Chet

Submitted on the old forum by Chet This jigsaw was first released around August-September of this year and Mrs. Claus was nice enough to leave one for me under the tree. I received the tool only because I have the batteries already from other tools. It came a clear shield for just in front of the blade to help with dust collection and a dust collection adapter pictured to the right of the saw. It also has an LED light. I have messed around with it for a little bit and here are some first impressions. The light does a real nice job of lighting up the work area. It has a veritable speed trigger that works pretty well. On the right side of the body there is a switch for a blower (pictured below) In its's forward position towards the "X" the blower blows the dust toward the dust collection and when you move the switch toward the back, or blower symbol, it blows the dust away from your line when you aren't hocked up to dust collection. It did a great job of this, but when hooked up to the dust collection I would rate it somewhere around a 6 to 7 out of 10 because some of the dust created by the down stroke still ends up on the floor. But I have to say, this thing has amazing power and I was really pleased with what I have seen so far. I was cutting some 4/4 stock and you could go just about as fast as you wanted. The blade I was using gives a pretty smooth cut, not one you would generally use for breaking down your stock. The brushless motor gives you around 3500 strokes per minute according to the specs and when you pull the trigger you get the feeling that is a pretty accurate number. I did take a piece of 8/4 oak that was 9 1/2 wide and it took just a bit over 10 seconds to go through it following a straight line I had mark. If you didn't want to be that neat with your breaking down of stock, it could probably be faster and with a more aggressive blade I am sure it would get through it in no time at all. With the battery attached it weighs 6 1/2 pound which is a little heavy but it has real nice balance so the weigh isn't bad at all. The "D" handle is nice and has a good feel to it. I have a Bosch jigsaw that I have had for a number of years that is still in great shape but it will be nice to have this one for breaking stock, just grab and go, no extension cord needed. Follow up posts 1) Good initial thoughts Chet. I always hated using a jigsaw until I went to the barrel grip Festool. The D-handle always created issues because I'm left eye dominant but right dominant. 2) Thanks Chet! Now you got me thinking about spending money.. A cordless option for breaking down stock is a great option to have! 3) They have a barrel grip model, or they will have, I think it was supposed to be out late this year. 4) Yep, they do.. www.amazon.com/M18-Fuel-Barel-Grp-Jigsw/dp/B07J1TBDVQ/ref=sr_1_7?ie=UTF8&qid=1546009044&sr=8-7&keywords=Milwaukee+M18+Fuel+Jigsaw 5) Thanks Chet for the review. As I may be or not be known for my material breakdown with a circ saw, this may be something I need to look into. 6) For the record, I have the Festool corded option and wouldn't pay that price for their jig saw ever again. If I were in need of a jig saw today, this is probably the direction I'd go. 7) I agree about the price of the Festool jig saws and not paying the price again, but I do like using it.

Submitted on the old forum by woodenskye I'm not talking about a saw used for cutting trees everyday, but more as a homeowner. Would you go with a cordless knowing some limitations like bar length, power and battery duration? Or would you go gas? What do you feel is optimal bar length? In the past I have been known to tame smaller trees down with a reciprocating saw. Follow up posts 1) I think your question is ultimately dependent on your circumstances. My current house as well as my last house have no trees at all (after I removed a small aspen near the current house) but, I own a Stihl with a 24" bar. Used it every year in hunting camp. I still own the saw and wouldn't even consider selling it. IMO, if you have a need for a chainsaw, have a chain saw! 2) Realistically I could probably get by with a 14 or 16" bar, which is why considering a cordless has entered my thinking. I have makita drills and the batteries work, but I don't know anybody that owns for real life use. The don't have a tree on my property that is more than 16", but going 18 or 20 might future proof. For the amount of use, I just hate having to deal with the maintenance if not used for months at a time. 3) It's probably been close to a year since I've fired mine up. I'll admit I guilty of piss poor maintenance on the saw as it still has fuel in it from that long ago. However, I also know that I could go fire it up today. What I should have done was drain the fuel. Bar oil won't go bad so, really no maintenance. 4) The Stihl chain saws are really something these days. My son in law spent a week at their facility to go through the repair training. All the new ones are like car engines in the way they are designed to be efficient. All electronic and fuel injected. He thinks they are by far the best out there and he works on a lot of different brands. They have come out with a new line of battery stuff but they probably don't run on your Makita batteries Bryan. 5) The makita works off the 18 volt LXT battery platform, which is what my drills are. I spoke with a guy I know at Toolnut and he said the LXT platform hasn't changed other than amp hour. I'm still leaning towards gas, Stihl, Echo or Husqvarna. 6) I've owned Stihl for years but, have lots of friends with the Husqvarna that swear by them as well. 7) I’ll throw another option out there. If you’re a city dweller, a corded saw is a great option. Years ago I was struggling trying start my old gasoline saw and a neighbor brought this little “toy” down and ask me to get him an extension cord. After cutting the 6” or so limb off, he took it home and I went to Sears and bought one. 8 ) Coop, good idea, but in my opinion you still need 2 saws. If you are at a place without power, then you are obviously SOL. For really small limbs, 4 inches or less in diameter my reciprocating saw works fine. The more I think about it, I really believe an 18 or 20" bar gas model would be best. Guess I should start saving my pennies.

Submitted on the old forum by Coop Can one of you guys explain this term? I’ve watched videos on this subject and still don’t comprehend. I have a 14” Grizz with a riser block, with a 6” fence and with a sharp blade, can get some pretty good slices of wood while resawing. Why would someone have to manipulate a board while resawing if the saw was tuned right. Follow up posts 1) Sometimes, even a perfectly tuned bandsaw will have a natural drift. I know that both of mine do and that's why the fences are adjustable to account for that drift. Ultimately, they shouldn't be adjusting the board while resawing, they should have adjusted for that before the cut. This is usually the first sign that my blade has about had it.. Even though my saws are set up for the drift, it gets more pronounced as the blade gets dull. 2) It is the blade that creates the drift if I am not mistaking. That is why when you change out a dull blade to a new one when re-sawing you may have to adjust the fence again. I just did this and had to re-adjust the fence back the other way just a touch. 3) Correct.. I always have to adjust after a blade change. 4) A sharp blade, the right TPI, good tracking and the ability to properly tension the blade which in my opinion the most important part. 5) Actually I’ve seen where people use a pivot point and saw to the line which makes me wonder what the bottom of the board looks like? When I start loosing it on a blade, using the fence, the bottom of the board will be wider or less, which leads me to think it is the blade. So you guys adjust the fence for the drift? I usually, on a wider board, use a stacked feather board, to maintain the cut. 6) On that saw, if you look at the fence, you'll see some screws on the top near the handle. By loosening those screws, you can adjust the fence to account for the drift. I could probably toss a quickie video together for you if it would be helpful since I have that same saw? 7) My Laguna 1412 can take up to a 3/4 inch blade which is what I have been using since I purchased the saw. I recently went to a 1/2 inch blade and what a difference. Being able to get better tension on the 1/2 inch that I couldn't on the 3/4 is worth the sacrifice of the wider blade. 8 ) Coop, some people like to use a pivot point because they feel it is faster and most likely not have right blade and tension. I'm not a fan of that method, if you are paying attention you could mess up. Anybody that says you can resaw and immediately use the piece is most likely lying. On of the best methods I heard of for resawing is to draw 2 lines on the board and stay between them. I started off with a 3/4" blade like Chet and now use 1/2" once I learned more about proper tension. 9) Thanks Kev for the offer but I’m completely satisfied with mine for now. Right before I started this, I had watched another video where drift was mentioned and adjusted for and wondered what I was missing. As long as my boards are the same thickness throughout after going thru the blade, I’m happy. I have seen the adjustment screws you speak of and used them when I set the saw up to be parallel to the slot for the miter bar. Thanks guys for your answers.

Submitted on the old forum by keggers I have a Grizzly 15" open end wide belt sander. It takes up quite a bit of floor space plus it requires an air compressor to run. It's also very heavy. I've been thinking about selling it and getting a nice drum sander. Maybe one I could put on wheels. I've never had a drum sander but from what I've read the sander I have is suppose to be a better sander than a drum sander. I guess I'm looking for opinions. Follow up posts 1) I'm not quite sure of the Grizzly drum sander you're talking about but, I will say that still to this day, I still kick myself for not adding a drum sander in my shop much earlier that I did. I'll also say that the drum sander market is in a little flux right now. Supermax was the standard for a long time but, I believe they were bought out not too long ago and there has been some question about if the construction of them is what it once was. I'm sure the group will chime in on this and has more knowledge than I do on it.. 2) I'm not looking at replacing my Grizzly oscillating belt sander with a Grizzly drum sander. While visiting their showroom I looked at their drum sanders and wasn't really impressed. I guess I'm wondering if there are any advantages a drum sander can offer compared to my wide belt sander. This is the newer model of the sander I currently have. 3) Kent, does sand from the bottom only? I guess that’s kind of a dumb question but, as it’s easier to ask than look it up, how does it operate? 4) It actually has a 15" wide belt that oscillates slightly from side to side as it goes around and around. It only sands the top of the board then you have to flip it over. Does that make sense? 5) Ok, now I must admit that I'm really confused.. This picture is a drum sander, not a belt sander.. I had a Grizzly drum sander for quite some time. It did a great job! Biggest advantage with the Supermax was the dust collection. 6) So, in other words, this would be a 15/30 drum sander right? Can you drop the model number of your current sander? I'd like to look for myself. At first blush, it looks like you have an older version of the drum sander. 7) Kev I believe what is going on is some problems with the new 16-32 SuperMax. They had some different design features from the 19-38 and it seemed some of those are creating problems on some machines. But from what I remember from the press release from Laguna, Laguna bought SuperMax but they were still going to run as separate companies. 8 ) Thanks Chet.. I'm still a little confused on what the current machine is...lol. I just know my stupid brain is missing something here.. 9) That's not a bad belt sander. I think you can burn the sandpaper much easer with a drum sander and it takes longer to change paper on them.

Submitted on he old forum by bushwacked Curious what people are running? I have my basic blade that came with my sawstop. It’s finally wearing down so I’m looking into getting a new one ... Should I get a good rip (20-24T) and good crosscut one (60-80T)? Or just grab a good 40T combo blade? Follow up posts 1) I have a 24t rip thin kerf that came with my old table saw that I ver seldom use. Also have a 40t Freud combo thin kerf that I am currently using as my 40t Forrest is off seeing if it can be repaired. Have a 90t Amanda that I use mostly for miter cuts. As I am in limbo on the Forrest being repaired I was looking for a new blade the other day. I really liked the 50t diablo, was like $65 1/8 kerf (I prefer 1/8 over thin kerf, seems to be less blade deflection) I need to stick with the 1/8 as I recently put in the splitter system after I had a pretty nice kick back. 2) I run a 60 diablo crosscut an 24 diablo rip both ATB. I don’t have any complaints they do what I expect from them. I also don’t have any experience with any other than the stock 40 tooth rigid blade 3) I use dedicated Rip and Cross Cut blades both regular kerf and both made by Freud. I have had them for six years and been real happy with them. I know a lot of folks like the combo so they don't have mess with switching blades, but I am in no hurry in the shop. 4) I use Oshlun blades, rip, crosscut and combo. Generally I keep the combo in unless I'm doing a bunch of rips. My saw is a 1 1/2 hp so using right blade is important. 5) Thanks guys! Do the lower teeth count rip blades rip plywood just fine as well or just hardwoods? 6) A little late to this party but, I'll toss in my 2.. On hardwoods, a separate rip and CC blade are the "best" option! However, I run a forest 40T blade as a combo and don't notice enough of a difference to matter in what I do. When it comes to ply, the best blade option is a high tooth count (80T) as the best option. I usually use the same Forest 40T and only notice a real difference when that blade is starting to get dull. By all rights, I should be switching my blades out for ply as ply is much harder on a blade! 7) I will add, I have a ply and melamine blade which is also Freud and I have had that one for a long time maybe ten years. I originally bought it to cut a bunch of ply parts for my neighbor but I still us it when I I cut ply for my. I believe it is an 80 tooth like my cross cut. 8 ) I get some splintering when I cut plywood with my 24 rip blade. It’s not real bad I run a ZC inset so that seems to help. 9) So question on the ply... Does the 80-90T blade rip and crosscut ply or does it only do one? It kinda sounds like I need 2-3 blades possibly 1- a plywood cutting one 80-90T (if the above answer is that it does both) 2- a good 40T convo for hardwoods 3- if I go 3 blades a 24ish T blade to rip hardwood and a 60-80T blade for cross cutting hardwoods Would that be right? 10) Yes, if you want to change your blades a lot.. Being honest, I run the 40T Forrest for pretty much everything. Yes, I could get cleaner cuts if I changed the blades out for the appropriate cut direction and material but, if the cuts are "clean enough" with just one blade then, I'm going to be lazy about it. 11) It does both. You have to remember every cut on plywood is a rip and cross cut at the same time. Each layer of the ply is turned 90 degrees to the adjacent ones. My Rip is 30 tooth - its what Freud refers to as a glue line rip, It gives a really nice rip cut but I have never glued anything up right of the rip cut so I can't speak to the quality of the cut being something you can just glue up without running over the jointer. My Freud Cross Cut is 80 tooth and my ply/melamine is also 80 tooth. 12) is that the 2 you are referring to? 13) The reason I run two blades is my saw is a touch under powered compared to a cabinet saw (rigid contractor saw). 14) Yep those are the two I have. My cross cut is called the Ultimate Cut Off. I guess they call it that because it can be used on a miter saw as well. 15) Im with Kev on the Forrest blade being the do it all blade, yes plywood is harder on it than hardwood but it’s not like any of us are a full production shop. I really think if we are going to sharpen blades once a year or more that money is probably best spent on one high quality blade that can do any job well. I have glued right off the table saw with no issues. The cabinet shop that I worked at, we very seldom used a jointer for glue joints. Granted, a 15k straight line rip saw did a nice job. It still won’t give you as nice of cut as a Forrest 40 t on a table saw. After using my Forrest for a few months I almost wish I would’ve went with the 48t. Think it would’ve done more things well. Granted I have a 5hp saw so ripping has never been an issue. With that said coming from a ridgid contractor saw, which was a dang nice saw. More blade options were needed to get the power and preference out of it. 16) didnt realize there was a difference in the ult cutoff and the ply blade ... apparently they mess with the angles on them ?? I just assumed they were all the same haha

Yea, get rid of it.

I am not a Star Trek fan but couldn't resist a reference to a very early episode of the TV show. (The Trouble with Tribbles) I took the opportunity to really clean out my scrap bin. Most of the pieces I used for these were to small to do bigger things like cutting boards. I ended up making 12 and they are mostly around 9 inches square but vary and they are just over 3/4 inches thick. I just finished them with one coat of Mineral Oil. They could be used as trivets or even cheese boards. I don't usually mass produce Christmas presents but that is what they may end up getting used for. But I have a nurse that lives a cross the street and given the efforts here recently that nurses and doctors and other caregivers have been putting in, I have been thinking about just taking them to her when the dust settles and telling her to share them with her co-workers as a meager form of thanks.

I was interested in hearing if any of you have favorite woodworking podcasts that you listen to. I have three that I listen to regularly. I most often put then on when I am out in the shop and they each get listen to two to three times because in the course of the program I have tools on and other distractions. So I play them at least twice and usually three times be for I have consumed everything a show has to offer. In no particular order: Woodworkers Podcast https://woodworkerpodcast.com This has Phillip Morley, Ramon Valdez and Ben Brunick. All three of them do amazing work in their chosen style. Ramon Valdez does a lot of Marquetry in his work and has done some for some of Phillip Morley's pieces. The shows are fun and educational and you get a good feel for what it is like to be a professional woodworker. This one is on every two weeks. Fine Woodworking's Shop Talk Live https://www.finewoodworking.com/blog/shop-talk-live This one revolves around listener questions and some of the people from the magazine's personal experiences in the shop. Also on every two weeks. The Matt and Joe Woodworking Fun Hour https://www.woodworkingfunhour.com This has Matt Kenney, who used to work at FWW Magazine but mostly teaches woodworking and has written a book and is in the process of writing another. I don't know Joe's last name but he, by profession is a photographer for ESPN and is in the midst of starting his woodworking hobby. If you start listening to this one from the beginning it took its premise from Joe asking Matt for help in becoming a better woodworker. This one started out being sort of hit or miss because of their two traveling schedules but is moving into almost weekly know.

Shellac would work. Although my limited use of the pre-mixed stuff the oder lingers quit long in something like a drawer but if you are mixing you own flakes it dissipates pretty quick but the water borne stuff would still be the fastest.

Submitted on the old forum by Jamie Found this one today, what do you guys think? www.blackhawkmachinerysales.com/machinery1/b1307 Follow up posts 1) Looks solid and clean! Older Delta probably with straight knives. Assuming it runs well, it's only shortcoming is the short beds. Also consider, for that price point you could be in a new Rigid. I went and had a look for the 6" PM that I had with the long beds.. $1199.00 with straight knives.. 2) Reached out to them and it is sold or they dont update their website very often. Id like to keep it under 1k for now. Can still limp mine along to buy me some time I think (fingers crossed) It will still edge joint fairly easily but face jointing is a different story. 3) As you search around, keep in mind that Delta has issues with keeping replacement parts in stock. 4) Plan b? minneapolis.craigslist.org/dak/tls/d/cannon-falls-delta-long-bed-jointer/7028759058.html Thoughts? 5) Entry level jointer that you'll probably get your money out of when you upgrade. Those short beds will drive you nuts. 6) It’s pretty similar to what I have now. I think I’m gonna wait. Plus it’s 3 hours from home 7) There was an 8" for $750 a couple adds down. Maybe he would let it go for $500-600. It looked like an older machine, but I would rather have 8". 8 ) You have so much better options on Craigslist than I do. I’ve never found anything in my area. Most of it is garbage and hardly any woodworking tools. 9) Wow how did I miss that one?! I look everyday! That one is also 3-4 hours away but might be worth checking out! 10) I have a pretty wide search area. Most of it is not the best of stuff. Almost anything that it decent is a few hour drive. 11) Gosh with grizzly 10% off today I’m tempted to order a 6in can get it all said and done for $652.50 12) I would go for 8", I don't know what the price difference is however. Did you reach out to the 8" I mentioned from Craigslist? 13) I did reach out to them with no response. I ended up passing on the 6 after talking with the wife about it. Mentioned how it would work for the short term but ultimately would upgrade it. Have her on board with waiting and saving a little cash up to get the 12" combo unit. I know the 12 planner isnt that great but hey it is a 12 jointer. But who knows, will prob change my mind 7 times till then! 14) In the end this is probably going to be the best option. The wife being onboard already is the cherry on top! 15) This lack of an acceptable jointer in my shop is driving me nuts. Getting closer to pulling the trigger one one. Am thinking an 8” will do the trick. Am leaning towards grizzly just because of the price point. www.grizzly.com/products/Grizzly-8-x-76-Jointer-with-Parallelogram-Beds-and-Spiral-Cutterhead/G0490X This is the one I’m leaning towards. Am thinking this route over the combo machine, at the price of the combo can basically get an 8” jointer and a 15” planer. 16) I have the Grizz 6” with straight blades and really like it except, it’s a 6”. I’m working on a project, for the third time where I’m buying 7 3/4” boards, only to cut them in half, jointing them and glueing them back together. By the same token, these same projects require 11” wide boards so, where do you draw the line. Anyway, we’ll pleased with the Grizz. 17) I looked at that jointer a couple of years ago but at that time they where heavily back ordered for 6 - 9 months and I didn't want to wait so I ended up going with the 8" Powermatic with straight knives. The jointer I had before was Grizzly and I had it for over 20 years and still running great when I gave it away 18) Do you guys think the spiral head is worth the $500? 19) If you do a lot with figured wood then yes. But the way I chose to handle it so as to keep the initial cost down, I bought my 8 inch with straight knives and when they need to be sharpened, I will instead get the spiral head at that time and install it. 20) Depends on a few things.. 1. Do you work with a lot of figured wood? If you do then, it's worth it. 2. Do you often take off large chunks? Like milling 8/4 into 6/4.. If you do then, the HH isn't worth it. 21) That is an option that I was thinking as well. Since I don’t feel like I could sharpen the knives myself. I’m thinking with the limited use that it will see that the hh is better for production shops. I don’t do a lot of highly figured woods yet. Really haven’t had tooling capable of handling them. I like the hh for the reason that all you have to do is turn the cutters for a new edge. I’m guessing I could go a couple of years before I would have to do that. Then again with the straight knives could always buy new ones fairly reasonably as well. Idk just can never make up my mind! Ask my wife, dated her for 9 years before putting the ring on 22) I will say that my preference (I've had both) is the HH. It's quieter (by a bunch), works with figured woods, and will get lumber thinner although not in as big of chunks. That said, my last one was straight knives and I loved that jointer. And, for the record, never sharpened or replaced the blades. 23) How long did you have that jointer Kev? 24) I don't recall exactly.. Probably around 6 years.. The blades were due for sharpening when I sold the machine. 25) Deulen Sharpening makes a jig to sharpen most knives and it works great. 26) Looked at a new pm 6” jointer today at acme tools. Boy was I not impressed. The tables were very nicely machined and the fence felt nice and secure but the adjustment on it was horrible. Grabbed the depth adjustment lever and my lord had to really tug on it to get the table to move. There was a jet right beside it, dang near identical other than the depth adjustment. The jet turn style was silky smooth and cost about 100 less than the pm that was on sale. Just a little disappointed seeing that from pm. Maybe Kev is onto something 27) That's kinda funny since they are owned by the same company. 28) Yeah, if you’re a guy with a significant female other, you know that pm stands for other things than PowerMatic and according to Kev, both are closely related. 29) Literally made me bust out laughing! 30) I did order a jointer. Have been struggling with the used market. I’m guessing it will turn around once the weather changes and people start cleaning out garages and basements. I couldn’t wait any longer tho. Ordered a ridgid was hard to beat for the money and will be an easy sell if I choose to upgrade. Should have it by the 25th. Posted mine for sale and have a guy coming to look at it this weekend. 31) Let me know how you like the rigid jointer. I have their table saw an have had no complaints for what I use it for 32) Well I said goodbye to an old friend today. Sold the craftsman jointer for a cool $125 not bad only beat me down $25. Now I’m without a jointer for a week or two. It did seem like it was going to a good home. 33) I think both of you got a good deal. 34) look what showed up! Was surprised that it was actually at the house today when I got there. The tracking on it was showing March 5th. I guess I picked a good day to leave work a little early. I went in around 4am so leaving at 2 was still a good day. Got the jointer put together in about a hour and a half which I didn’t think was to bad, guys on YouTube were saying 3 hours. Didn’t have much trouble putting it together, instructions were clear and just have to say thank god I got a little set of ratchet wrenches for Christmas. A few tight spots that they made a world of difference. Tried it out without doing any serious alignment checks. Had to square up the fence is all. Outfeed bed was in perfect alignment with the knives, ran a couple boards over it, checked the joint and was perfect. Ran some door parts over it with some pretty good usage time and only complaint is about the guy who assembled it didn’t get the leveling feet tight and the jointer took on a Little Rock by time I was done. will give more feed back as time goes on, first impression is pretty positive. 35) That looks like it should serve you well. 36) Nice! Enjoy and be sure to drop us a review!

Submitted on the old forum by bushwacked So until I can get proper DC installed in my garage, I am going to be running a flex hose about 5' to each machine - TS and Jointer - However my question is ... should I run one 4" line and move it ... which is easy enough and not a problem ... Or Connect two 4" lines and run one to the TS and one to the jointer ... Reason I am asking is there would not be any blast gates, so I am curious if I would lose efficiency running 2 lines wide open vs just running 1 line with the other 4" port closed off like it is now. Thoughts? Here is the layout and DC ... I will also be getting new hosing, most likely from Rockler once I figure out how to handle this. Follow up posts 1) Without gates, certainly the second option would be least efficient. 2) ok, I was thinking that would be the case for as little as his DC is ... 3) First off if you are going to rocker to purchase hose, why not get a couple of gates at the same time? Their not that expensive and eventually when you go to hard pipe you are going to need them any way. They're probably around $15 each. The only thing is stay away from the plastic ones, they clog up pretty easily. But having said that I read somewhere about running you dc system with two gates open all the time, if I remember this was supposed to increase the productivity of smaller dust collectors. I have the gate open almost all the time on my table saw and I honestly don't see a drop off at the other machines. I would try running hose to both and see how it goes. If it doesn't work at all just disconnect the one hose and store it way, again, you are going to need it when you hard pipe your shop. 4) I agree with Kev. 4” gates are pretty inexpensive. I think it would be worth a shot to try them. Amazon has them and hose pretty reasonably. I think I bout 50’ of 4 in hose for like $90 and the blast gates for around $15. Just make sure you don’t get the ones where the metal slides all the way through with a hole cut in it. They seem to leak a ton of air. I also keep a 2” like open on my system almost all the time. Only reason is the cheaper blast gates like to vibrate when only one gate is open. Drives me nuts! 5) With respect, I think @chet gets credit for that suggestion and I agree with him. I'll be the first to admit that his "second gate open" suggestion throws me off a bit but, I also haven't tested that theory so, I'm looking forward to getting home to test this for myself. @chet is a pretty smart guy but, I'll have to see this one for myself. I am not a DC expert by any stretch so, this is just baffeling my tiny tired brain.. 6) I guess I worded that poorly. I know I read somewhere a discussion of leaving an extra gate open but I can't recall where so I have no proof. It wasn't anything Bill Pence like, it was on one of the forums but not WTO cause I searched there...so??? My table saw gate is open a lot of the time mostly because of me forgetting to close it mostly because of its location. When I do forget I don't see a big difference of what I clean up at the end of the day off the floor. This is all VERY unscientific.

Submitted on the old forum by Coop I’ve had my Domino no cutter for about 2 years and have made 100 cuts with this bit. Tonight while cutting more in cypress, it seems that it took more pressure to plunge the bit into the wood. One, can these bits be sharpened and two, is that about the life of a bit? Follow up posts 1) I haven't heard of people sharpening them, you may want to contact a sharpening service that also does router bits to find out. The type of wood has an affect, really hard woods will dull more quickly, but 100 seems really low. I know CMT used to have domino cutters at about half the price from Festool. In the reference section you will find a few sharpening places. Here is the link: kevswoodworks.freeforums.net/thread/325/tools-information-set-maintenance 2) Yea 100 doesn't sound like a lot. If you had said 1000 I would be thinking yea maybe. I would think that any place that can sharpen drill bits could sharpen the domino cutter. Have you tried one of your other bits in a scrape of the cypress? 3) The bits will certainly dull but, I'm not sure that sharpening is the logical answer. 30 bucks every few years to replace a bit isn't too bad. I am surprised that your number of cuts is so low! For the record, I think I still have my original cutter in mine and I've made a few more than a hundred cuts. 4) Thanks guys. I found the problem. I went To change to another bit and saw that the silicone lube that I had put on the two bars the head rides on (i’m Sure there’s a better description) had built up some gunk on them and it wasn’t the bit after all. I cleaned the lube off with WD-40 and all is well. 5) That sounded like a pretty short life span for that bit! Glad you found the issue! 6) Ken, use a silicone spray to lubercate things like that. I would think about cleaning the WD40 off with some mineral sprits and then hitting it with. silicone spray. Other wise you will be getting all sorts of crud on your machine. 7) I did just that. I have a tube of silicone lube that I won’t use again for this app. 8 ) What kind of silicone spray? 9) The one I have is called 3 in 1 professional silicone spray. Same company that make the little cans of 3 in 1 oil your mom used to oil the parts on her sewing machine.

You could do a wipe on or spray, water borne finish. That stuff hardly has an oder even while you are using it and is pretty much gone by the time it drys.

Submitted on the old forum by bushwacked Have yall ever noticed the difference between a wood cutting and a metal cutting blade? I was working on another shop project today and ended up bending my wood cutting blade so I slapped in the metal cutting blade to make the final few cuts instead of going to HD and spending more money. The dang metal cutting blade went through the ply like butter and just felt better. The wood cutting blade felt jerky and somewhat hard to push through/control. The metal was easier and I think left a better finished edge I thought. I may switch of to these metal blades full time once I test it out on some hardwood and see how it goes. Anyone know a reason I just flat out should not? Here are the blades I was using ... The BR-10 and BR-13 were not as good as the BR-22 Follow up posts 1) The metal blade probably has more teeth and in ply probably helped by not getting caught up in the individual plys 2) Ah the BR 10-13 we 9 and 10 teeth each ... the metal was 22, guess that makes sense, but dang those were supposed to be the fine wood cutting ones, not the rough. Maybe I will try these ... 20 TPI www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000KL3XMG/ref=crt_ewc_title_dp_1?ie=UTF8&psc=1&smid=ATVPDKIKX0DER 3) Like the Bosch blades I have been using them for years. I could be wrong but I don't think you would have the same results in hardwood, I think it may be because you are cutting ply. 4) You guys, some of you, talk about rough cutting lengths with a jig saw and I’ve never had good results. I’m assuming it’s the blade. If there are multiple cuts,I usually resort to dragging out the miter saw. If it’s a one or two cuts, it’s with a circ saw. Say I have a 4/4 x 6” piece of hardwood, is there a recommended jig saw blade that would make my cut safer than the circ saw? 5) For starters, these are all rough cuts to length so, we're not looking for perfection from the jig saw. It's a rough tool. As for "safer" than the circular saw, I would argue that the jig saw is safer as there's much less chance of kickback. I'm actually trying a circular saw this year for rough cuts and will toss my opinions after a few projects. Regardless, either of these options are better than the chop saw. 6) Ken, I tend to use the Bosch T101BF Blade 90% of the time it is made for hardwood and is long enough to go through 8/4 stock. www.toolnut.com/bosch-t101bf-5-pc-4-10-tpi-variable-pitch-clean-for-hardwood-t-shank-jig-saw-blades.html 7) Thanks Chet for the blade recommendation. Kev, why do you figure the circ saw is safer than the chop saw? I thought you would go just the opposite? On my original post I said 6” but meant 6’. But say I have an 8’ piece that I want to cut in half. With the miter saw, the board would be supported on both sides. With the circ saw, I usually lay it on the lawn, supported on both sides of the cut. So far, I’ve never had a problem with either but certainly like to go with the safest, for my benefit and future readers. 8 ) Because the circular saw doesn't have a fence which is just one more piece to jam the blade. With the circular saw, it usually starts binding and the normal reaction is to let off of the trigger where with the chop saw, you often times don't get that warning. Also, if the circular saw does kick, you're holding in your hand so, it's going to go with the saw. One additional piece, the circular saw is most likely less HP than the chop saw. In my case, I'm trying battery operated. If I do use the circular saw, I have the piece clamped to the bench. 9) I like using the circular saw over the jig saw for breaking down wider boards. Just cuts faster. If the board will fit on my miter saw I will break it down there. Just make sure your bow is towards the fence or that right at the cut line it’s tight to the fence. Kev is right on the kick back, on a miter saw you don’t typically know it’s coming. It is usually very a violent when it does happen. As far as jigsaw blades go I typically use Bosch brand, depending on what I’m cutting but typically have a down cut in. 10) Quiet often, I have cross cut the boards in my hand with the circ saw, unsupported and have had a couple of near misses. After joining these forums and realizing how foolish that is, they now get clamped as Kev says or supported from both sides laying on a surface. Hopefully this thread will help others in the future.

Submitted on the old forum by Kev I've been having a power issue with the saw since I got it into the shop. It would just cut off mid cut and it didn't matter if I was cutting 8/4 HW or 1/4 ply. I contacted PM (about a week ago) and they advised me to really tighten the belt. I was also concerned about my floor outlets as they sit a little below the surface of the face plate and I had a 90 degree plug on it which made it worse. So, I changed the plug to a standard, tightened the belt, and had the electricians out to ensure the voltage was correct. After that, the saw ran great for about a week and then was back to stopping in mid cut today. I called PM again and beat them to the punch with everything I'd done to solve the problem. Their tech services also thought it was a issue with the switch so, are sending another one. Should be here before the broken fences...lol

Submitted on the old forum by bushwacked Curious what y'all use ... I need an 8" for my sawstop and I know Forrest is out there but what about Amana, Tenryu or Freud? Thoughts? Follow up posts 1) I have the Forest and love it but, I'm sure any of the majors would serve you well. My "add" to this thread is just something else to think about... A couple table saws ago, I was given a Diablo stack that wouldn't actually fit onto my saw even though my saw had a 5/8" arbor and the stack was for a 5/8" arbor.. I hung onto the stack knowing that I was going to replace the saw. Well, the new saw came (0715P) and the Diablo didn't fit that saw either.. Both saws had a 5/8" arbor, the stack was for a 5/8" arbor but, the stack didn't fit. Chalking it up to the stack at this point, I pried open the wallet and bought the Forest. You guessed it, the Forest didn't fit either.. After getting the calipers out and actually measuring the arbor as well as the arbor hole in the stack, I returned to the store I bought the stack from (Grizzly) and told them it didn't fit the saw they sold me. They looked at me like I was nuts! I showed them my actual measurements and they were a little stunned. They had about 6 more Forest stacks in stock and brought them all out. Sure enough, each arbor hole was just a little different. They then measured several saws they had in the store only to find that each arbor was slightly different as well. Sorry for the long story but, it's something you need to think about when spending that kind of money on a stack! I ended up with a Forest stack that fit that saw and I feel even more lucky that the stack fit the 2 subsequent PM table saws. I was lucky that I was able to purchase that stack locally and go through this process to get a stack that worked.. This could have been a nightmare if the purchase was mail order.. 2) Haha. Well that is crazy!! I never would have thought that would be an issue. 3) Yea, I certainly didn't when I bought 2 separate stacks! 4) I have the 6” Freud stack an have no complaints. I went with 6” due to having a 1.75 hp saw and I seen a comment one time that said “why do I need a 8” stack when a 6 will do I’ve never needed more than a 1” of the blade sticking up”. I thought about it an it made sense to me. I don’t have a sawstop you may have to have the 8 for the brake to work correctly. But I know price between a 6” an 8” is $50 or more 5) This is a awesome point! Although I have an 8" stack, I can't think of a single time using my stack where a 6" wouldn't have gotten the job done. 6) I think for the sawstop, 6" would be fine, but just wouldnt be able to use the safety feature. Which is fine if I need to, I grew up on saws without so its nothing new for me. Looking around, this seems to be a solid list of stacks sawstop tech support recommended about a year ago ... •Forrest Dado King DK0824XXX (5/8” arbor) •DeWalt DW7670 8” Dado Stack •Freud SD208S 8” Dado Stack (NEW, March 2017) •Tenryu GMD-20340 •King Canada KSC-8000 •Amana 658040 service@sawstop.com 1 (503) 582-9934 Certain types of blades are not recommended for SawStop saws as outlined below: 1.Blades with “shoulders” should not be used on any SawStop saw. 2.Wobble dado blades should not be used on any SawStop saw. 3.Full plate dado chippers should not be used on any SawStop saw. 4.Dado blades over 8 1/16 inch diameter should not be used on any SawStop Jobsite Saw. Keep in mind that you also do not want to go over 13/16” on the thickness of a dado set. The 8” dado brake cartridge is not designed to stop dado stacks thicker than 13/16” and a serious injury may result. 7) 1.Blades with “shoulders” should not be used on any SawStop saw.[b Dumb question what does it mean by shoulder? 8 ) From what I can find ... the "shoulders" are built in for anti kickback apparently .. and the pic below is what was with that section I found. 9) I gotcha mine 6” Freud stack has them. So there goes that 10) I think the Forest, Tenryu, and Freud are your best bets but, the Amana isn't exactly a distant 4th on the list.. The Dewalt is not known as a good blade for what we do and I've never heard of the King.. 11) Ya I really want to try out the Tenryu since I have always heard good things about their blades ... Figure this might be the chance and the price is very reasonable as well. 12) I have this set- www.amazon.com/Freud-Super-Dado-Sets-SD508/dp/B00004RK0P Which is interesting because at the I purchased my saw this is one of the ones that SawStop recommended when I talked to them. 13) Great price there! How do you like it? 14) I have been happy with them. I have had them since I got the saw in 2014 and haven't had to sharpen them yet... getting close but keeping them clean really helps. 15) Another option to muddy the waters. I have always been happy with infinity blades. www.infinitytools.com/saw-blades-accessories/table-saw/table-saw-blades/dado-saw-blades/dadonator-stacked-dado-blade-set-with-5-8-bore 16) yes I have heard great things about them as well ... however, sadly, that stack is not recommended by Sawstop ... I think it was one of the ones listed that had that shoulder thing they warned about. 17) I have a similar set but my chippers are 2 teeth. Think I paid like $90 for it. Don’t have any complaints with it. If I were in the market and if the kids didn’t use all my money up Forrest would be my choice. 18) My stack finally screamed at me on my current project that it was time for sharpening! Because I just can't afford to be down, I ordered another today so that when one is out being sharpened I have another on hand. I'd forgotten how expensive it was and nearly choked on the 3 hundred plus price tag! Forest for the record.. 19) Yeah they are spendy. But so worth it. Stay sharp for a very long time. Are you going to send your dull set back to Forrest to sharpen? 20) soooo I have been thinking .. between frued and forrest .... what is the actual difference? Would it be... Cut Quality price, obviously usage before sharpening ease of getting the correct widths quality of blades Is there 2 times the price difference in any of that? Am I missing something? thoughts? 21) I just like the color red ?. That an nearly half the price for close to the same performance from what I’ve read no personal use of any Forrest products. 22) I'm sure the Freud will work fine.. One of the things that I do like about the Forest is the sharpening service though. 23) sounds good, I will go with the freud and see how that goes ... maybe once I dull these I will look into something more if I am not liking them. 24) I have a couple diamond flat diamond paddles I’ll use to touch up the carbide after cleaning sometime 25) so I noticed the frued that was recommended wouldnt get here until late next week. I said screw it, it is Christmas and I have been a good boy and my new Forrest stack will be here tonight before 10pm haha

The whole table looks nice but I really like all the color in the top.

Submitted on the old forum by tmize I have a rigid 1412 table saw for 3 years now an I’ve noticed that the washer is getting harder the to get on the bolt. Kev made a comment of another thread that got me thinking about it. I don’t have any problems getting all my blades on just the washer now started about a year ago I guess it has my puzzled on what it could be. It has a lifetime warranty is I guess I could just call customer service an try an get a new washer. Any ideas I know metal does expand an contract with temp but It been a year thru both extremes and didn’t make a difference Follow up posts 1) It might not be the safest thing to do but I did it to my pm as the arbor would hang blades or the washer up at times, I took some scotch brite pad and cmt blade cleaner, turned the saw on and buffed the arbor threads some. Seemed to clean the pitch and get some rust off. 2) That is something I haven’t tried think the whole Tim it was the washer 3) Cleaning up the threads is a good idea but, chances are the issue is with the washer.. Clean the arbor hole up.. Sandpaper stuck on a dowel and put in a drill would be the quick easy way.. 4) I tried The sandpaper on a dowel also run a debur bit on both sides of the washer. Then used some carb cleaner an brass brush on the arbor itself. I’ve check the washer with a straight edge an it’s not twi 5) Check the arbor (after cleaning) diameter and then the hole in the washer.. 6) I guess it is time for me to get a micrometer

Submitted on the old forum by bushwacked Looking into jigs and options now so I can test out and get some work on them done before I start doing some cabinet remodeling in the kitchen and then slowly throughout several other rooms. I have used the drill press and free handed in the past ... however since I will have quite a bit coming in the future, I figure I would take a look and see what is out there and see if anything is worth it to save some time in this process. I am looking into the Kreg and Rockler jigs and a few others, I am liking the Rockler jig as I can set both up in 1 go, but not sure that justifies the 3ish times price of the Kreg. Does anyone have any specific experience with anything they liked doing/using? Follow up posts 1) This is the one that I use.. It's pricy but, I absolutely love it! Same one that was used in the bathroom vanity build as well as the upcoming mud sink vanity build.. Hell, I used it for the miter station too... www.amazon.com/35MM-Euro-Hinge-Drilling-Jig/dp/B00EZOWG1I/ref=sr_1_1?keywords=hettich+jig&qid=1577845430&sr=8-1 2) Dang! Were not kidding on the price How do you reference it on how far down you want it? Does not look like there are stops or anything to help quickly setup it up repeatably each time for that? Do you have to clamp it down each time to drill the holes or just hold it and it is fine? 3) It works off of center lines so, I usually just set a square to my measurement for center and strike a line. However, from the end of the jig to dead center is exactly 6 inches.. As for clamping, that's built in to the jig. Slide it on and twist the knob. If it has a downside, it doesn't clear chips very well so, you have to clean them out after each hole. The bright side of that is that you can usually do it over a garbage can and spare yourself some clean up.. 4) sounds pretty good. Since Wood brought it up below ... I thought you had the LR32 system, no? How easy is it to setup on smaller doors and stuff? I like the LR32, but for this I have heard it is a little more work for this ... kinda clunky 5) I don't have the LR32 set up.. If I were building much more cabinets than I do, it's probably the best system out there. 6) Honestly if you don't use it a lot it can be a pain to remember set up. Plus using metric really helps. If your just doing doors, Kevs jig is probably a lot better solution. Plus you can save yourself a couple hundred. If you aren't invested in FT, then I would find an alternative. I bought used from a cabinet shop in MI for a really good price. I'm thinking of trying to sell to help finance something else. 7) Well the LR32 is on the list as I will be building at least 3 closets, maybe 4 in the coming year or so. 2 for the kids and our master bath remodel. Then after that working on redoing my kitchen cabinets from scratch as well. So I have quite a bit of doors and shelf holes to be drilling haha. 8 ) I have the kreg door hinge guide. Used it a few times and have had zero issues. At its price point does exactly what it should. Easy to adjust. 9) I have the kreg door hinge jig also and it works well. If I was planning on doing a couple rooms and a kitchen cabinet remodel, I would probably invest in something stronger, but for the low cost, I don't think anything is better.

Submitted on the old forum by Puka So anyway after my recent narrow escape from loosing more than just a small chunk. I went back to my panel saw supplier and asked them what the price was on this saw because it punches all my buttons for what I need in a slidy panel saw. I also asked if it could be fitted with that instant blade stop safety device that detects when a body part makes contact with the blade and stops it dead. I've watched the video numerous times of it being demonstrated with a sausage. In my books if you want to sell this sort of thing and have peeps really believe then they should be using their finger, not dead meat. They said no the safety device could only be fitted to Format 4 - Commercial I didn't bother asking the price of the Format 4, because the current X-Mass Price for the Hammer K3 above is about $10,000 NZ, which is more in my price range than the monstrosity below it. I'm also pretty sure that I'd need to build a new shed as well that would be large enough to cover the blue beast. My current heap of Bull Puky below... Does a whole lot less in the cutting capacity than i was first led to believe and which made my decision to buy it. Supposedly the sliding cross cut capacity was over a metre (1.4m) but its like about 1m at the most. A competitors machine was supposedly about 1250mm. But like a few things I didn't notice when I examined it on the shop floor I didn't find out about until I put it together at home and started to use it. Thank the gods that we have INCRA...! That orange safety thing above the blade just doesn't even go on the knife behind the blade. And that silly little 1 inch suction pipe is a joke. I could go on. I've left a lot of parts off it as they were crap, had to much play in them or were just down right TOO inferior for my OCD to handle. Even the cast iron bench extension had a bow in it or about a half mill. So anyway I'm seriously looking at the K3 now. Anyone want a slightly bloody SA250STE ? Follow up post 1) The Format 4 stuff is super nice as it's the upper end of the Felder line. If you have the budget for it, it's a great machine. I'm not sure if the Saw Stop is available to you? It has the flesh sensing technology but, isn't a slider. I know some countries don't allow the use of dado stacks and wasn't sure if that would effect you.. 2) What in the world? Why would some countries block the use of dado stacks? 3) They consider them dangerous I guess.. I believe the UK doesn't allow them..

Submitted on the old forum by Coop Is there a problem with using this sander without a dc system? I have quiet a bit of sanding to do using the Festool sanding disc and will be doing this outside. I’d prefer not using the Festool vac as I will have to empty pretty often. Will the sander still discharge the dust out it’s port without clogging up internally? Follow up posts 1) You can but, I'm not sure I would.. Pretty hard on the sander I would think. 2) If you think about the amount of residue left on the surface of your wood when sanding without any vac in place, you would probably have just as much, maybe more left in and around the internal parts of your sander. 3) Use the vac. If there is a blower in the sander which I doubt there is, it's not going to clear the dust. Plus not using will increase the heat, reduce paper and pad life. 4) The only 60 & 80 grit sanding disc I have are 5” with no holes so I used my old DeWalt for that sanding. Then connected the Festool up to the vac and used their 80 & 100 grit. 5) I though an F150 was a Ford truck?

Submitted on the old forum by Woodenskye I wonder if this will be competition to Grizzly and others. I have heard really good things about their dust collectors. This is the group that bought Bridge City Tool Works. Is this going to be quality at a competitive price or just another cheap clone. www.harveywoodworking.com/collections/ambassador Follow up posts 1) I seen them come across my email today. Did check out their website. Not sure what to make of them yet. 2) If I was in the market for a new saw, I would be tempted to give this a shot. Then again giving it time may be prudent. 3) Interesting! They also have a saw they say is 4hp in that 3k range so, might also be some good competition for SS or PM as well. If/when the current PM craps out, I might just give them a try! 4) They look legitimate to me. Maybe that should be kev’s new replacement saw 5) I would certainly give it strong consideration as I think I'd be looking at Grizzly. I would have to research some more but, my quick preview looked pretty good for the money. 6) It certainly looks good for the money, and I would give it a shot. The other TS they have looked good as well. It looks like they are trying to get into both the mid range and higher end cabinet saws. I would be curious if they will have at Woodcraft to inspect since they appear to be a dealer. Too bad the closet Woodcrafts are 90 minutes away. 7) Agreed.. Personally, I don't think I have the following to reach out to them to test drive one or do a review on one either but, I would certainly love to do it! I also can't justify 2 table saw in the shop but, in reality, I've always wanted 2 because I hate changing out to the dado stack 8 ) Doesn't hurt to ask. If you spoke to the right person and showed them the debacle of the first PM you may get to do a test drive. 9) Might be worth an email but, I wouldn't really expect a response. 10) I remember reading a article on them after they bought bridge city. They seemed like a stand up company. That grew from a small company to a very high tech manufacturing firm over a short time in business year 10yrs or so. I can’t wait to start seeing some reviews. I don’t see my needing a new ts anytime soon. I do like new tools tho 11) UST DO IT!! I know you don't believe your following is large enough, but with this forum, the other forum, your videos and the PM issues, if I was the marketing director for Harvey, I would definely consider. You are honest and it comes across in your videos. Outside of Marc, you are 1 of the few who aren't running a SS. 12) I really appreciate the kind words! It's truly humbling to hear them! I will drop them a note. 13) 2 table saws back to back with an out feed table between. Plant a power feeder on the saw with the dado stack. Oh have I thought about this topic

Submitted on the old forum by bushwacked I am thinking about possibly picking one of these up with an HD gift card I still have not used for my b-day. Been wanting one like it for awhile but never wanted to pay the festool money ... thought on this one? Even though my shop is Makita, I would be willing to go dual batteries for this one. I dont see anything in the Makita roadmap for their version of this one. Bosch is the only other one I have seen come out with it, but between Bosch and Milwaukee, I would go the latter. I also thought I saw that festool attachments would work for this as well, if ever needed ... need to dig up where I saw that though just to make sure I am not crazy Follow up post 1) I have the Festool version and it's nice but, way over priced and I'd never buy it again. The only time I use it is for those rare occasions when I want the 90 degree attachment. The rest of the time, I run my Dewalts. Now, with that said, if I were starting over today, I'd probably go Milwaukee. I just think they're a little better quality tool. I would also have to look strongly at the Rigid because of the lifetime warranty. Under their warranty, if they discontinue a tool that you own and that tool breaks, if they can't fix it, they'll replace it with the upgraded model. I know that Rigid isn't considered "top of the line" stuff but, with a warranty like that I think I'd be willing to take some chances. Now, just a brief note on my Dewalts.. I'm noticing the chuck starting to go on one of the drills. It's the oldest on in the bunch and I've run them for quite a few years without issue. I've moved that drill to the 'reserve' position and am waiting for one of the other chucks to start to go. If, by the end of the year, they're all still holding up well then I'll just replace the one drill in kind staying with Dewalt. If I get a couple more starting to go, I may make the switch to another brand and then really dig into the weeds on Milwaukee or Rigid. 2) I have the festool and really like it, but I doubt I will ever buy another festool drill. I know Kyle at RR Buildings did a review of this on his YT channel. 3) Ya to me Milwaukee always seems to come out with the new stuff first. Rigid has a hell of a warranty and seem to be making more quality stuff in the past few years as well. If I was in the market for a brand swap I'd definitely give rigid a hard look as well. If they had the 4 in 1 I'd probably go with them on this purchase just for the warranty. 4) Just make sure to look in to the Ridgid warranty before going that route. I was thinking of getting some and reading reviews of it taking weeks to months to get their tool back from being repaired or replaced. Some said Home Depot just replaced their tool right then. Not sure I would want to wait weeks when I was probably in the middle of something when it broke. 5) Just watched his quick review ... Seemed to be pretty positive overall. For what I'm thinking of using it for it seemed to check most the boxes as well 6) Very good point! In my case, there's a local guy you can take the stuff to and he deals with the company for you. Still, no money out of your pocket. I also don't know what his turnaround time for these tools is, it could still very well be a long time. 7) Oh very interesting on the wait ... Although free is free and I would assume in major use items I'd have at least 2 of. IE drills.... Curious what from their line would break and I'd be hoses having to wait a month on 8 ) Pick any tool in their line but, it would be the same regardless of tool brand. When you're down, you're down. 9) Hmmmm. Maybe I'm just not bought as much as most to these systems?? I have 2 drills and 1 impact Tracksaw and tablesaw 2 shopvacs Angle grinder Mobile light Sawzall So if I am down a tool I have a backup for everything but the grinder and sawzall even though it may be a little slower. So maybe I'm just not invested enough to where it hurts me as bad as most?? So if one went down I'd still be ok for the most part ... At least I think hahah. Haven't had an issue mid project yet at least from the above tools 10) The only battery tools I run are the drills, impact, and angle grinder. Everything else is corded. I typically run 4 drills and one impact. I have a 5th battery drill, the Festool one mentioned above. I have a corded angle grinder if the battery one poops. So, would I ever really be "down", no. But, the point is that if you're taking something for repair, I don't think it matters which brand you choose, they'll all probably be similar in turnaround time to get the tool back. I just don't know that Rigid would be any worse than Milwaukee? But, I haven't dealt with them so, don't have any first hand knowledge. 11) I have the Milwaukee m12 drill and impact both fuel versions and I’ve had no issues in the 5 years I’ve had them. I’ve pretty much have abused the impact by building a couple decks with it. Also have the 12v hacksaw, cutoff tool, stapler, vacuum and light. No issues at all with any off them. Recently I bought the m18 drill and impact both are brushless. Only reason I did that is I got a deal on them at hd. Also been wanting to jump to the 18v for the tool options. Also picked up the 7 1/4 circular saw to use for cross cutting sheet goods. Have not been happy with that tool as it just seems under powered. Maybe it’s the 60 tooth blade in it but even spinning empty just seems weak. If I had to start over I’d not shy away from ridgid just for the warranty. Don’t like the weight of their tools though. Have grabbed their drills in the stores a few times and feels like you are holding a brick.

Submitted on the old forum by Kev Before I left WA, I sold off my shop fox HCM as I just didn't use it much and it was another item to haul to the new shop. Well, since being in the new shop and doing more videos, I find myself pulling out the Domino a lot and steering away from more traditional joinery over speed. Some of that is just life! Me trying to create enough content while I'm gone on the road. Some of it, in all honesty, is laziness. I won't lie! I have some blanket chests coming up, I think, where this tool would come in very handy with all those ebony plugs that I need to cut. Now, full transparency, this could just as easily be me kicking myself for getting rid of a tool that did the job and wishing I still had it! Whatever the reason, I ordered a new one. The old one was the Shop Fox and I was never overly impressed with it. I found the bed to not hold well enough to cut a mortise of any length without having to go back and clean up the edges. So, with that knowledge and experience, I knew I wasn't going to go back to that machine. Additionally, with my recent woes with PM, I knew that I wasn't going that direction even though the Jet and PM ones really have good reviews. So, what's left? Delta makes one but, the bed didn't look that much better than the Shop Fox version. Rikon makes one that kind of peaked my interest. It wasn't the cheapest but, it did look like they paid attention to the details to improve what I didn't like on the Shop Fox. So, that's what I ordered. Of course, I'll do a review when it arrives. Here's the one that I ordered.. www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00SOR41CO/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_image_o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1 Follow up post 1) Will be interested to hear how this one works and compared to the shop fox ... I've always been warned to stay away from benchtop stuff when possible. 2) Normally, I tend to agree. However, in this case with the amount of use it will see in most of our shops, a bench top model makes perfect sense. Also, the PM version that I used to have my eye on is about $1500.00. I just have a tough time swallowing that pill for a tool that isn't going to see a great deal of use. 3) Agreed. Lots of money for something you'd use a couple times a year. However... Do you not use it because it sounded like the first one kinda sucked and didn't make M&T fun / quicker than it was messing with everyone. Or do you just not build using that method? Maybe if you had a sweet tool that was a joy you might use it more? Timing and videos I can see ... But I'm curious how much slower it is. I know dominoes is super fast but maybe you build one chest with the HCM and one with dominoes? .... Just some thoughts 4) No dominos in the chests at this point that I know of. For the chests, it comes down more to cutting all the plug holes. 5) I never liked the HCM I have, basically it is holding down the corner of a tarp I have in the shed. The domino is quick, I would rather buy the pantorouter, but that isn't exactly a cheap tool either. 6) Agreed.. I've thought about that particular tool as well. Unfortunately, I have enough green and red in my shop where I'm feeling borderline of catching a bunch of crap on YT about expensive tools. I just felt this might be a tool that was reasonably within reach. 7) Kev you shoulda said something sooner! I woulda traded you my hcm even up for your domino 8 ) lol.. Not really a fair trade I'm afraid.. Unless you had a floor model HCM. 9) No it would be a really good deal for one of us! I’ve actually never used mine. Craigslist special couldn’t even tell you the brand without going out to the shop. 10) That’s the same one I was looking at getting. I look forward to seeing your take on it. From what I’ve read Rikon is making some changes to the middle of the road price machine and trying to make them even closer to premium line at just a lower price point. 11) I'll certainly be sure to do a review. I have one of their slow speed grinders and like it so far. To be completely honest, I don't have enough miles on it yet to offer a proper review. 12) Great this will must likely be my next purchase after the bandsaw in couple weeks. 13) I got called out for work again but, I'm hoping to have time for the initial review before I go..

Submitted on the old forum by bushwacked So I don't do much router/flush trim bitting so I'm curious ... Why the different thicknesses? Do they do anything different? Minus the height which is obvious what does having a fatter flush trim bit get you? Longer life? Follow up posts 1) Many times, it just depends on some corners that you need to get into. If I were doing a lot of straight flat flush trimming, I would think the larger bit would have an easier time staying cool and therefor last longer. 2) Yeah, if you have a pattern with a tight inside radius, you would use a smaller od bit. 3) Also there is a height difference, the two on top are shorter then the two on the bottom. Another thing that is nice about these is they have a bearing on top and bottom. 4) I was just reading about these bits on Infinity's website and in the long haul of a hobbyist's shop they all would be nice to have. The shorter ones can handle up to 5/4 stock and the taller ones can handle up to 8/4. They recommend using the larger diameter bits in your router table only. The larger diameter bits because of their large diameters have a higher angle of attack which would be helpful in highly figured woods and also patterns with reversing grain. The smaller diameter bits along with the above mentioned use in a tight radius they are also good for trimming veneer and laminates. Hope this helps. 5) I thought i would add to this very old discussion. I purchased one of the Mega Flush trim bits, I got the 3/4 diameter X 2 inch length. I have been using it quite a bit on my current project and it has been more then worth the money. One of the cleanest looking cuts I have seen. The finished surface is like you went over it with your smoothing hand plane. Shame of it is some of the places I used it won't show in the final product. 6) Thanks for the update Chet! I've been on the fence a bit with these bits! 7) good to know if I am ever in the market that it wont be a waste of money