$2000.00 to spend on tools

[Jim Behning]

Good. I got a response. I worked for a science museum a few years ago. They opened in 1988. They bought a bunch of tools new and some used. Redmond Equipment is the sticker on some of the tools. As some of you know, science museums are not the sexiest museums to support. Unless you have a huge endowment you may very well fail. That museum is not the only science museum in the state suffering or on the verge of collapse. In any event when they closed doors I vultured in with bids for tools I wanted and tools that some of my friends wanted. Oportunities knock and sometimes you get lucky and answer.

The bandsaw was from another non-profit that has their annual garage sale in September. A widow gave them the a bunch of tools when her husband passed on. At that sale I said some of the prices were too low and I paid more.

So I now have a 3 phase Unisaw and a 3 phase drill press sitting in the garage. Not much use. Do I just get new motors which seems cheaper than a phase converter? I am still debating that.

Today's task is moving them from the garage to the basement. You know that having some sling straps and a hayfork on the front end loader of the John Deere makes it easier to unload stuff off the back of the pickup or to move it to the basement door.

Other task for the next few weeks is to design and weld some mobile bases. Not enough room for my bicycles and the woodworking tools. Then the debate of which of my old tools I keep and which ones I sell or give away. I have such fond memories of the Delta contractors saw, early 80's vintage and the 10" Delta turret radial arm saw.

I am tak>Greg G. wrote >>

[Edwin Pawlowski]

"Jim Behning"

The EE can tell you better about phase converters but at $350 plus the cost of a new motor, still a good deal.

[Prometheus]

Awww... you suck. So, how do you track down those spiffy deals?

[Prometheus]

Funny how those work... the folks across the street were selling some tools a while back, and they had brand new Craftsman dust collector still in the box they wanted $50 for (someone else got it while I was going to the ATM, drat!) but they wanted $125 for an off-brand scroll saw that was beat to hell- and wouldn't take a penny less.

I won't do either... 3-phase? That's just too much work to make it worthwhile. Tell you what, since you already went through the trouble of hauling the things home, I'll come pick up those nasty tools, and take 'em away for you- then you won't have to worry about it any more; it would be my good deed for the week!

Of course, if you really want to give it a go, I know my uncle used to generate his own third phase in his sharpening shop- I was not too familiar with the system in it's totality, but I know that the part I saw was just a large electric motor and a switch. To start it, he'd wind a cord around the spindle of the motor and yank it, then flip the switch while it was spinning- the motor would then keep spinning on it's own, and (presumably) generate the 3rd phase. There *could* have been a converter hiding somewhere upstairs in the office (then again the motor could have been a converter, for all I know), but it looked to me like it was just some creative wiring- and it worked like a charm for him for a very long time. Might be worth checking out.

Yeah, way too much work... I'm telling you, I'll come save you all that trouble if you like!

[Jim Behning]

You know how you hear people that say they found such a deal. You just look and look and look and maybe you get lucky. I have been looking for a drill press for a few years. I want the good stuff but I don't like that retail price. Same for the bandsaw sort of. I did not have as much of a lust.

The 3 phase question. I have a working Delta contractors saw. Works ok for me. I can wait until I pay off this group of tools before I buy a single phase motor for the saw. I have a bunch of 3/4 hp motors but all are the flexible mount which will not work for the press. Wah.

What you saw at your uncle's shop was a phase converter. The motor lets the tool work a bit harder. There are a series of capacitors that dump some juice to the third leg since you only have 2 legs in a standard house. The rope is to get the motor turning. Google searches explain it in detail.

The tools made it to the basement just f>>

[/..]

By Thu, 07 Oct 2004 03:28:41 GMT, Joe Willmann decided to post "$2000.00 to spend on tools" to rec.woodworking:

Just getting more for less is not necessarily going to be a good thing. Some inferior tools might be cheaper or larger, but they are a bad bargain. This applies generally.

I would seriously consider an 8" jointer. I'm not necessarily working within your $ context tho. Perhaps you could forgo the bandsaw for now and get the larger jointer?

HTH,

/ts

[Joe Willmann]

I am the original poster and I want to thank everybodies input. Nobody made a recomendation for a better quality set of tools that would fit in my budget. So I will probably go with my original list.

I wish I could get a 8inch jointer but space is a problem. I keep an eye out for used but they are few and far between.

I found some things on ebay that cost less but shipping makes it more expensive than buying new. Go figure.

I am lucky enough to live in the Seattl;e WA area and gound out that Grizzly has a show room in the state. So before I commit I will go there and check things out on site! And if things work out It will save about $200.00.

Areound here I have found Rigid 6 inch jointer for $349.00 and their 14 inch bandsaw for $399.00 also.

Anyway, thanks for the help!