Jump to content

Highdesert Splintermaker

Members
  • Posts

    172
  • Joined

  • Last visited

  • Days Won

    2

Posts posted by Highdesert Splintermaker

  1. I've put this purchase off for a while now. I just got the 2015 TOOLS GUIDE by Fine Woodworking and on page 38 is a great article on how to select a miter saw and a comparison of 5 in the class they selected. As a result I've just ordered a Bosch CM12. It's a plain vanilla single bevel with a very high degree of accuracy. Looking forward to making splinters with it soon.

  2. Never got into DeWalt tools. My only experience was with B&D drills with the 18v NiCad slide on batteries. Today when a drill goes south it's still cheaper to go out and buy a whole new set that includes 2 new batteries than it is to try and separately replace either the drill alone or a battery alone.  The B&D 18v slide on NiCads seem to last forever. Again it is a pity they, B&D, never came out with an impact driver that would share that same 18v NiCad battery.  

  3. Apparently Steel City did not come out with the 8" jointer I'd hoped for. Guess I'll have to go buy and make do with one of those 6" bench top machines. I really would like to be able to joint a 2 x 8 without having to both buy and then make room for one of those $1,000 to $3,000 aircraft carrier.  

  4. EE

     

    I only mentioned the doorstop because - of all the ideas on the Dremel website for things to make with their 3D printer, the doorstop stood out as being the most useful and practical. If that makes me "ignorant" then I guess you're right.

     

    I suppose you're also right about the prototype possibilities for small parts in a manufacturing situation. I was thinking more in the relatively low budget one man home shop situation. I could buy a jointer, a planer, plus a few quality hand tools for the price of the Dremel 3D printer that can only produce a plastic final product.

  5. DR((:

    If you really like the Bosch miter saws you might want to check out the Fine Woodworking 2015 TOOL GUIDE, Pg. 38. It's an excellent article on both selection criteria, how much miter saw do you really need? and a comparison between some of the most prominent 12" single bevel miter saws. After reading it I ordered the Bosch CM12 from Lowes. It should be in and available for pick up any day now.

  6. Not quite sure what you have in mind when you say "combo. kit" not further defined. If you are looking for a drill & impact driver set you might want to check out the Bosch drill & impact driver combo. at Lowes. The Bosch kit number I'm referring to is CLPK234-181. It includes a drill, an impact driver, 2-18v 2.0 Ah Li batteries, a charger, a couple bits, 2 belt hooks, a soft case, and when you send in the registration you get a 3/2 yr. warranty. They are selling them currently for from $179.00 to $199.00. You can find them cheaper on line. Take the online price proof to Lowes and they will match the price and then take off an additional 10%. I just bought that same set from Lowes about a month ago and, so far, I'm happy with it.

  7. I'm with you DR99. A grand, plus supplies, for a toaster that makes plastic doorstops?  I don't think so. I'll save my money 'till They offer a reasonably priced 3D printer that will let me make metal parts.

     

    Imagine; select and load the metal wire you want, program it in, and the operation adjusts the heat range and print speed to the wire you're using to make a copper, brass, aluminum, or even low carbon steel part. Granted it would be a much more serious shop tool but it could serve so many useful purposes.

     

    But you could then make those unusual parts you want and can visualize or even draw but can't find at Home Depot, Lowe's, or Ace Hardware. It might even give rise to a whole new one-of-a-kind-parts cottage industry.

     

    We may have to wait a few more years but, till then, melting plastic string to make purple colored doo-dads sounds too much like Playskool or Mattel. 

    • Like 1
  8. Shortly after my Bosch drill/impact driver combo. kit purchase I picked up a copy of Fine Woodworking's 2015 TOOL GUIDE.  I've been eyeing all those fancy miter saws for quite a while now when, low and behold, what did I find on page 38 of that TOOL GUIDE but a miter saw comparison, including some very down to earth observations on how much saw one really needs.

     

    Another trip to Lowes and I've placed my order for Bosch's basic plain vanilla 12" CM12. Lowe's met a competitor's lower price and then took off another 10% so it's only costing me $263 and change plus sales tax. I expect to hear it will be available for pick up at the store in the next few days. I may have to upgrade the blade but I'm looking forward to using it for making more High Desert Splinters!  YEAH!

     

    Now all I have to do is make more room in my one car stall/shop by finding a new home for my trusty old radial arm saw.

  9. I like the socket ready 182 impact driver too but can't justify the cost.  I walked into Lowes a few weeks ago and walked out with a pretty cool Bosch drill driver set for pretty cheap. About two weeks later I saw the same set advertised by Lowes for $20 less so I went back and got a $20 credit.

     

    Its their CLPK234-181 Combo set. It includes the DDS-181B-RT drill, the IDS-181B-RT impact driver, two BAT612 2.0 Ah 18 volt Li batteries, and the BC660 30 min. charger, plus a couple bits, two belt clips, a canvas bag, and a mail-in registration for their 3/2 yr. extended warranty program for only $161.oo (after my VA 10% and their $20 refund) plus sales tax, of course. It should do everything this DIYer will ever ask of it and more.

  10. I have the Zircon cheapo, around $20 bucks, and it does a pretty fair job provided you're patient. It will identify both sides of the stud so you can virtually see the center.

     

    I do have to admit to having discovered myself drooling while eyeballing the Franklin Pro-Sensor 710. It's good to hear that someone actually uses one and is pleased with the results.

  11. After reading the comparisons in an article in the 2015 Tool Guide, pg. 38, you might want to reconsider that Rigid miter saw in favor of the Bosch CM12. It's a plain Jane model but the engineering details and resulting accuracy are rated far better than the Rigid which they said had good points but too many negatives. 

     

    You decision might also depend on whether you use a miter saw for cabinet/furniture work in tandem with a good table saw, or for rough carpentry in the field.  

  12. My B&D 18 volt NiCad PS1800 drill just bit the dust. I figured it would probably be the batteries that would go first since NiCads have that nasty habit of needing to be completely drained before being recharged or they form a less than full recharge limit that tends to grow more and more restrictive over time. I was wrong. Much to my surprise after almost 7 years of use the batteries are still pretty much fully chargeable. It's the drill itself that last time I tried to use it flashed and stunk like a cheap shorted out skunk. Hopefully it was a bottomed out brush but, since they are not externally accessible, I have not yet checked. It was nice having two drills alike and four interchangeable batteries. That way I could drill and drive without having to change bits and without running our of power. Guess I'll have to shop around for another drill or send this one to the nearest B&D repair shop.

     

    So, in answer to "who made the best NiCad tools" I can't very easily propose we fly the orange and black flag can I? 

     

    Anybody have an old B&D18 volt NiCad (the slide on - not the stem pack) drill they no longer want?    

  13. An update on that old B&D model 7510 jigsaw I have.

     

    At the best tool specialty store in Reno (Apex Saw) I tried to see if I could get replacement brushes - just in case. They are no longer available, which was not all that surprising, but checking the ones in the saw (probably original parts) I was surprised to learn that they are actually round and not square (or rectangular) as most modern brush sets are. Fortunately, when I pulled out the old ones to look them over, it appears they still have a few hundred thousands revolutions remaining.

  14. When you stop to think about it, wood is pretty impressive stuff.

    Its a shame that so many things that use to be made of wood are now plastic, poly-whatever, composition, or aluminum.

    Aluminum baseball bats just don't have the same feel, sound, or warmth as wood.

    Very few materials have the potential for that beautiful deep shine you can put on a piece of wood furniture.

    Wood is string, workable, resilient, repairable, and replaceable. It can be machined, glued, dovetailed, nailed, and screwed. It can be sealed and it will float. Submerge it for decades then dry it out and it is tougher than nails, literally!

    There is no better material for a cutting board - scrub it, flush it with a bit of bleach, set it in the sun, and its sterile. And, I dare you to find another material that will wear as well and yet be as gentle on cutting edges as wood.

    When made of properly selected wood, there are very few things where wood has been replaced by other materials in my lifetime that are truly better.     

  15. Most of us do have a little bit of engineer in us. And, as the old adage goes, anything can be improved upon if only given a little bit more time and another engineer. That accounts for how many of us do spot errors of omission, missing steps, an easier or better method, or something that makes what ever we've seen seem to miss the mark ever so slightly. But, and here is the important part, where would the whole scenario be without the initial attempts and original techniques?

     

    Any of us might be able to improve on a method or technique. That's called progress.

     

    But, in the process of making that progress, lets not forget to thank whoever came up with and presented the original idea we chose to improve on. 

     

    Frankly, I thought the video was rather direct and very easy to understand.    

  16. Man THAT was worth watching. Think I'll head for Tandy Leather later this week. Oh!  That reminds me - and since I do some occasional leather work. Right now I'm planning a couple check book covers for Christmas gifts.

     

    Does anybody have or know of any military branch insignia leather stamps available for sale? I'm looking for one for the USMC and one for the US NAVY. I did fine a USMC stamp on ebay but $69 plus s&h is just a bit much to do one check book cover. 

×
×
  • Create New...