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[Swingman]

Naahh ... we're crotchety old curmudgeons who shoot at each other at the drop of a #5 Bailey. The survivors are ones with the big iron they can hide behind.

[Jeff Mazur]

OK, so, again, THANKS!

Trying to address the many points, bear with me...

Regarding Festool, I am of two minds: they are surely built by people who t hink about design care about quality. I always try to invest in quality. Having said that...as with golf, I'll wait for the finest equipment until m y skills are honed better.

SawStop is a given - that's not just quality, that's safety. They're lots of money - I have a grand total of about $1400 recent dollars (plus about $

400 "old dollars" - spent years ago) invested right now, so the cost of a S awStop looms large. I'm being very thrifty wherever possible, got two daug hters in the Ivy League so I'm hemorrhaging money. It IS a higher priority than most items, though, because of safety AND because my second-hand Shop Smith leaves something to be desired for sawing. I must say that since I g ot that nice Diablo 24T blade it cuts like a champ. Table stinks though, t oo high and too small.

Multitool - CHECK. Got a Dremel a year or two ago, along with a Rotozip, n ice tools, very handy.

Pencil Sharpener - got a couple mechanical pencils instead, they make a con sistently fine line which I like. And a box of kids chalk for face planing marks, etc.

Will check out Roy Underhill's vids, thanks. Seems a good idea. I love qu ality TV :) Will check the other sources of info, thanks for the others!

Regarding philosophy (such as the excellent advice to buy as I need), my ph ilosophy so far has been to buy when needed OR when a bargain presents itse lf. e.g. Paid $150 for my Ridgid 13" planer, $500 for my ShopSmith Mark V

510 AND DC3300 dust collector, $105 for my Craftsman 2HP 6" jointer. I lov es me a deal :)

Sliding Miter - CHECK - another used bargain on eBay, 12" dual sliding DeWa lt for $260 with decent blade.

Digital angle gauge sounds truly worthwhile, will check it out. Sounds lik e an inexpensive way to make life a lot easier.

I'm a big proponent of learning, so I picked up a couple of books. By the way, there is a book that is rapidly becoming my woodworking bible, it's ol d, but still available, and fabulous even though somewhat dated: Furniture and Cabinet Making, by John Feirer, 1983. Covers a vast amount of material , and offers some clever techniques. Highly recommend it.

Good point about shop power - that's one other reason I got the ShopSmith - it doesn't pop my wimpy 110V 15A breakers. High on my list, won't be chea p though - I can do most of the wiring, but the subpanel work will still be pricy.

Router - have an old Craftsman, works, runs strong, need a plunge-y one and a table, though. Good point.

Jig saw - CHECK+CHECK - inherited both a saber saw and scroll saw from fath er in law, God rest his soul.

@MikeMarlow: with you on HF, they can offer some good stuff, got a very nic e tile saw for a song there once. Am wary of their quality in general, tho ugh.

Meaning to check out the Domino. Seems like a game-changer. Track-saw wil l have to wait but is a GREAT idea - I can make-do with a clamped guide edg e for the time being. Track-saw would be a MUST have for a contractor thou gh, agreed.

@Lew: I covered the thinking chair FIRST lol!

Workbench need: acknowledged. Right now I'm using a couple 3/4" ply tables on sawhorses with cross support using those dandy table-building hangers f rom Rockler. Planning to build a couple nicer ones with under-table storag e that do double-duty as infeed-outfeed tables, plus a rolling tool cart to keep the always-needed stuff close at hand.

As a footnote, I have seen LOTS of back-and-forth about ShopSmith tools, so I'm going to go on the record here to (hopefully) avoid a repeat of some o f the ugly threads I've witnessed elsewhere:

1) YES, SS is a compromise tool in both power and configuration. Built for those without a lot of space. 2) NOT a great value when purchased new (unless you don't much space.) 3) VERY good value when purchased cheaply - I got a starter table saw, plus a lathe if I want to try turning, plus a drill press, borer and sander. 4) WELL built, in the USA. 5) Pricy, pricy, PRICY accessories.

In summary, can't say I love it, but am grateful I found one at a good pric e when I did. I may be the first SS owner to ever NOT gush about the darn thing, and am proud of that fact :)

And I'm grateful to you guys for being welcoming and helpful. Will try to offer what I can as well.

JM

[krw]

OK, but I'm not a fan of handheld tools that will take me for a ride. ;-) 3+HP routers belong in tables, which is a waste of a FesteringTool, IMO. The money is better spent on a motor and lift.

The 1400 is $500 and the 1100 is $400. You can't get anything close for half the price. I like my PC691, too, but it's not even close.

[Leon]

Oh Nooooooooo!

Seriousely the drills are amazingly strong.

[Leon]

Well welcome aboard!

[Leon]

I think the huge honking Festool router would be more of an attraction if I relied strictly on power hand tools.

I agree, I have two big routers, a Triton that replaced a huge Bosch plunge router simply because the Bosch did not adjust easily in a router table.

[Keith Nuttle]

Quote "Good point about shop power - that's one other reason I got the ShopSmith - it doesn't pop my wimpy 110V 15A breakers. High on my list, won't be cheap though - I can do most of the wiring, but the subpanel work will still be pricy." unQuote

This may be a partial do it your self job. In many places wiring, to be done per government code, must be done under a Building Permit by a license Electrician. I live in a rural county east of Raleigh and that is the way it is here. I don't like the additional expense, BUT it is for the protection of your family and future owners. While we may be quite capable of doing the job, there are others who think they are.

Quote "Workbench need: acknowledged. Right now I'm using a couple 3/4" ply tables on sawhorses with cross support using those dandy table-building hangers from Rockler. Planning to build a couple nicer ones with under-table storage that do double-duty as infeed-outfeed tables, plus a rolling tool cart to keep the always-needed stuff close at hand." unQuote

While there are those who will look down their noises at a movable bench and say it is for amateurs, in reality is the best option for the DIY shop. I have both my work bench and table saw on wheels. Since I am not doing one operation for 8/7/52 weeks, it gives you a lot of flexibility. While I did mine with the idea of using it as an outfeed table, its biggest use is as a staging area when I am cutting a lot of pieces. (I make my wife stretchers and picture frames and may have several dozen pieces at a time.) Being mobile it can service the table saw, the drill press or the router table. One non woodworking use is a sturdy mobile platform for painting the ceiling, installing ceiling lights, and changing light bulbs.

My work bench is made of 2 X 4 with all half lapped joints. The top is

1/2 inch plywood set into a half lapped 2X4 frame. There are four closed cabinets at the ends and two large shelves. It is sturdy and is still as strong to day as when I made it over 15 years ago.

[Swingman]

Annual (Inoculation/Booster Shot) meeting of FIG is being planned as we speak.

As you have seen from last years meeting:

Mandatory innoculation with the Medical Grade shellac thinner has been scientifically determined to sufficiently mitigate the effects of FBD, with a yearly booster mandatory.

It appears that this years Annual (Inoculation/Booster Shot) meeting will be between Christmas and New Years, more than likely 12/28-29th.

Any wRec'er who will be in the Houston area at that time is hereby invited to attend.

Attendees getting their first shot are required to bring the appropriate Medical Grade (Blanton's, etc) shellac thinner. (Mr Bridges, is requested to provide his DD).

It is rumored that someone may even provide a Gumbo to soften the effects of the inoculation ... ya never know.

[Jeff Mazur]

On Friday, December 6, 2013 10:04:06 AM UTC-5, keith [e-mail] wrot e:

I'm with you, Keith - the wiring I spoke of is simply runs from the subpane l box to outlets. I rewired my entire kitchen (open work, re-did walls and a couple windows in the process, so pretty easy,) after submitting plans a pproved by the township, and passed inspection with flying colors. An elec trician friend taught me all the relevant techniques, codes, etc. and check ed my work. But I leave the heavy lifting to the experts, rest assured. I like woodworking but don't want to have to build a new house :)

Would never look down my nose and anyone's bench or tools, everyone has dif ferent needs, preferences, etc. Hell, doing that would be like knocking an other fellow's wife, not gentlemanly or kind at all. Me, I'm lucky - have a lot of room in my basement shop (24' x 32'), so I can be a little lavish in allocating bench and storage space, and will have a combination of some fixed benches along with a couple rollers.

[Leon]

Its Festool season! Get you free FBD shots.

DD?

[Leon]

FWIW running shop equipment on 220 volt, especially a table saw, will

99.999999999999999% remove the chances of stalling the motor. Even with a good blade fully raised and buried in Ipe. Ipe is 2.5 times harder than oak. 3HP is plenty unless you run the saw 24/7

[knuttle]

May I assume they are part of Obamacare, and "FREE"

[Leon]

Did you not see, Get your "free" FBD shots? LOL You may already be infected.

[Swingman]

Designated Driver. ;)

[Leon]

I thought she was the decoy. ;~)

[krw]

I never would have thought I'd ever hear "Festool" and "free" in the same sentence.

[krw]

I was just at the Woodcraft in Alpharetta, Ga. and picked one up. There is no way I'd feel safe wielding that thing around. Might just as well pick up the Unisaur! ;-)

I have an old (hmm, must be 25YO by now) 3-1/4HP Ryobi RE-600 but it was destined for a table when I bought it. I wouldn't turn it on without having it held down securely, either. I took the handles off of it, in fact.

[Leon]

Well AAMOF.. LOL When I bought my Rotex sander from my local WoodCraft store the Festool rep was in there promoting the product. I was there to buy it anyway but he gave me 2 Festool caps and 2 Festool t-shirts. Good to bring your wife to double up on the give away stuff. ;~)

[krw]

I feel cheated. I bought my Domino when they had a demo-day. It was totally coincidental that I was there that day. Since the Woodcraft store is an hour away, on the opposite side of Atlanta, we don't get there very often. I didn't get a hat! Well, I suppose I did get a Coke.

[woodchucker]

Yes but most of us don't need to spend that kind of money on a drill. Seriously the op did not ask for the most expensive toys he could buy.