Got any tool recommendations (table saw, router, etc.)?

[Dustin B]

I won't argue with you there at all Thomas. Spending lots of money on a tool you'll only use a few times doesn't make any sense. And depending on your storage space, buying a cheap but decent tool often does make more sense than renting one.

Another of my favorite quotes,

All generalizations, including this one, are false.

[JonW]

Hi Everyone-

Thanks again for all the recommendations. I’ve just emerged from some busy time at work to read your responses in more detail. I’d be happy with used tools, but I live in a small town, so that kind of makes things tough for that. Maybe I’ll pick myself up a Ryobi BT3100 table saw, a Dewalt 621 router, some MLCS bits, a Bosch jig saw, a random orbital sander of some sort, and various clamps. And maybe a shop vac for some dust collection. That’s not too crazy for expenses and should get me where I need to be, I’d think, for the occasional weekend project. Sounds like fun.

-Jon

[MarkR]

Timely advice for a newbie on the Irwin Quickgrips. I bought some before I started chopping wood for my MTM's last week, cheers Thomas :T

I obviously don't have enough F clamps....

[PeterV]

hi JonW

i will second JonMarsh's suggestion for the Hitachi router.
have been using a Hitachi 1/2" (M12V) 3 1/4 HP router for
2 years now, and it is great. also have had good luck with
my Hitachi circular saw.

best of luck
peterv

[dwk]

Well, all I can say is curse all you people. Or not - we'll see. Just picked up a used BT3000, and am about to list my Jet Contractors Saw on craisglist, and it's all your fault. After looking on the forums at bt3central which I only discovered from this thread, and evaluating my needs, I figrure it should be a good fit. The main considerations are
- space. I don't really have room for a full workbench and a full saw setup, and I believe that a bt3000 wide table setup will pinch-hit for most of my workbench needs. Now I just have to build one.
- portability. We have some remote property that we'll be working on (sheds, fences etc) and something that we can throw in the van is needed
- power. Our property is off-grid, and the universal motor of the bt3000 is much easier to drive off an inverter than the typical induction motor.

The fact that I really like the sliding table and it's probably a better fit for most of the small stuff I do sealed the deal. We'll see how it goes.

[Dustin B]

Another forum lead me to this clamping solution. Pretty neat if it works as advertised. The reports on the forum indicate it does.

http://www.bowclamp.com

[Paul H]

Another forum lead me to this clamping solution. Pretty neat if it works as advertised. The reports on the forum indicate it does.

This clamping solution will certainly work. Clamping cauls have been around a very long time, and simply distribute the clamping pressure from two clamps across the length of the caul. This provides more even clamping and requires less clamps. The biggest downside is a typical need for about 17 hands during the initial set-up and clamping .

I've got a bunch myself, made from leftover 2" maple with the curved side cut on a bandsaw. They are covered in various stains and dents, having been used as spacers, blocking and occasional pry-bars along with their intended clamping use.

They don't need to be pretty, perfectly symmetrical or thick hardwood to do the job either - you could cut some functional but not quite as strong ones out of 2x4's.

Paul

[Dustin B]

Do you have any information on what the optimal curve for these cauls would be Paul?

[Jack Gilvey]

I've purchased a few tools mainly with speakerbuilding in mind but I find other uses. The BT3100 (fantastic!) and DeWalt 621 w/Jasper jigs have been great. I find that even if something only gets used very occasionally I'm always glad I got a good one when I'm using it.
I did recently put a laminate floor down, DuPont Real Touch Elite, and the saw was a godsend.

http://home.comcast.net/~tgilvey/Floor3.JPG

[Paul H]

Do you have any information on what the optimal curve for these cauls would be Paul?

The ends should be cut back in the range of 1/8" to 1/4" from the centre for a 4' piece - on the higher end if you're using softwood. I marked the curves for mine before cutting using a 4' straightedge turned on its edge and bent to a more-or-less round profile.

Paul

[JonW]

Well folks, I hate you all. :P I bought the Ryobi BT3100 table saw, the Hitachi router, a sander, some pipe clamps, and a Bosch jig saw is on it's way.

After building some small items around the house that might resemble furniture, I think I'll try my hand at speaker building. The Modula MT might be the project to try. Many, many newbie questions will follow. I'll probably put them in the stickied thread. And if my questions get too annoying, it's all your fault. :P

This should be great fun.

[Jack Gilvey]

Just a heads-up, I saw the Ryobi BT3100 at HD today for $249. Not sure if that's a new or sale price.

[FlashJim]

I second the Eurekazone system. I have the Freedom Package and it pretty much made my Rockwell/Delta table saw a workbench.

I have a few routers and my favorites are the Porter Cable 890 series that I also use in a router table, and a Bosch Colt which is a 1 hp palm router.

[bossobass]

I love this thread 8)

For cutting, I like to have 'The Pipe' cut the pieces slightly oversize for easier transport, then precision cut them in my shop.

The table saw I use is an old Craftsman (battleship gray, I liked that ), that has no outstanding features whatsoever...but it just won't die, and I keep my tools 'til the tongue is hangin' out :B I wouldn't mind more feedback from those who own the Ryobi table saw mentioned. I'm interested to know as I've had bad experiences with Ryobi in the past.

I have a Delta drill press that I don't use that often, but when I need to, it's worth it's weight.

Though I also have the Bosch jig saw, I have a Delta band saw as well for curved cuts of thicker material. The jig saw blade will tilt when turning a bend on thicker pieces, the band saw won't.

I agree with Dustin on the air nailers/compressor. I use Porter Cable because they last forever. 1-16 gauge, 1-18 gauge.

I also have the Paslode cordless/hoseless trim nailer ( I call it the 'pop gun'). For those who don't wanna invest in a compressor or deal with a compressor's noise level and hoses, it does the trick, but it's spendy, as are the gas and batteries.

I have a smaller compressor for the guns, but I have a 30 gallon compressor for the paint/urethane part of the gig. They're pretty cheap these days (around $300.00 and up at Lowes, The Pipe and Sears). Going along with this, I have spray guns that range from a 'B' airbrush to gravity feed to conventional siphon and HVLP. These make all the difference in the world in putting a professional finish on the speakers you work so hard to build properly, IMO.

Routers: I have a Ryobi laminate trimmer for just that. Nice and small and easy to use, though I generally am not a Ryobi fan. For the bigger routers and plunge routers , I like Porter Cable because...well, I have one that I bought 26 years ago, made all of the interior trim for my first house and have used it a trillion times since and it still works as-advertised. I just bought a Dewalt 621 with standard and plunge bases, but haven't enough experience with it to say a lot about it. I make my own circle jig/router bases from a sheet of 1/4" thick plexiglass that I cut on the bandsaw and drill on the drill press.

Porter Cable belt sander, circular saw and palm sanders (another must have, IMO). All good tools. I also have a couple of Porter Cable cordless drills that come in handy.

Glue applicators are also a must have. Cheap brushes for smaller stuff and roller/applicators for bigger stuff, as well as a rubber 'J' roller for applying pressure to laminates and veneers.

Just my 2 cents. Great thread!

Bosso

[Drew]

Does anybody have one of these?:

http://www.festoolusa.com/ProductDetails.aspx?id=3&prodid=561174

It's a bit expensive, but from what I've read it's well made and accurate. I'm not familiar with the brand, though. I'm very short on space, so that's the main draw here.

[dyazdani]

I've read several reviews of Festool circular saws - all of them get high scores.

That's a lot of cash to drop on one though (for me anyway). I've had great luck out of my $70 saw and a sawboard.

[gimpy]

Bosso, I have the bt 3100 and really like it. That being said, it is my first and only table saw. I have had it about 5-6 months. The BT3100 is supposed to be being phased out/discontinued at Home Depot. So, if you want one, maybe you should buy it now.

It is supposedly very accurate right out of the box. It is known to have a very decent/accurate rip fence along with a sliding meter table. It is not known as being a good carpenter's saw and being moved around alot to job sites, etc.

To learn more about it, it has its own forum and a real good following over at www.bt3central.com. If you are interested in it, then you can visit that site and learn quite a bit about it. Also, if I am not mistaken, I believe that htguide's JonMarsh has one.

Frank

[bossobass]

Bosso, I have the bt 3100 and really like it. That being said, it is my first and only table saw. I have had it about 5-6 months. The BT3100 is supposed to be being phased out/discontinued at Home Depot. So, if you want one, maybe you should buy it now.

It is supposedly very accurate right out of the box. It is known to have a very decent/accurate rip fence along with a sliding meter table. It is not known as being a good carpenter's saw and being moved around alot to job sites, etc.

To learn more about it, it has its own forum and a real good following over at www.bt3central.com. If you are interested in it, then you can visit that site and learn quite a bit about it. Also, if I am not mistaken, I believe that htguide's JonMarsh has one.

Frank

G,

Thank you very much for the great post and link 8) Just what the Doctor ordered

Bosso

[FlashJim]

Does anybody have one of these?:

http://www.festoolusa.com/ProductDetails.aspx?id=3&prodid=561174

I had the previous model, the ATF55. It's an excellent tool.

I sold it and bought a Porter Cable 325MAG (with the brake) and a Eurekazone Freedom Package. I'm VERY happy with this setup.

[Jack Gilvey]

Bosso, I have the bt 3100 and really like it. That being said, it is my first and only table saw. I have had it about 5-6 months. The BT3100 is supposed to be being phased out/discontinued at Home Depot. So, if you want one, maybe you should buy it now.

Screaming deal at the $250 it's at now. Also my first table saw, but has vastly exceeded my expectations. The accurate cuts and perfect edges (compared to the circular saw/guide system I was using) are addictive. I don't even need Gorilla Glue any more...no gaps to fill. The dust collection works well, fence is dead-on, and there's a router-table option I haven't tried yet.

For my purpose, stationary medium-duty hobbyist/home-repair use, I don't know that there's a better choice. The aluminum construction is also an advantage in my basement shop.

[Dotay]

Just a heads-up, I saw the Ryobi BT3100 at HD today for $249. Not sure if that's a new or sale price.

I can confirm that this price is still available because I just picked one up from the BORG :assimilate: at the $249 price today. :dancenana:

[w8liftr]

I manage a solid surface and stone countertop shop. We use multiple routers, table saws and sanders everyday. My top two router choices are the big daddy 31/4 horse from Porter Cable and Makita. Our table saw is from Grizzly, they have great products. Our sanding equipment is Festool, expensive but worth it. If your tool usage is occasional you don't need the commercial equipment but it is nice to have! I highly recommend keeping your tools clean, blow the dust out with your air compressor after each use, especially with MDF. Everyone knows, you can never have too many tools!!

[JoshK]

my tool rec'n

[w8liftr]

my tool rec'n

Not bad :T

[wackii]

Bosch 1617EVSPKE 2-1/4 HP Variable-Speed Plunge/Fixed Base Router Kit

For those that missed out on other routers deal. This is an awesome deal for Bosch router kit.

Bosch 1617EVSPKE 2-1/4 HP Variable-Speed Plunge/Fixed Base Router Kit

Sale price = $153.99
promo code = "MAYPOWER" = 10%promo code
total price: $138 and change

I've ordered one.

This is normally going for $200+.

The deal is still on as of now 11:27 PST

Al,

[JimS]

Sears 2-drawer workbench for $88 this weekend

For those looking for an inexpensive workbench, I just picked up a Craftsman two drawer workbench on sale for $88 this weekend . . . almost as cheap as my previous basement door on two sawhorses, but with drawers :T

Doubt the link will work, since it's a search string, but it's the first item that comes up under garage organization. Here's their description:

Black baked enamel finish, full-extension ball-bearing drawer slides, full-width aluminum drawer pulls. Heavy steel construction, top 54W x 20-3/8D x 1-1/4H in. Worksurface is medium density fiberboard; one drawer is a standard width 4 in. high drawer and one is a narrower 4 in. high drawer. Pegboard pierced side with hooks, bulk storage area on bottom shelf of bench. Load capacity: 1450 lbs.