Given that 99% or more of the "custom" cabinetry work done out there today relies on power tools at some stage, at what point do you step over the "craftsmanship" line into the realm of machine made? When making notched and grooved faceframe cabinetry it seems like the automatic adjustments could really, REALLY be a huge benefit.
It's amazing how quickly you can start to justify a fifteen thousand dollar table saw!!!
JP
Jay...
Good observation. If you follow that line of thought a bit farther, I think you'll find yourself thinking more and more about a CNC router - which allows "machining" wood to tolerances less than 1/256".
There /is/ benefit in that; but it's still necessary to design well, procure wood suitable to the intended result, select the right sticks for the right parts, and finish the result well enough to satisfy that little voice inside.
I've discovered that what seems to work best is to cut workpieces slightly oversize, secure to the router bed, and use the router to trim the workpiece to an exact size far more reliably than any tablesaw I've ever seen at any price.
What's been exciting for me has been the realization that there are wood joints possible that no one has ever even dreamed of before. My favorite is an easily routed lap joint variant that can only be assembled squarely, that /can't/ rack, and if the wood swells *or* shrinks can only become tighter.
'S partly why I'm so eager to hear that Tom Plamann's CNC system is up and running...
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