Buy or Hire Chain Mortiser?

[twm.bwen]

Hi there, I am seriously looking into building our sunroom with green oak.
One thing (among millions) that I need to consider is the use of a chain mortiser.
I've seen them new on ebay for 600 squid and have failed to locate any for hire around oxford.

Ideally I would buy one second hand.
Any ideas?
Thanks
TOm

 

[Jasonb]

An auger bit and wide framing chisel will not take too long unless you have a very large sunroom. For example I cut all the joints on this deck in a day using a 20mm auger in a 4KG SDS+ drill and a 40mm chisel.

HSS usually list them for hire if you want to go for that option though they will only do straight mortices no good for angled ones for braces etc. Also most of the ones for hire are really for lock morticing and not really large enough for oak framing, for that you want something like the Mafell but they cost £1500+

Jason

 

[oilman]

Wow!!! don't you do some nice stuff. Really good.

 

[Jasonb]

Thanks, if you really like it the deck with attatched oast and barn is up for £1.3m at the moment

Jason

 

[twm.bwen]

Far out! ( I Really should stop saying that, makes me sound like a beach bum, dude)

Excellent work, and thanks for the tip.
I'm not definately going to do it yet, I need to make all the drawings and decide on joints etc, then price up the wood.

Where's abouts would you reccomend getting good quality green oak from?

Sunroom will be twinpitched clay tile roof 3.8m wide projecting 3.5m from pine end of house.
Thanks

 

[Jasonb]

You need to find a local mill that does green oak, you won't get it from your local timber merchant.

A lot of the common sizes are now bought in from France as its cheaper than english oak, thats what my usual supplier does and then only cuts non stock sizes, curved braces, etc.

There may be a supplier near you in this list but its mostlt South/Southeast.

Jason