 now that I've done it. Once set up it was as easy to use as any other drilling operation. To Delta's credit the manual was fairly thorough and accurate.
22.) Hard to make work piece square with the chisel.
Reviewed by: Victor L. Michels Boyds, Maryland United States
Rating:
If the machined mortice is not square, it can take hours of time to make the needed adjustments by hand. You might need to send the partially completed piece to the scrap pile and start over. This model of the Delta Mortising attachment has some much need improvements of the model I purchased about a year ago. The old fence system was VERY difficult to set-up and get square with the chisel. Delta has obviously fixed many of the problems but . . . I don't think this is a viable replacement for a dedicated mortising machine unless you discard the fence and build your own Table/Fence Jig that allows you to properly support and easily adjust your work piece square with the chisel.
23.) Good tool, but not worth buying
Reviewed by: Steve Naatz Chicago, IL
Rating:
I bought this tool with my drill press a couple years ago and have hardly used it. There is nothing wrong with it, but I find that there are several things that stop me from using it more often. The first is the setup. It takes too long and is too awkward. Personally I'd rather pop in a forstener bit into my drill press and make several passes to achieve a very good mortise - although this doesn't work if you are doing a through mortise.
PROS:
* Does the job it states
* Much cheaper than a dedicated mortiser
CONS:
* Much too time consuming to set up
* Has a very hard time cutting through hardwoods
* Chisels seem to dull quickly
24.) Problem with Delta Radial Drill Press.
Reviewed by: Chris H. Betts Lodi, OH United States
Rating:
The spacers that come with the unit makes it a "one size fits all" tool. The spacers that come with the unit did not fit my Delta Radial Drill Press. I took the unit to local VoEd School and their machine shop class made me a shim that fits. After that, the unit seems to work fine. I am only a hobby wood worker and it should be acceptable. It clearly is not a production type tool, however, for the price I consider it a good deal.
25.) Needs better chisels
Reviewed by: Gregory T. Cissell Zion, IL
Rating:
I am limited on funds and space, so I thought this drill press mortising attachment would be great. It's not bad. First, I like the ease of assembly--just follow the easy to read directions, and ten minutes later you're ready to go. Set up and adjustment is also a snap. The problem lies, however, in the quality of the chisels. I was cutting one inch deep mortises in hard maple. I started to get tear out after the first five or six. So, I'd sharpen the chisels (using a diamond cone purchased from Rockler) again and again. My mortiing chisels hold an edge much longer.
The fence is a bit smaller than the fence on stand-alone mortisers, but since I mainly use it for small items, it hasn't become an issue.
Nevertheless, the system is easy to use and truth be told, so is sharpening. For the price, I would purchase it again. Perhaps as time passes, I will upgrade the chisels.
26.) Cheap bits don't break!
Reviewed by: P. Mathieu CT USA
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The Austrian bits are very brittle as well as expensive. Go with these cheap chisel/bit sets and you're much better off. I've gotten several hundred holes with the "cheap asian" bits and only a dozen or so with the "fine Austrian" bits.
27.) Ok, but too small
Reviewed by: Woodworker- basic Chicago, Illinois USA
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Received the product and put it together in about an hour. Agree with previous reviews that alignment is going to be an issue and without proper alignment it's useless. My big problem was that I bought the product for a particular project (a large workbench) and the piece does not fit on the drill press (4x4 column). Both height and depth were issues. I tested on scrap wood and it seems to cut nice square holes, however, I'm going to have to go the old fashioned route for this project. Looks like it will be good for small projects.
28.) Okay for casual use
Reviewed by: Woodenboatguys Huntington Beach California
Rating:
This setup is okay for limited use. One disappointment was the poor shape the cutting surfaces are in....I am a big fan of SHARP....these are not really too well conditioned. But, for the limited use I plan of using this tool for, it appears as though it will perform well enough to allow me to get small projects completed. I suggest you visit a bit sharpener or get to work with your own stones prior to beginning any work.
29.) fit???
Reviewed by:
Rating:
i am still in iraq, i ordered this to go on my drill press, the dp-200 i know delta doesnt say that it fits, below some one said it did all in all ill just see if it doesnt someone let me know and i can send it to them for 10.00 less then amozon. i only gave it 3 stars for now but will update later
30.) Mortising Bit Review
Reviewed by:
Rating:
This product provides to many attachmems for the home workshop.I am trying to find a mortising bit that will cut a square hole 3/8 " in 3/4 wood that is commonly used in home shop projects. I couldn't find the size of the shanks on the bits to see if they would fit my drill press.
31.) Get a Bench Top Mortiser if you can afford one
Reviewed by: kestrel2000 Santa Rosa, CA United States
Rating: 
I've been using this attachment for a couple of years now. I recommend it only if you cannot afford a bench top mortiser.
First, attaching the fence to my 16 1/2" Delta drill press is not easy at all. In fact, it's a real pain in the keester. You would think this would be easy because it is a Delta drill press but it isn't.
Second, the workpiece holddowns are cheap and difficult to work with. No matter what you do, the workpiece moves when you don't want it to move, or it stays put when you want it to move. It's not a good design.
Third, the chisels do not drill perfectly square holes. The auger bits are just a hair bigger than the chisels. So, you end up with a circle with square corners. This effect is more pronounced the bigger the chisel/bit.
I finally ditched the table accessories and built my own table jig (which works surprisingly well and looks cool too). This solved the first two issues. If it is really important to have perfectly square mortises, I cut them by hand. This solves the final issue. (Note: the mortises are OK for most joinery because you have a shoulder on the tenon to hide the slightly out of square mortise.)
UPDATE I was hanging out at Woodcraft last Saturday and this guy walks in...to return an auger bit. The pointy tip on the bit was not on the same axis as the drill bit. He rotated the bit and I looked at the pointy thing, and it was tracking a circle 3/32" in diameter. That explains why the drll won't drill a square hole.
32.) Less than ideal
Reviewed by: C. Davis Spring, TX
Rating: 
I bought this because I am making a set of morris chairs that require a lot of mortising. The primary problem that I have had is that the chisel holder tends to slip up the quill and that it takes a LOT of pressure to drill the holes. I eventually fixed part of the slipping problem by putting a hose clamp above the chisel holder on the quill, but then the holder started slipping over the ring that goes between the chisel holder and the quill. Finally, in an effort to tighten it enough, I broke the handle on the chisel holder. All in all I am fairly unhappy and quite disappointed.
33.) Incompatible
Reviewed by: Sawdustmkr Orange Cty, CA
Rating:
The Delta Mortiser kit was incompatible with my Hitachi DP. I do not think that there was anything wrong with the kit. I am confident that it would have worked satisfactorily with a Delta DP
34.) Delta and Amazon: You've dropped the ball!
Reviewed by: Bic Ballpoint Red Bluff, CA USA
Rating:
I'm in the market for a new drill press--and thought I'd toss in this mortising attachment for good measure. The product description lists five Delta drill presses that work with the Delta 17-924 mortising attachment. None of those models is currently available for sale through Amazon. The reviews indicate that the product works with other drill presses too, but how is one to know? Looks like Delta needs to do a little updating here. (One star for "nice try.")
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