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rotor posted:I don't know man have you ever looked at those festool things? You can hire an army of master craftsmen to do the work for you while you sip 50 year Glenfiddich scotch and have an A-list Hollywood celebrity (Oscar nominated) mow your lawn for cheaper than outfitting your garage with Festool kit. I honestly think Festool doesn't exist, and is just a fake company with fake products set up by another manufacturer to make their own top-of-the-line tools look reasonable in comparison. For Christsake. . . a $200 palm sander?
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Dec 31, 2013 01:49
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Amazing what things cost when they're assembled by first-worlders being paid a living wage, isn't it? 
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Dec 31, 2013 01:52
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Blistex posted:You can hire an army of master craftsmen to do the work for you while you sip 50 year Glenfiddich scotch and have an A-list Hollywood celebrity (Oscar nominated) mow your lawn for cheaper than... My new mottto. Thanks.
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Dec 31, 2013 01:59
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Sagebrush posted:Amazing what things cost when they're assembled by first-worlders being paid a living wage, isn't it? Festool is even more expensive than that. I think they're happy being a provider of "luxury" equipment and have no intention of trying to compete with the other guys. Most people think that cheap has to be 3rd world, but not so. Dewalt moved their manufacturing overseas back in the early 2000's and it didn't have any effect on their prices, just the amount of taxable income their owners had to claim and how much they could siphon from regulatory fees into their own pockets. A modern factory in the US can make tools faster than one in China, Mexico, Taiwan, etc. due to worker productivity, smaller number of employees for similar output, and efficiency (factory automation and part supply lines) and a host of other factors like shipping (North America accounts for a massive percentage of power tool sales so it makes sense to not have to ship them from the other side of the world). These things offset the higher wages that first world employees take in, but in no way make the shareholders any richer so. . . overseas it is!
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Dec 31, 2013 03:41
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I got confused when the aerial vehicles thread moved to D&D. Now did D&D just move here?
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Dec 31, 2013 05:09
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I picked up a used Festool Trion jigsaw for $100 and at that price it's fabulous. Eventually I'd like to pick up one of the TS55 and a dust extractor. A lot of their stuff is priced high enough that I'm sure it'd be well past the point of diminishing returns for my uses, but the TS55 Req is about the same price as Makita and Dewalt equivalents.
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Dec 31, 2013 17:46
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With all the toolchat about high quality brands in the US, what are decent brands to get in the UK and where? About the only suppliers I've been able to find for things like table saws, bandsaws, drill presses etc are Screwfix and the reviews are pretty poo poo for quite a lot of their stuff - most of it's their own brand and shite quality. I'd like to look into some more professional-level suppliers but I have no clue where to start. I'm liking the DeWalt tools I've got so far, and I'll probably stick with them for hand tools, but they don't make more than a small contractor's table saw that is sold anywhere I've seen, and don't seem to make drill presses and bandsaws at all. Or am I just missing a supplier website somewhere? Not that I'm planning to actually buy any of this stuff due to only having a 10'x10' shed to store it in which is as secure as the screws used to hold the hinges on, but a man can dream, right?
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Dec 31, 2013 18:53
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I honestly think that the UK should be renamed to "price-gouge-istan". Check craigslist, and whatever UK equivalents there are before you start spending big bucks to have something shipped or buying new. Check out the brands, then check google to see what the reviews say. Don't be afraid to chime in here asking if something is good/bad or worth the price. I would recommend getting used/cheaper tools that don't need to be 1/1000th accurate. (sanders, circular saws, drill presses, corded drills, etc.) unless you are going to be making cabinets or using them a lot. I'm also not saying that you should buy the cheapest no-name things you can buy, but my $20 mastercraft palm sander is just as good as my $50 black and decker, and they're just as good as my $70 makita, which I'm going to guess is just as good as pretty much any other ones out there. I can't help you with the websites and stores in the UK, but I can tell you what I think of a tool's quality and price if I am familiar with it, and if I don't know, there are tons of people here willing to chime in who do know.
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Dec 31, 2013 19:08
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powderific posted:I picked up a used Festool Trion jigsaw for $100 and at that price it's fabulous. Eventually I'd like to pick up one of the TS55 and a dust extractor. A lot of their stuff is priced high enough that I'm sure it'd be well past the point of diminishing returns for my uses, but the TS55 Req is about the same price as Makita and Dewalt equivalents. I hate to disagree, but on Amazon the Makita is $200 cheaper and the Dewalt is $100 cheaper, but comes with both rails. If you do buy a Festool, buy the Makita rail. It's cheaper and fits both saws. Same goes for the Dewalt track clamps, they are the easiest/quickest to use. And do your research, there were enough reviews from people having used both and felt the Makita was just as good of a saw for $200 less.
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Dec 31, 2013 19:24
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Yeah, I'm keeping a weather eye on gumtree, and there are a couple of drill presses I have my eye on, but storage is my major issue. I need to do some serious work on the shed this year.
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Dec 31, 2013 19:25
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thespaceinvader posted:Yeah, I'm keeping a weather eye on gumtree, and there are a couple of drill presses I have my eye on, but storage is my major issue. I need to do some serious work on the shed this year. I picked up ~24 feet of kitchen counter top that they ripped out of a classroom in my school, along with 5 4' cabinets (three with doors, 2 with just shelves). I'm debating if I should tear my shed down and start again, or just try and renovate it and make it into a workshop. Right now I do all my woodworking at my parent's cottage, or at school during my prep periods.
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Dec 31, 2013 19:53
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I have two friends with the Dewalt tracksaw and one of them has the TS55REQ. The one with both saws says he prefers the Dewalt. Both have impeccable dust collection but the price of the Dewalt puts it ahead.
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Dec 31, 2013 19:57
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Blistex posted:I picked up ~24 feet of kitchen counter top that they ripped out of a classroom in my school, along with 5 4' cabinets (three with doors, 2 with just shelves). I'm debating if I should tear my shed down and start again, or just try and renovate it and make it into a workshop. Right now I do all my woodworking at my parent's cottage, or at school during my prep periods. I've been having pipe dreams about building something a bit bigger in the garden too, but they're complicated by planning issues in a leasehold property. And lack of money. I'd love to build something a little larger and more substantial, but it'll be several years down the line. For now, I'm just hoping my local hackspace will be able to afford the tools soon, or that the place I'm looking at for some evening classes might be able to make some arrangement to use tools on a private basis if they have what I need.
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Dec 31, 2013 20:04
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I'm just dreaming about buying the vacant land behind me and building a proper shop back there, but I don't have the 20-25k it will probably end up costing me. Once I've fixed up the house and killed a couple more debts I'm saving for it. It's vacant, unbuildable (for residential purposes - talked to the inspector a year ago) land attached to a rental property and is never used by the tenants, ever, so I'm pretty sure I can get the land for a song, especially if I note how much it'll reduce the landlord's real estate tax bill.
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Dec 31, 2013 21:07
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the spyder posted:I hate to disagree, but on Amazon the Makita is $200 cheaper and the Dewalt is $100 cheaper, but comes with both rails. If you do buy a Festool, buy the Makita rail. It's cheaper and fits both saws. Same goes for the Dewalt track clamps, they are the easiest/quickest to use. And do your research, there were enough reviews from people having used both and felt the Makita was just as good of a saw for $200 less. Hm, I could swear they were all nearly the same price when I last checked but seems you're right. In any case, if we wanna talk about expensive tools, howbout the $680 Mafell jigsaw: http://www.timberwolftools.com/tools/mafell/MAF-P1cc.html
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Dec 31, 2013 21:15
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powderific posted:Hm, I could swear they were all nearly the same price when I last checked but seems you're right. In any case, if we wanna talk about expensive tools, howbout the $680 Mafell jigsaw: http://www.timberwolftools.com/tools/mafell/MAF-P1cc.html I mean there is nothing wrong spending a lot if it's a tool you'll really benefit from. But the reality is that most of us don't have all the tools we could use. So the tradeoff is Festool X, or 10 other tools, and usually the 10 other tools win. Quality is nice but for any given job an inexpensive version of the right tool is probably way better than an expensive version of the wrong one.
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Jan 1, 2014 01:46
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IOwnCalculus posted:I'd still say that the biggest problem you ran into is NiMH battery chemistry. Compared to lipos they are absolute dogshit. I raced Heh, that reminds me of resurfacing a deck a couple years ago on a 100 degree day. We would swap out our NIMH batteries for the one on the charger, and when the second drained and we swapped back, the first battery never even started recharging yet. We ended up needing to run inside to put the old batteries in the freezer to get their temps down to a point where they would take a charge again. kid sinister fucked around with this message at 02:40 on Jan 1, 2014 |
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Jan 1, 2014 02:34
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thespaceinvader posted:I've been having pipe dreams about building something a bit bigger in the garden too, but they're complicated by planning issues in a leasehold property. And lack of money. I'd love to build something a little larger and more substantial, but it'll be several years down the line. There is always the possibility that you can bypass some of the problems with permits and such if it's technically a "renovation" in the sense that you strategically build a new shed on the old one and then dismantle the old one. Guy I know tore down half his shed, then build half the new one. Then tore down the other half and finished it. The new shed was 2x bigger and pretty much swallowed the original one, but he saved a lot of time and money with regards to permits and red tape.
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Jan 2, 2014 04:16
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In chicago they build houses inside of old house because the permit process is so bad. Easier to build inside old house then peal the skin off.
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Jan 2, 2014 04:47
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That is essentially what I am doing with my house. I will have 80% of the original frame and foundation, the kitchen sink, the living room floor, the utility hookups, the front door, and maybe the kitchen door remaining of the original house when I am done with it. And the foundation will be entirely repointed.
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Jan 2, 2014 05:07
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California property tax increases are capped at like 1% or something for existing structures, so people will tear down an entire building save for one wall somewhere and build a new house around it--voila, it's a renovation!
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Jan 2, 2014 05:13
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stubblyhead posted:California property tax increases are capped at like 1% or something for existing structures, so people will tear down an entire building save for one wall somewhere and build a new house around it--voila, it's a renovation! that's not the way it works afaik. if you add a room or anything major like that, it triggers a re-appraisal and higher taxes. I've never actually seen anyone do what you said and I suspect it's an urban myth. I suspect the chicago thing is likewise a myth.
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Jan 2, 2014 06:12
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This has probably been discussed before but what are peoples thoughts on the Shopsmith system? I get the impression that it's a jack of all trades master of none but folks who like it seem to really like it and people who don't really hate it. The reason I ask is that I have no dedicated cabinet tools. I'd like to try my hand at making pens and pepper mills, which as a lathe the Shopsmith seems pretty solid, and I could get one used for around $500-$600. At that price range (and not having anything that does what it does) it seems like a tempting way to get into the hobby allowing me to expand in the areas I need to as I need to. Thoughts or opinions?
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Jan 2, 2014 15:25
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A guy down the street from me had one used for about $300 last spring. Seemed too average at everything and I had nowhere to put it.
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Jan 2, 2014 16:10
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TouchyMcFeely posted:This has probably been discussed before but what are peoples thoughts on the Shopsmith system? I get the impression that it's a jack of all trades master of none but folks who like it seem to really like it and people who don't really hate it. Hmm I didn't know this existed. I have a tiny shop and this is sort of intriguing so I'd be curious what people think.
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Jan 2, 2014 23:36
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You pretty much hit it on the head with "jack.of all trades, master of none". I think they're OK machines but you'd be better off with separate tools if you can swing it. I see them pop up on Craigslist 2-3 times a month so I think a lot of guys either get discouraged or outgrow them. If you just want to do pens and peppermills, just buy a midi lathe. I bought my TurnCrafter Commander for like 450 shipped and it is a variable speed lathe that is pretty decent for the money. Keep in mind you'll need to budget for turning tools too. Then you'll need some way to sharpen them. You might want a chuck too, although its not absolutely necessary. For pens you can just use a mandrel and for peppermills you could probably do everything between centers (I have not made one but I expect a chuck would make things easier). I've probably got $1000 in turning stuff including the lathe. There's room to save some money there - I bought s Oneway sharpening jig for $150, there are plans available to build your own if you're not impatient like me. I considered a Harbor Freight lathe for much less money but am glad I went with the TurnCrafter because variable speed is freaking awesome. Poke around Craigslist and you might score a good deal on a lathe too. Woodturning is really fun and I'm kind of sorry I didn't get into it earlier.
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Jan 3, 2014 03:21
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I'm really tempted just for the fact that it can do all those things in a fairly compact and relatively cheap setup. I'd love to start dropping cash on real dedicated tools but I am a bit concerned that it will end up just being another hobby I got a wild hair up my rear end to try and then ignore (see all of my beekeeping supplies, the Fiat I was going to fix up, the wine making equipment in the basement, the bathroom it took 5 years to remodel, etc). I'm also a bit limited on space as I only have half a stall of a 2 car garage. I'm a bit reluctant to go too deep down this rabbit hole since it can be so incredibly expensive but I would like to give it a whirl to see if it sticks.
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Jan 3, 2014 04:36
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Has anyone had experience with auto-hammers? I had brain surgery last April and have discovered (among other things) I am not really coordinated to use a regular hammer anymore without getting frustrated or bashing my fingers to hell. I can use a screw gun for most things but some things just work better with nails. Are these worth while, or is my only option really a nail gun?
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Jan 3, 2014 19:50
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Like the little palm nailers and stuff? I love em. I generally use those when I need to put a honking big 16 or 20 penny nail in, but don't have any space to swing a hammer, or am at a wonky angle and almost falling off a ladder. It's like you just put the nail where you want it and then push it in with the palm of your hand. I got one as part of a multi-tool kit with my framing nailer, laughed, wondered why I'd ever need such a thing, and set it aside for a few months. Then wished I'd tried it out sooner when I finally gave it a shot.
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Jan 3, 2014 19:59
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rotor posted:that's not the way it works afaik. Like anything that is based on municipal laws, it's different everywhere you go and is also largely dependent on individual inspectors and clerks as well.
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Jan 3, 2014 21:41
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kastein posted:Like the little palm nailers and stuff? I love em. I generally use those when I need to put a honking big 16 or 20 penny nail in, but don't have any space to swing a hammer, or am at a wonky angle and almost falling off a ladder. It's like you just put the nail where you want it and then push it in with the palm of your hand. Kinda, those are an interesting idea. The one I have looked at a few times is like the ones on the left.  e: Aaaand reading the article that went along with that photo, the autohammers are noise junk. The palm nailer did great though, that might be an option if I can pick up a compressor... darkwolf220 fucked around with this message at 00:14 on Jan 4, 2014 |
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Jan 4, 2014 00:05
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What are you trying to do? If you're just looking to do light-duty work, using something like the Evolv Compressor/Brad nailer package from Craftsman with Porter Cable brads and copious amounts of oil is a great way to go, and it's under $100. On the downside, you may find that you like having air tools (they own) and want something beefier for both nailer and compressor. My fiancée bought me the Bostitch compressor kit and although I rarely find myself using the stapler other than for plastic sheeting, the compressor is a horse and the brad and finish nailers are amazing.
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Jan 4, 2014 04:45
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Quick question about jack planes (Stanley #5). Bevel up or down? I've been seeing some different opinions on the matter and have determined that the original angle on the blade was around 30 degrees, but I'm wondering which side I should have up. It's predominantly going to be used as a decoration on my shelf, but I can see myself using it on hardwood (not end grain planing).
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Jan 5, 2014 01:48
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Bevel down, the chip breaker should be fairly close to the cutting edge.
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Jan 5, 2014 03:53
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Thanks! It was originally set up the exact opposite way with the bevel up and the chip breaker a good deal away from the edge. Also I'm pretty disappointed with the quality of the Stanley sharpening kit. It's honestly and hunk of junk and the stone is just a few mm's too narrow to properly sharpen. Luckily I had some 150, 320, 600 and 1000 wet/dry laying around and they did the trick. This is a flimsy, cheap hunk of crap that feels like it was made in a Mattel factory.  My favourite part is that the flip-down angle guide is flimsy plastic that has 2 or more mm's of play.
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Jan 5, 2014 04:09
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I have that same Stanley set. Blows.
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Jan 5, 2014 23:23
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mds2 posted:I have that same Stanley set. Blows. It's amazing how similar the tool market and audio market mimic each other. They make a quality unit for generations, then start cranking them out on the cheap, hoping that everyone will remember that their names used to stand for quality. Then before they know it, another generation has passed and nobody who is buying remembers them making anything but cheap crap. Anyone care to recommend a good jig? Or should I just make my own?
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Jan 6, 2014 01:49
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What lawn mowers you guys use? I got some lovely 4.75hp briggs that works fine and two other brigs higher models that need work. I got them free with my trailer so might change the plugs and the wheels on the one and see what happens. If i get all three working I'm thinking of getting one good lawn mower. I want a basic push because my yard is small and self propelled would be more of a burden. Honda has a basic push at home depot for $350 (10% off would make it decent)? Any opinions? There are a bunch of gravely dealers where my trailer is vs 40 miles to home depot for the honda. The one they have is a kohler motor (they any good?)?
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Jan 6, 2014 03:50
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Christobevii3 posted:What lawn mowers you guys use? I got some lovely 4.75hp briggs that works fine and two other brigs higher models that need work. I got them free with my trailer so might change the plugs and the wheels on the one and see what happens. If i get all three working I'm thinking of getting one good lawn mower. I want a basic push because my yard is small and self propelled would be more of a burden. Honda has a basic push at home depot for $350 (10% off would make it decent)? I have a Husqvarna with a Honda engine. Growing up we always had poo poo luck with Briggs and Stratton engines so I went honda and it has worked well. Mine is self propelled and it was $329, non-propelled was $269 IIRC. Lowes/HD/Sears all have mowers with Honda engines that aren't Hondas. Hondas may have other advantages, but not sure what they are.
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Jan 6, 2014 04:14
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| # ? May 22, 2024 14:37 |
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How do you tune a #5 to work as a scrub plane for hogging off material quickly?
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Jan 6, 2014 04:40
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