Bandaids vs what you wish you purchased
user-216379
| Posted in General Discussion on
How about another informal survey. We have all purchased tools, jigs, fixtures, bits, blades, and accessories that we believed were going to make us more productive. How about listing the time and money wasters (possibly junk) and your view of better and more productive solutions that, in retrospect, you wish you had done in the first place. Some items might require a “if money were no object” line of thinking.
Replies
Eons ago, when we were first married and lived in a mobile home. My shop was in a Florida rm. porch and at the time a Shop Smith was pratical. Now it collects dust.
Work Safe, Count to 10 when your done for the day !!
Bruce S.
Bruce-it can't be that bad. If I had to have one of those I'd at least turn the bloody thing into a buffing head , disc sander or pto for flexible shaft-or even just something to put something on(;)Philip Marcou
"Multi-taskers" are a favorite of Elton Brown on the Food Channel, but in this case I would compare to a "scanner, copier, printer" which does nothing as well as the stand alone pieces.
Here's one I'm dealing with as we speak. 3 years ago, I built my new shop. It's a metal pole barn exterior that I bought as a kit. I didn't think to know that the dang 36" entry door included was a total waste of metal and insulation. The dang thing leaks like a sieve every time it rains. I've re-weatherstripped it, and tried every other trick to no avail. It's just junk. Now, I've got to remove the exterior trim and siding, which overhangs the flange by 3", and install a proper door, just so I don't have a fishing pond to walk through every time I step in the door.
ARGHHHH!
Jeff
I do not know what your floor is but I would look to the bottom of the door and more specifically to the negative drainage that may be a possibility outside the shop.
A 12" sliding compound miter saw... What was I thinking. I'd saw it's increased my productivity by zero, and in fact may have decreased it. Too big for my little shop. I plan to ditch the stand, and build something smaller and mobile. But to me, that just sounds like more work on shop items...
I originally planned to buy a 12" non-slider, but at the wood show they had this guy with Stand, Vacuum, laser, and a palm sander for about $100 more...
For shop use only, isn't a CMS all that is necessary (or is it?)? Where would one use a SCMS that could not be done on TS? What am I missing? What brand and size do you wish you had?
I went to purchase a CMS, and ended up with the SCMS. More tool more productivity... Or at least that's what I told myself at the time. It really was a good deal. I really only use the Miter saws for rough cuts, and to date have not cut anything that a good 12" CMS would not have handles with ease.
So if I had to do it over, I'd stick with my original decision and buy a 12" CMS. No brand specifications, I got buy for years with a $100 Delta 10"... Maybe I should have kept that one...
Mr Saw,
I nominate mortising attachments for a drill press along with cheap handplanes as the biggest time-wasters and frustration-generators. You can try to fettle them forever but they are specially made by evil gnomes to be unfixable.
There is also the copy attachment for lathes. In the end, it is easier to cut the ten skittles or whatever using the usual methods.
On the other hand, I would not condemn all multi tasking "jack of all trades" tools as being "masters of none". I have always looked suspiciously at those Shop Smith things, true. But many people (including me) will extol the virtues of a Woodrat - an excellent example of a universal tool. It is the perfect complement to that other great multi-tasker, the router itself.
Lataxe
I've had good luck with the Delta duplicator, I had to make a new follower as the original was too fat to follow the finer profiles. It took a few attempts to make one that was stiff enough not to flex but still get into the valleys. I've found it to be a quick way to make a bunch of identical turnings. What make of duplicator did you try? My dad has had much success making spindles for spinning wheels using a Sears duplicator, but then my dad has a way of getting good results from whatever equipment was available. Unfortunately it was not a trait I inherited.------------------------------------
The ultimate result of shielding men from the effects of folly is to fill the world with fools. -- Herbert Spencer (1891)
Don,
My copy lathe attachment is a Delta. To give them their due, the basic engineering of the thing is fine. As you suggest, the follower is too blunt. But the tooling they supply (basically a point on the end of a half inch round rod) is also useless.
With the help of a friend I made a better cutting tool (basically a small roughing gouge) and this at least enabled a cut of sorts. However, that follower is in need of an upgrade too...
The real stopper is the time it takes to configure the copier to take a template or first workpiece, then to make the several passes with the tool depth gradually increased and then (worst of all) to clean up what is generally a fairly rough surface. Having to add anything like detail by hand (because of the blunt follower problem) is the final straw.
Still, I yam willin' to be educated so any practical tips in addition to "get a better follower" would be welcome.
Lataxe
Sorry my reply took so long, been out of town and busy and could not find this thread for a while.
Your post brought back bad memories of having to remake that cutter into something that would cut. I wound up with a gouge; narrow and tall with sharp edges all the way back. The only consolation is that it works very well after all that work.
I made it the same size and shape as the new follower.
Alas, I have no practical tips to offer you, other than to perservere. The tool works well after the afore mentioned modifications, and has paid for itself several times over.
If you would like I can enumerate my setup sequence, it's not too involved and for 3 or more pieces well worth the time.
With the modified follower and cutter it does a very nice job with minimal free hand work necessary.------------------------------------
The ultimate result of shielding men from the effects of folly is to fill the world with fools. -- Herbert Spencer (1891)
I'm with you on the Delta mortice chiseler attachment. However, the customer assistance I got was outstanding when I BROKE the holder that mounts to the drill press quill by tightening it when it wasn't seated properly and I told her THAT I BROKE IT MYSELF, through no fault of the parts or labor. She just asked for my address and told me that a new one would be sent out ASAP. I still haven't tried to re-mount it and I doubt I will. I'll just drill them with a Forstner bit and chisel the rest out. I'm pretty sure it'll be faster and probably work better. Another thing that I used a few times and have abandoned is the plastic Incra-Jig. Anybody want a Delta mortice attachment for a drill press? Almost no use at all. No, I mean it has almost never been used. Once, I think to try it out. The drill press isn't up to using an attachment like this- I need longer rods and the press isn't that big in the first place. Then, I re-tightened it and the casting broke. I have the whole kit, case, new chisel holder casting (never been used at all), set of chisels, shims, manual, etc.
"I cut this piece four times and it's still too short."
Interesting question.......
My purchases have always been for a reason and if I've got tools around that I haven't used it's because my building-style has changed. I used to spray like a mad-man, now I'm a "wipe-on,wipe-off" kinda guy, so my spray and wet sanding equipment hasn't had much use.
Worst purchase I guess would be first dust collector went for cost and burnt it out in no time. Maybe it was just a lemon.
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