LAGUNA HORIZONTAL MORTISER, LEFT or RIGHT rotation??

[Rob Will]

I have a Laguna Platinum series horizontal mortiser on order and noticed on thier website that they offer both left-hand and right-hand rotation mortising cutters.

It seems that with the cutters on a direct motor mounted collet, the motor could be bi-directional. Basically, you wire it for the desired rotation.

If all of my standard end mills are right-hand, and I want to use them in the mortiser, the mortiser should turn right, right?.

Laguna is not sure which way they turn or if the motor is wired for bi-directional rotation.
They are looking into it.

Any thoughts or suggestions?

Rob

[Cliff Rohrabacher]

If you think you might ever want a cutter other than a left hand cutter I'd suggest the right hand model.

Of you can get a model that is reversable.

[Bert Johansen]

The grand-daddy of the Laguna machine is the Robland X-31, which I own. The mortiser is right-hand rotation which works with standard milling tools. Don't know if the Laguna is the same, but I'm guessing it is.

[Rob Will]

Why would they even sell Left-hand rotation cutters?

Rob

[Brodie Brickey]

Why would they even sell Left-hand rotation cutters?
Rob

Why the opportunity to charge more! All joking aside, no clue.

[Steve Rowe]

Rob,
They sell left hand cutters for use on some combo machines. Not all combo's have a reversing switch for the J/P cutterhead. Without the reversing switch and with attaching the mortiser to the front of the machine, you need a left hand cutter.

The Laguna mortiser I have (not platinum) is right hand rotation.

Steve

[Peter Quinn]

Rob, I have the Laguna Platinum mortiser sitting in my garage presently, it was delivered last night. When you are facing the machine the cutter turns clockwise. Does that make it a right hand or left hand rotation?

I got some long solid carbide cutters delivered with it from Laguna, they are on discount this month, and man are they sharp and solid. The machine is not set up in the shop yet so I have no review of performance but it feels like a nice tool.

It is not wired for reverse rotation and the manual, which is a complete piece of crap translated by monkeys possibly from Chinese into Flemish then into something resembling pig English is vague but seems to advise against running the motor backwards, though given the verbiage its difficult to discern much.

[Rob Will]

. When you are facing the machine the cutter turns clockwise. Does that make it a right hand or left hand rotation?

Peter, that sounds like left-hand rotation to me.
If you wanted to use a drill bit or a standard end mill, you would need a special left-handed bit.

I'm not too happy about Laguna selling this as a left-hand rotation machine when all they had to do was wind the motor correctly.

Can you look to see if the mortiser has a NEMA frame size on the motor?
(I doubt that it does)
Does the motor have any instructions for changing directions?
Does the collet fit on a normal motor shaft?

Thanks,
Rob

[Jordan Lane]

i have the mortiser you speak of in operation. It is a left hand rotation mortiser.

[Paul B. Cresti]

rob
i have to laugh that as usual the guys that are selling the machines have no idea what they are selling....not all but fair amount of salesman i have come across know next to nothing about ww'g or how the machine they are selling works in the real world..

as far as rotation, i am no machinery expert or salesman but i have a j/p combo and my mortiser attaches to the back of the machine. in viewing the rotation on the back of the machine in relation to the cutter head i would say the mortiser is in the left hand rotation

that being said in my use of horizontal mortisers (only have used mine) i prefer birdsmouth bits and they do not seem to be rotation dependant

[Peter Quinn]

Rob, the motor sits under a housing with only the business end of the Wescott chuck poking through and the manual as I noted is badly written and light on info. I won't be setting mine up for several weeks as I am in the middle of excavating and pouring a new slab to extend my basement shop so I hesitate to unpack the mortiser more than was neccessary to inspect for damage.

I a not thrilled to realize that none of my long carbide tipped brad points for doweling will work on this machine, but at the price for which its sold I can buy tooling to fit and still be ahead given the next cheapest alternative.

Sounds like Jordan Lane is in a better position to offer detailed info at this point.

[Rob Will]

Thanks all,
Rob

[Peter Quinn]

I've found all the drill bits I may need at Morris Tool (haven't bought them yet) and its no trouble sourcing end mills with left rotation from ENCO or Master Carr. Bummer if your already tooled up for right. My laguna salesman apparently knew the correct rotation as I was sent the correct carbide bits by saying only "Send me the ones that work with this machine". Of course the odds were 50/50 I'd get left!

I think this machines design was taken directly from the attachment for their Robland combos which the sales guy told me use the left rotation. Perhaps it never occurred to them to change it, or perhaps redesigning it would have raised the price point?

Word of caution: I think in the parts blow up the chuck is threaded onto the motor shaft, which could present some problems if spun backwards.

[David Werkheiser]

Why would they even sell Left-hand rotation cutters?

Rob

The reason for L/R cutters, is that the larger semi-auto machines have work stations on opposite sides. While the cutter shaft is not joined together they both spin with the same rotation. I worked with an Italian "Bacci" awhile back, and it was set up with 1/2" on one side and 3/8" on the other.
DavidW

[John Renzetti]

Like Paul I prefer the bird's mouth mortising bits as they are called. There's a few companies that sell them, Onstrud Cutter, Leitz, Minimax, Felder(metric only). They will cut in either direction and give a very clean cut. They are not for plunging but rather you have to finesse them and cut in a ramping motion going in about 1/8" at at time. Not as agressive as some of the others, (I have some Clico sawtooth type, that are very agressive), but the result is very nice.
The mortising unit that I have came with one speed, about 3000rpm. Fine for most cutters, but I mounted a VFD on it and now can control the speed from about 500 to 3500 rpm. The motor is 3ph though.
take care,
John