We should all take a pause

I just checked out my neighbor's job fitting out and finishing his basement. He did a kick ass job, it really came out well. All materials were store bought moldings, wainscot, oak plywood, etc...

Why am I posting this?

His "major tool" is a direct drive, Craftsman table saw, with about a

14" x 14" table top. He paid $15 for it at a yard sale. Get this, his fence is a piece of PINK FOAM INSULATION BOARD!

Here on the wreck, we debate if a tabletop that's .002 from flat, or a fence that's toed out by .005", is acceptable.

FWIW, He dosen't have cable and doesn't know who Norm, David Marks, etc... are.

Cool!

Barry

Reply to
Ba r r y
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I'd say it depends on the job how accurate the tools need to be. Putting up wainscotting and stock moldings sounds like the type of job that might not require tight tolerances.

todd

Reply to
Todd Fatheree

'S ok - when he gets ready to build cabinets (and furniture) for his added living space, he'll be really glad to have you as his neighbor!

Reply to
Morris Dovey

Did you read what I said about the saw?

He's ripping s4s, cutting miters, all stain grade work.

The fence is STYROFOAM!! =8^0

I have NICE tools, a General 650, DJ-20, good hand tools, and a lot of other good stuff. People tell me the things I make are nice. Some like them so much, they buy them. Some of the things are furniture, others are built in's. I understand all about accuracy.

Barry

Reply to
Ba r r y

*I* think that's cool.

There a guy near here, who has a $10,000.00+ Felder with Unobtanium blades, laser beams, GPS, FWD, AM/FM, you name it....and he builds bird houses and whirlygigs...BADLY! Just awful workmanship.

Maybe he needs that Styrofoam fence?

*G*

Robatoy (formerly sandman)

Reply to
Robatoy

I guess he measures the result, not the tool. Though "viewing distance" is certainly a player.

Reply to
George

Is his name Michael and does he post here under a pseudonym claiming to never watch television?

- - LRod

Master Woodbutcher and seasoned termite

Shamelessly whoring my website since 1999

formatting link

Reply to
LRod

The thought of a saw with GPS just made me spit my soda on the monitor. =8^)

Yup, we haven't moved!

Barry

Reply to
Ba r r y

How's 2-3 feet sound?

Barry

Reply to
Ba r r y

"Sounds like" paints a sad commentary of your experience. I work and live in an industry that requires me to install window/door trim, case, base, crown, as well as a multitude of other things to a high level of accuracy. We often refer to our joints (made in the field) as "dead tight".

Thinking of someone who has made work for sale (the OP) complimenting said work would indicate that it must have been, at the very least, above average. To then think that the work was done on a single piece of equipment, and the one described, is even more impressive.

When we set in on a job there is an entire room of equipment, a mini shop, to trim out a job not to mention the equipment needed for actual installation.

Mark

>
Reply to
Mark

styrofoam fence. . . . . .!!!! maybe it is better to be lucky than = smart. . .

--=20 SwampBug

- - - - - - - - - - - -

Why am I posting this?

His "major tool" is a direct drive, Craftsman table saw, with about a

14" x 14" table top. He paid $15 for it at a yard sale. Get this, his fence is a piece of PINK FOAM INSULATION BOARD!

Here on the wreck, we debate if a tabletop that's .002 from flat, or a fence that's toed out by .005", is acceptable.

FWIW, He dosen't have cable and doesn't know who Norm, David Marks, etc... are.

Cool!

Barry

Reply to
SwampBug

I'm only going by the information presented. And I left out an important piece of information in my post. My last sentence should have more clearly stated that it might not require tight tolerances in the table saw. Putting up moldings (that look good) requires a lot of accuracy. But I wouldn't expect that the difficult part about putting up moldings, which is getting the angles cut accurately, isn't generally a job for the table saw anyway. Barry didn't say that the table saw was his only tool, just his "major" one. He may have a CMS or even a miter box he cuts those with. IF he's cutting the plywood with the table saw setup described, I'd be impressed, though it wouldn't be the procedure I'd use with even the slightly nicer table saw setup that I have. I'd probably use a straight edge and circular saw, since I have trouble handling plywood sheets on the table saw. Beyond that, I did say that it "might' not require tight tolerances, since I don't know exactly the scope of the project that was briefly described. However, I should probably defer to Barry who has actually seen it.

todd

Reply to
Todd Fatheree

Hi Barry,

Thanks..now I feel like a real weenie for ordering that Grizzly 1023SL last week.

Sheeesh....

:-)

Lou

Reply to
loutent

I figured years ago that my talent at woodworking may not be as good as I hoped! I figured out that good tools do help make up some of my inadaquacy. One the other hand, I swear someone with real talent could build fine furniture with a chainsaw. Greg

Reply to
Greg O

loutent wrote in news:020120052048599614% snipped-for-privacy@no.net:

Why? Can't you get it with the StyroFence option?

Patriarch

Reply to
Patriarch

Good enough to leave some things that you'd have to remove if designed to be viewed within bifocal range. Then there's proportion.

Reply to
George

A tool is only as good as the person using it.

Reply to
WoodchuckCanuck

The results are only as good as the person using the tool. The tool itself can be outstanding and still turn out crappy work.

This applies even to high-tech wondertools. Over in the metalworking group someone recently mentioned receiving a lot of parts which were manufactured to close tolerances and extreme precision -- to the wrong dimensions.

--RC "Sometimes history doesn't repeat itself. It just yells 'can't you remember anything I've told you?' and lets fly with a club. -- John W. Cambell Jr.

Reply to
rcook5

A phrase I came across here a couple of weeks ago comes to mind-

"A determined man with one rusty wrench can do more work than a slackard with a box full of tools." (IIRC)

Seems to fit the bill here!

Aut inveniam viam aut faciam

Reply to
Prometheus

I know I already replied to this, but I like the topic. I noticed that at about the time I started subscribing to WW magazines and spending a bit of time reading about the subject on line, I began to feel like my tools were just pathetically inadequate, and I'd never reach a superb level of artistry unless I went out and got myself widget X and Power tool Y. Got pretty bad for a while- to the point where I didn't even want to attempt anything worth doing, lest I discover that I just couldn't make it work out with the aforementioned tools. Then I finally got myself out of my funk, and got back into the shop- and surprise! all my tools worked just fine, and my projects were as good as ever (which is to say, good enough to show folks without any embarassment- but not quite ready for the museum)

You're right- it's a good idea to pause and take stock of things from time to time. You don't *need* anything to make something nice- sometimes a $10 handsaw from the borg can make as fine a piece as a $1500 table saw in the right hands! Aut inveniam viam aut faciam

Reply to
Prometheus

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