Woodworking Reviews at LumberJocks.com

GREAT sprayer

donburkard — Thu, 23 May 2013 19:54:03 GMT

So i bought the q4 in july 2012. I have used it a couple dozen times on everything from full kitchens to tiny wine balancers. I want to start by saying this is a great unit. I love the xpc gun. I dont have a crazy amount of experience spraying finishes but i have done my fair share over the years. I have used several different types and this is by far the best i have ever used. If your looking for a “high quality” hvlp system this is the one. I have used the Apollos and they are nice but in my opinion the Fuji is slightly nicer and a bit cheaper which is a plus. I know everyone rants and raves about the earlex systems but the one i have is a childs toy compared to the fuji.

This unit is a 4 stage turbine so it has some power. I spray latex every now and again (not my fault, some times you just cant talk people out of something) and it blows right through it. The controls are all super easy to use. you can dial it in really easily and the fit and finish is top notch. It is also very easy to clean

It was just under 1000 bucks but be prepared to spend 2000 if your like me. I got the main kit as well as an extra gun (one for solvent based finishes and one for water based finishes), and a gravity feed gun that i have yet to actually use. There are also several accessories you will want to pick up that will make life a lot easier and in turn make finishing more enjoyable such as the cup covers for short term storage in the guns cup.

There are only one negative thing i have to say about it. The turbine died today. It was a total bummer. I was dead smack in the middle or finishing a kitchen and boom, dead. Dont know what happened, dont really care. I panicked and called Fuji’s cs line. COULD NOT HAVE FOUND NICER PEOPLE! The gentleman i spoke with asked if i could email a copy of my receipt which i did, along with an explanation what happened and the circumstances that im in (in the middle of a kitchen that is supposed to be installed next week). With in 6 minutes he called me to inform me that he had called the warehouse and had them ship me a new turbine and to just pop the old one in the box when the new one comes. Two days and im all set. Not to bad.

Just thought i would share my thoughts on it. Its a great unit and well worth the investment. If i could do it over i would in a heartbeat even with the turbine dieing and that says something because im spiteful and hold grudges. Hope this helps.

French Polishing. Finishing and restoring using traditional techniques. By Derek Jones

Jorge G. — Wed, 22 May 2013 23:54:53 GMT

While I have done French polishing in the past, I would like to become more accomplished with it. I thought this book, given it’s name would be the one that would gain me that knowledge. Sadly this is not the case, if you are considering this book, do not waste your money! There are more in depth, better explained sources in the internet. I should have bought a Charles Neil book instead of this one.

First, I do not know if it is because this is written by a British person, but the terminology seems a bit off. For example he talks about “white polish” but only he knows what this is, as it is not explained in the book. He uses two words through out the book, polish and varnish, for example amber varnish. Once again, no explanation on what this is aside from a small paragraph.

The book is divided in 6 Chapters:

History of French polish
Work space and materials
Preparing a surface for french polish
Stains and Colors
Applying shellac
Cleaning and polishing

The first two chapters are very basic, the chapter on preparing a surface talks about abrasives, nothing new here. The chapter on staining is very, very basic, I am actually miffed I paid for this information. The chapter on applying shellac once again is very basic, a good bit on how to make a pad, but that is all. Brief mentions about grain fillers, where he only demonstrates the use of plaster of Paris.

If you were planning on getting this book I would advise you not to waste your money, there is far more complete information in the web as well as this site, in short this book for almost $20 is a rip off. I gave it two stars because of Tauton’s customer service as the book was lost in the mail and they sent me another one, I wish had asked for a refund or exchange.

Does Not Compare To Dewalt

pintodeluxe — Wed, 22 May 2013 17:31:17 GMT

The 1617 has rave reviews, so I thought I might give it a try. The base is tricky to release, because you have to align the tabs, then twist the router together. The old version had a magnesium motor case, but this is the newer version with an aluminum motor case. I played with both versions at the store, and the aluminum version is an improvement, but not as smooth or easy to operate as my Dewalt 618.

The switch is known to fail frequently, and mine works intermittently. I guess the rocker switch is not sealed, and dust causes it to stop working. Replacement switches are available, yet they have the same problem.

The handles are okay, I put some lock-tite on the theads to keep them from vibrating loose. They are the right size, just not as confidence inspiring as the Dewalt 618, or Freud FT1700 handles. Overall ergonomics feel top-heavy compared to my 7 previous routers.

The course adjustment lever has a cheesy spring that helps release the base from the motor. The spring has to slide on the metal casing as you turn the height adjustment knob (bad design). As a result, the spring will occasionally pop out. When this happens, it is nearly impossible to separate the base from the motor.

The variable speed is nice, and the slow speed is much slower than my other routers. The motor is smooth, and relatively quiet. Power is adequate, and on par with other 11-12 amp machines. The top of the router is flat, allowing you to turn the router upside down for easy bit changes. It is surprising how useful this simple feature is.

I like many Bosch tools – their colt routers, and left blade circular saws are great.
This router feels like it needs a major overhaul to be on the same playing field as other modern routers. Not trying to be a tool basher, just trying to give an honest review.
Interestingly, Bosch bought the Freud power tool lineup. I hope Bosch’s next generation of routers includes Freud’s clever built-in router lift, and full above-the-table adjustments.

SawStop Customer Service A+++

SKlaus — Tue, 21 May 2013 15:07:44 GMT

Hey everybody, just wanted to inform you all of my experience this afternoon with a sawstop rep in case you are looking into investing in a new table saw or have to call for some help with the one you have.

I have an older model contractor saw and I just ordered the dado brake through amazon.com. Well I was setting it up to cut, and kept getting a series of lights indicating that the brake was either to far away or to close the blade. I was not able to get it zoned in just right. So after reading the manual, and trying everything I could, i figured it was time for a phone call.

I called the 800 number and immediately a delightful representative directed my call to tech support. 2 rings in, a Mr. Garcia picked up the phone. I explained my situation and he was very understanding of my complaint. I gave him the serial code to my brake cartridge. After doing so he gave me a detailed explanation as to what happened. Apparently there is a programming issue with the cartridge as it is an earlier model (probably not one of amazons most moved items… Maybe it was on the shelf for a bit when they sent it to me). He graciously is sending me a new one, and a return slip for the old one. He also, based on the serial number of my saw, said that if it were just a bit older they would automatically upgrade the switch/brain for the saw as well which suprised me.

If this were not enough, he even emailed me his personal plan/idea in PDF form for an addition to ease cleaning and vacuming of the height adjustment screw that can sometimes get gummed up.

Mr. Garcia was very professional and courteous. You can tell by the way he communicated that he cares about the craft and loves the product that he supports.

If you are on the fence about a new saw, please consider customer service for WHEN not IF your saw has an issue. SawStop is worth more than a look just on that fact alone…

Thanks for reading!!

Now, this is the way to cut veneer !

shipwright — Tue, 21 May 2013 00:49:47 GMT

I am rapidly becoming a fan of Tools for Working Wood and the Gramercy line of specialty tools. This review is about the French style veneer saw but if you look closely, you will see their superb holdfasts being used as well.

When you pick up this saw you know immediately that it is like no other veneer saw you (or at least I) have ever held before. It’s teeth are coarse for a veneer saw and it is heavy .... and that’s why it works so well. The blade itself is thin and cuts with virtually no kerf but backing the blade up is a heavy machined steel plate that keeps it absolutely straight and stiff down close to the teeth.

Gramercy makes three versions of the veneer saw. There is an “English style” that has all teeth pointing down, the French style that has teeth in each half canted toward the center, and one more English style that is specifically for thick veneers.

I chose the French style because I like the idea of using the canted teeth to cut in a rocking motion so that I can cut from both sides toward the center, lessening the chance of tear-out at the edges of the veneer.

The photos show the cutting jig that I made to compliment this saw, and it needs this kind of high fence jig to really come into it’s own. Cutting with a regular straight-edge, I wasn’t that impressed but sliding the flat side of the saw along the face of the jig adds a measure of stability that allows the aggressive teeth to really go to work.

My cuts are better, easier and faster than I’ve ever had before and using the holdfasts the jig sets up and adjusts very quickly.

At $95 it’s not for everyone but if you do a lot of work with veneer you won’t likely regret buying this one.

I would recommend it to anyone who is serious about cutting veneer and doing it accurately, quickly and efficiently.

Easy to use and does what it's supposed to do.

Bill1974 — Mon, 20 May 2013 20:24:38 GMT

I have had this biscuit joiner the (JM82) for a few months and it has worked well. It’s easy to adjust and handle. It seem a little more powerful than a porta cable one that I had used, it get up to full speed quicker than the PC.

The case is nice, but the bag location is a little awkward. It would also be nice if there were a better way to store extra biscuits in it. Additionally the cord gets bent pretty tight when put in the case, just past the strain relief on the unit, I cut the case to make it a little easier to wrap the cord up and get it in.

On last thing, the dust/chip collect is fine when working horizontal, but if you are plunging down its good for about 3 grooves, then it fails to put the chips in the bag and the port gets clogged.

You might be wondering why I gave it 4 stars, well the price is a big plus (about $100), and the minuses are not really big issues for me. If I used it more the dust collection would get annoying.

Does not do its only job!

Cole Tallerman — Mon, 20 May 2013 13:12:58 GMT

So let me start off by saying I was really excited to get this on sale for $20. I had been wanting the wixey but no local stores had it so it would have been $35+shipping. Out of the box this thing feels really good. Its nice and heavy, and it feels of good quality. I popped it out and turned it on. I set it on the Cast iron of the table saw a few inches from the blade, hit the “calibrate” button and placed it on the blade. I was really impressed on how the measurement changed as I gave 1/32 of a turn on the hand wheel. So i was really happy about this new gauge as I really dont have any accurate means of measuring angles. I was excited, so I went to go make a mitered box out of some walnut, and for some reason, the corners weren’t even close to lining up. I checked and rechecked everything and it seemed fine but I still couldnt get it. I gave up, and i made a cutting board. Thats when I realized that the strips weren’t even close to square! The gauge had me off by a visual 3 degrees! after playing around with it I still couldn’t get an accurate reading from it and there was nothing to be done.

I guess it makes a cool looking $20 paperweight.

CMT Orange, Saw blade cleaner

CalgaryGeoff — Mon, 20 May 2013 06:59:47 GMT

This is my first product review I’m writing, I can’t help myself. I’m impressed with the product so much I need to share my experience with it.

I never took before pictures as I never believed it would work so well. I cleaned three blades and I thought all required sharpening and had broken teeth, ok but close. They were full of pitch and tar from all the rough timber I use so I finally got to it as they were all off the saw since the dado stack was on.

This picture shows the after photos of cleaning. All I did was put the blades in a plastic tray and spray on the CMM Orange cleaner and let sit for maybe five minutes. I then took each blade out and placed it on a towel a scrubbed it with a tooth brush. Wow, did the blades ever came clean. If you use a scrub pad it could be better. Then I wipe off with a towel, spray each side and then wipe again with a clean towel. Results are terrific.

Grizzly T10128 15-in. Spiral Cutterhead on ShopFox 1723 Planer

wbrisett — Sat, 18 May 2013 16:06:14 GMT

It was time to purchase new blades for ShopFox 1723 15-in. planer. I started thinking about the price of sharping the blades and the price of a spare set of blades and then wanted to see what sort of price I could get on a spiral cutterhead.

I’ll be honest with you, I’ve wanted one for a while now. I loved the idea that you didn’t have to replace the entire blade, only the cutters that needed it, and you didn’t have to do that until you had turned each three times, so you had a lot of life available on the cutters.

When I looked at the Grizzly site for replacement heads, there were three options available to me. Two were Grizzly’s and one was from Byrd. After reading the review here on the Byrd, I wasn’t sure I wanted to go with it. Yet, there were other positive reviews. I remembered one of the guys at work mentioning he upgraded his Grizzly with a spiral head, so I asked him what he had. He gave very positive reviews of the Grizzly H7655 he bought. As I was comparing the three, I could tell little difference between the H7655 and the T10128 (except price) and one had 72 cutters vs. 74 cutters. Hmmm… Then I saw them highlighting the German cutters on the T10128. I thought I read it came from Germany. In fact, until it arrived at my door, that’s what I thought. Then I opened up the package and saw the Made in China. Huh? So, I went back to the website and reread the description again. Oh! The cutters were made in Germany. Erm… OK, so what’s the difference between the T10128 and the H7655?? Got me!

After kicking myself in the pants for spending extra money I probably shouldn’t have spent, I opened the box and looked at all the cosmoline on the head. So, I broke out the mineral spirits and toothbrush and spent about 20 minutes getting all the cosmoline off the head. The result was quite good.

Next, I started reading the instructions for assembling. Just my luck. I didn’t order any replacement bearings or gaskets for my ShopFox. So, the next morning I called Shopfox and they directed me to Fastnal to order the parts. Knowing the ShopFox is just a Grizzly with a paint job, I found the parts I needed and called Grizzly and order the parts. Two days later I had parts and could really start taking the planer apart.

Once I got the gearbox open (it was a lot harder than I expected), I started putting on the new bearing on the new cutter head. I had issues putting it on, so I wrapped the head in heavy paper and put the unit in the freezer. The next morning, I was able to coax the bearing to fit properly. The only downside to putting the unit in the freezer is all the moisture that started collecting on the unit. I kept wiping it down, but it was still much cooler than the surrounding air, so moisture keep accumulating. I then broke out my heat gun and kept warming up the unit enough so it stopped sweating.

I spent a little time trying to get all the gears back into position, but after a few minutes it all went into place. I was glad I bought a new gasket because when I took the gearbox apart, it fell apart. I turned the unit on the side and started filling the gearbox with new gear oil. That was until I realized that was a bad move since there were four openings at the top that allowed the gear oil to pour out…. grrr… Now I had a workbench covered in gear oil. Man, I hate the smell of gear oil, now I’m sure my shop will smell like it for months. After cleaning up the spilled oil, I put the unit back into the planer.

I finished buttoning her up, then came the moment of truth! I grabbed a scrap of mesquite I had laying around and fired up the planer. First thing I noticed is how much quieter the unit was just spinning. Then I fed the wood through the planer. I intentionally left my ear muffs off. Holy cow, I couldn’t believe it. While I don’t plan to make a habit of not wearing ear protection, if I ever wanted to run a quick piece through without my ear muffs, I could do it!

The real moment of truth however was the piece of wood at the end of my out feed. I rubbed my fingers over it and couldn’t believe how smooth the finish was. I picked up a small scrap of mesquite that I had run through the old planer head and kept comparing the two. My wife was just outside my shop, so I had her examine and feel the two pieces she was impressed at how much smoother the new planer head was making the wood.

The manual claims it will take you three hours to swap out your old head. It took me about 4.5 to 5 hours. But I did make some silly mistakes (gear oil), and did have some issues getting the gear box back together properly.

I would certainly recommend the head upgrade to anybody who is sitting on the fence about upgrading their planer. I’m still confused about the real difference between the two Grizzly replacement heads (if anybody knows, let me know!). At this point, it’s way too late for me to do anything about it. But even spending the extra money on the head, when I compare what a new unit cost from Grizzly at $1600 to $1700, and what I paid for my Shopfox (I got a great deal on it as a leftover closeout) and the head, I’m still slightly ahead of the game (not by much mind you).

I’m looking forward to many years of smooth surfaces from the new head. :)

3M Sand Paper 150 gr.

lumberjockey — Fri, 17 May 2013 18:41:53 GMT

Hello there guys. This is my first review. After reading and learning from the reviews here, I felt that I should contribute something. Even though if it’s as trivial as sandpaper. I bought this sand paper from Lowes. I’ve always used the Norton brand sand papers and I couldn’t find any on the shelves at Lowes. And so I figured sand paper is sand paper. How much difference could there be. And also, it’s from 3M. And 3M is an good company with numerous excellent products.
After using it on 4 different kind of wood, Douglas fir, Alaskan yellow cedar, poplar and maple. I find that it clogs too easily and doesn’t last as long as the Norton. But I did like the “Traction Control Backing” feature. The back side of the sheet has a sticky surface that makes it stick to your hand.
YMMV. I would be sticking with the Norton Brand.

Good jig but the whole package could use a little polish. Also can be used as a doweling jig.

Rob — Fri, 17 May 2013 07:00:51 GMT

I bought the Kreg Shelf Pin Jig not to drill evenly-spaced holes for shelf pins (though I do also plan to use it for that later), but rather as a jig to accurately drill holes for dowels.

First I cut a shim to go between the alignment fence and the piece of wood that needed dowel holes. I clamped the shelf pin jig in place, drilled a couple holes, then moved it over and used the included alignment pin to set up the next hole to be drilled.

If you want to use this as a doweling jig, you should know a few things:

the included drill bit is too short to drill the dowel holes. You’ll either need to get a longer drill bit or you’ll need to redrill all the holes to make them deeper. Fortunately, the stop collar helps with redrilling. Now as I’m writing this, I wonder if it would have worked in one pass if I had skipped the stop collar—maybe it would have made the holes just deep enough.
you really need to join multiple Shelf Pin Jigs together to drill the dowels efficiently; otherwise you only get 1 or 2 holes each time you clamp. But then again, this isn’t any worse than a real doweling jig.
there’s only 1 size—this is a given, since the Shelf Pin Jig is only intended to drill equal-sized shelf pin holes of either 1/4” or 5mm (depending on which kit or drill bit(s) you bought). Obviously, you won’t be drilling holes for larger dowels.

Considering how quick it was to set up and drill 1/4” dowel holes, it should work well when used for its intended purpose, drilling a straight line of evenly-spaced holes for shelf pins. But despite its strengths, it could use a few refinements.

First, it doesn’t come with a nice case like my other Kreg products, and although there’s onboard storage for 2 drill bits and stop collars, you have to store the included Allen wrench separately. I suppose if you’re using the jig for shelf pins, you’ll never need to adjust the depth of the stop collar after you initially set it, but it’s still annoying…as if I didn’t already have enough orphaned Allen wrenches floating around or in my junk drawer.

The coupling method to attach multiple jigs into one long jig seems to get a decent fit, but it also seems very fragile. You just have a flat plastic coupler with 6 holes that attaches to the ends of two jigs with 4-6 screws (2-3 screws in each jig). Although there are 6 holes, Kreg only supplied 4 screws. It would have been nicer if there were integral dovetail joints to join two jigs with or without screws. And although you could technically screw the coupler on and put the other 2 screws on the other end of the jig for storage, it would be nicer if the jig included a case to keep everything together.

The jig does include a registration pin so you can reposition the jig for the next set of holes and continue drilling without messing up the alignment or spacing. The pin has an O-ring which is supposed to allow it to be removed along with the jig. But when I was using it, the pin remained stuck in the wood every time even though it didn’t seem overly snug when I put the pin in the hole. So each time I had to move the jig, I had to remove the jig, put down either the jig or my drill, pull out the pin, relocate the pin, then put the jig over the newly-relocated pin. It seemed like I was spending as much time moving the jig as I was drilling holes, when it should have only taken 2-3 seconds to move the jig. Maybe there’s a trick to getting it to work better, and I just haven’t figured it out yet.

Lastly, I see a lot of potential for this jig as a doweling jig. (Edit: to be clear, I’m not factoring this into my rating since it’s more wishful thinking.) Although it worked fine for drilling my dowel holes after I made a shim, it would be nice if I could just buy extra attachments for it—for instance, a self-centering clamp that snaps into the same notches as the fence, and maybe even swappable drill guides of different sizes. For $5 or $10 per set, you can bet I’d buy them. I can see a lot of additional potential for this jig if Kreg decides to build an entire product line around it like they did with their pocket hole products.

Turn the corner when you see this one.

vipond33 — Thu, 16 May 2013 03:37:28 GMT

I am not normally inclined to write bad reviews, preferring to talk about tools that I really like, but if I can save one LJ from buying this problem drill then my work here is done.

We were out on a job site, far, far from home – without our right angle drill.
It was essential to what we were doing so our boss ran out and bought (to give him credit) probably the only choice available for miles.

Nevertheless, it was Jack and the Beanstalk in reverse. We gave him a few beans, he came home with a turkey.

We used it, then it came back to the shop. I looked at it at my bench and silently wondered how it ever came into being. This was the worst interpretation I’d seen of a portable electric tool design since Freud’s very first laminate trimmer. Chip in with any others you know of.

To begin with, here is the size and geometry of all in our shop. The very old Makita cordless at the top, then the standard of the light duty industry – the electric Makita, then the defendant and just for comparison, one of my new 18v drills.

The corded Makita comes in at all of 3 inches wide, and the Milwaukee – a staggering 8 1/2” when set at right angles (with bent cord). Even my new Ridgid drill is a full inch shallower tip to tip!

Ok, so what else is the problem here? It’s a little broad in the beam. So?

Well, in the other direction too. The motor housing is huge and yet strangely the unit is under powered.

In use, the angled head means you must lift up the back end to go in straight, thus elevating the bulbous tail and the protruding cord.

Your own bulky hand must go in close, up near the chuck, adding to the bulk and in tight or difficult spaces be incapable of shifting or withdrawing without disengaging the drill or bit. The balance is really poor.

You’re also in the way of your vision by placing your hand so, and your vision is often everything in these applications.

The angled cord is a royal pita.
Feh.

Bizarrely, it has a 1/2” – 20 spindle yet only a 3/8” chuck. No standard hole saws for you without an upgrade.
.

.
This is so far off the mark of the Milwaukee tools that I do like. Their fabulous drills & routers, even the fantasy super industrial tools that I love to admire in catalogs.

A right angle drill is a luxury tool, that every once in a while saves your bacon by not having any, staying slim, going in anywhere.
This one is no stars if I could.

gene

http://www.milwaukeetool.com/power-tools/corded/0370-20

Pending star rating

sandhill — Thu, 16 May 2013 02:09:02 GMT

ON ORDER

Fusion P410 is WICKED SHARP

ssnvet — Thu, 16 May 2013 01:05:25 GMT

Just completing the refurbishment of an older 3 HP Jet cabinet saw, I decided to indulge in the first “premium” blade I’ve ever owned. I read several threads discussing blades and was intrigued to find out what the Hi-ATB with the double sided grind was all about. Now that I have the power, I also wanted to get a non-thin kerf blade.

This blade is “wicked sharp”...

There are a lot of technical discussions already out there, so for my review, I decided to test it against my other two Freud blades and show pictures of the results….

‘F’ is the new Fusion
‘D’ is a Diablo D1024X rip blade
‘K’ is an older 60 tooth ATB Freud cross cut blade that might have been labeled “King Crosscut”

I pulled several samples of 3/4” stock from my cutoff bin.

starting with cross cutting….

Red Oak

White Oak

White Pine

Mahogany

Moving on to rip cuts…

Red Oak

White Oak

Pine

Mahogany

And finally particle board and MDF..

I gave the blade 5 stars because the cut quality was the best for both ripping and cross cutting.

you have to go a little slower with the blade, and I did not test it in thick stock

The SawStop ICS base is wonderful saw base, but comes just short of 5*

gtbuzz — Mon, 13 May 2013 15:22:58 GMT

Overview
In short, this is an absolutely wonderful base that I love using with my SawStop 3HP cabinet saw, however I do have a few nits that keep this from being a 5 star product. Having said that though, if anyone else is in a similar situation to me, I wouldn’t hesitate for a second to recommend the industrial base over the standard professional base.

For those that are unaware, SawStop makes two different mobile bases for their cabinet saws, one designed for the Professional models (PCS) and one designed for the Industrial models (ICS). Aside from the difference in which saw each base is intended to be used with, the two bases are also quite different in their operation.

The PCS base uses a lever/linkage system that effectively tilts the saw until it rests on two fixed casters and two steerable casters – you then move it around kind of like a shopping cart. The ICS base, on the other hand, is more like a cradle for the saw to sit in. The saw is lowered and raised via a bottle jack instead of stepping on a lever and the ICS base has 4 steerable casters instead of 2, giving it much more maneuverability. It’s that last feature that convinced me to go with the ICS base for my PCS saw – I’m very space-limited in my shop and I felt like the additional maneuverability would really benefit me (something I’d later confirm).

Conversion from ICS to PCS
There is a conversion kit required (P/N MB-IND-500) to adapt the ICS base for use with a PCS saw. This is due to the increased length/width of the ICS cabinet vs the PCS cabinet. This kit consists of 2 shorter linkage bars (in the second picture, it’s the horizontal bar above the frame), 2 hold-down brackets and a hardware pack (screws, nuts, etc). The conversion is relatively painless and only takes about 15 minutes.

After the conversion, the front-to-back distance that the “skids” the saw sits on is reduced and the left-right distance is taken up by the hold-down brackets. Note though, that the overall footprint of the saw doesn’t change. With the PCS base, there’s a couple extra inches in footprint to both the left and right (although it’s all under the table anyway) and the ICS is no different, however due to the increased depth in the cabinet of the ICS saw, there’s now an increase in footprint of about 8” behind the saw. At first I was worried about that but in practice it’s not that big a deal. The fence rail sticks out from the end of cabinet by about 2” and the fence extends about 2” beyond that, so the space that you “lose” is around 4”. Again didn’t end up making a big deal when I push the saw up against the wall.

Installing the Saw
Unlike with the PCS base, where SawStop offers rather detailed instructions for exactly how to install the base on a new saw or even to retrofit it to an in-service saw, you don’t really get that with the ICS base. The instructions are pretty much get a bunch of guys and lift the saw into the base. I think the reason for that is that there really is no good way to do it otherwise.

I was impatient and didn’t want to get a bunch of people over to help place the saw in the base, so I did it with just myself and the girlfriend; honestly, that’s not something I’d recommend. What I did was stand the saw up and then rock the saw back, slide the base about half-way under (it’ll get hung up on one of the rear bars), tilt it over and then just shimmy it up to the front. The problem with this method is that there really is no elegant way to do it. When the saw clears the rear bar, it kind of drops to the floor with a thud. I’m not sure if the saw or the base were designed for that, but fortunately for me, nothing seemed worse for wear. Like I said before, I definitely wouldn’t recommend this method.

Once the saw is cradled in the base, you secure it to the base by drilling a sheet metal screw through each hold-down bracket into the cabinet. I felt like this might be a little chintzy, but it seems to work okay. I haven’t noticed any elongation of the hole around the bracket and no deformation of the sheet metal, so it seems to be holding up okay.

Usage
Unfortunately, I forgot to take a picture of the base before I placed the saw in it, so it may a little difficult to describe how the saw sits in the base, but I’ll do my best. Essentially, the saw sits on two “skids” that run from left to right. Each skid has some grippy material on the bottom and when the saw is lowered, these skids sit in direct contact with the floor. The saw is not technically sitting directly against the floor, but for all intents and purposes, I saw no difference in stability. It’s a good solution.

Raising the saw is a very simple task. Just give the pedal connected to the bottle jack a couple pumps and it’s high enough to clear just about any obstacle. Normally about 6 pumps is good enough for me, but I’ve found one uneven spot in the garage that it scrapes a little, so I’ve been doing 8 recently and have had zero issues with that. With the 8 pumps, the saw isn’t raised up all that much, only about 1/2” but it’s enough.

There’s not much to say about moving the saw around except that it works just fine. You can rotate it 360 degrees about itself and that makes maneuvering it around a tight shop just wonderful. I tend to store the saw up against a wall and during use, I swing it out 90 degrees. This is very simple with the ICS base, and was much more involved with the PCS base when I tried it out. The wheels themselves have enough friction in them such that the saw doesn’t ever feel like it’s going to get away from you. Despite being raised and on 4 steerable casters, the whole setup is surprisingly stable.

Lowering the saw is an equally simple proposition. Just step on the lever labeled “lower” and it’s down in a few seconds. Very smooth action and no thud whatsoever. The rate at which it’s lowered can be changed but I’ve never seen a need to. Note that when you want to raise the saw again, there’s no need to flip the lower lever. Stepping on the pedal automatically take care of that for you. It seems obvious and so minor, but at the same time I’ve used a lot of tools that don’t get the little things right.

Shortcomings
So with all that’s right with this base, why doesn’t it get a 5-star rating? The one minor nit I have with the design is that it takes up a little more space on the right of the cabinet than the PCS base does. I’m not sure it could have been designed any differently, but it’s something I didn’t think about when purchasing. Because I’m limited in space, I wanted to build a rolling cabinet to place under the table in that space. It just has to be a little smaller now. Additionally, I feel like there should have been some way to integrate all this into the base itself and not have to sacrifice any footprint. I suppose that’s a tradeoff you have to make with it being an accessory.

The other issue I have is in how this is sold, or at least how it’s sold if you want to use it with a PCS saw. As I mentioned, you’ve got to buy the conversion kit, which is a $29 add on to a $299 base. The silly thing is that there is absolutely no reason they couldn’t just redesign the base by drilling two additional holes in the longer linkage bars and have the same SKU be compatible with both the ICS and PCS. They’d have to include the two hold-down brackets that would be thrown away for the ICS (but honestly that’s $0.50 in steel), and there would be a little more assembly required, but if you ask me it seems silly to bilk your customers for an extra $29 when you already spent north of $3000 on the whole setup. It’s really this second issue that caused me to feel like it was a 4-star product instead of a 5.

The separate SKU also opens up the possibility that you might not get the part you ordered – that happened to me. Rockler only ordered the base for me and neglected to send me the conversion kit. That’s in no way SawStop’s fault and don’t hold it against them (in fact, when I called SawStop to see if they could help me, they went above and beyond on my half to get it straightened out with Rockler), but it’s the way it’s sold that allowed it to happen in the first place.

Conclusion
Despite the two small nits I have with this base, I absolutely wouldn’t hesitate to recommend this base to any PCS owner that desires more maneuverability over what the PCS base offers. Even though you have to pay for the linkage kit, I still feel like the additional cost ($328 vs $199) is money well spent.

Case in point? Who the hell writes a positive, 1500 word review on a base unless they really like it.

Beyond all those Reviews...

Kemac — Sun, 12 May 2013 08:16:15 GMT

Too make short…Saftely was my #1 concerned as I reviewed many tablesaws. Sawstop was the choice. I bought SawStop 10-Inch Contractor saw with 36”. Outstanding instruction to follow. I felt in love my tablesaw and had produced woodworking projects excellent. To review is to own sawstop and it beyond the words. Lasting recommend to buy…Of course…

Elmer's ProBond Advanced, another great product from a trusted name

dj1096 — Sun, 12 May 2013 00:42:55 GMT

Like most woodworkers I have a variety of glues for various projects. I was sent a sample bottle of through the Handyman Club. To be honest, I tried this with some trepidation but was pleased at the results. On metal to wood it held every bit as well as Gorilla Glue which I normally use. Whereas polyurethane glue expands and oozes, Elmer’s ProBond Advanced performed without the messy cleanup.

I can only testify to how it worked on the projects I did. The first project was wood to wood and I was not very impressed. I attempted to repair an old scroll saw nameplate my wife got 20+ years ago as a gift. I followed the instructions but it did not make a good bond. I had to clean the joint again and repair it with a CA glue. However the box plainly states that it only performs mildly well on wood to wood. With 20 year old, dried out pine, I cannot hold this against the product.

Next came the real test, would it hold up to it’s claim of excelling in multi-surface gluing? Again I followed the instructions, clean surface, scuffed the metal, thin even coat, hold the parts together a few seconds and then clamp for 2 hours. On the knife shown and one other, I used stabilized wood (Cottonwood Burl and Flamed Box Elder, end grain) it held great! I was able to glue, and then completely shape and sand one knife and rough in the other in one work day. I am currently working on a knife that I used this glue to bond non stabilized Elm Burl and so far so good!! That beats waiting over night like I do when I use an epoxy or the clean up that comes after using Gorilla Glue any day.

I definitely will be buying some more of this when I run out. Of course, CA, Wood and Gorilla glues will always be in my cabinet but for most of my knives I will be using Elmer’s ProBond Advanced

SawStop Review

Dan Katz — Sat, 11 May 2013 22:49:25 GMT

Hi Guys,

I recently posted that I had pulled the plug on my old Delta Contactors saw.
For my 64th birthday my Dad who is 90 bought me a new SawStop.
Since I don’t have any insurance I convinced him that it would be a good investment.
It was purchased through Highland Woodworking in Atlanta.
Everything arrived in perfect shape.
I planned on using my Incra TSLS fence, so ordered the shorter Pro-Glide.
Sawstop will not sell a PCS without a fence. (ICS maybe)
Set up was easy. Attaching the cast iron wings was made easier by using the rails to align.
It’s up and running but haven’t cut a board yet.
I used some of the bolts that came with the Pro-Glide to mount the TSLS brackets.
The rails are attached to the main table and right wing only as I hope to add an
Exaktor EX26X Sliding table later by simply sliding the rails over.
I still have the old Delta and may set it up as a router station and may need it for the molding head
function but would really like to switch to only a router based system. Any thoughts?
Dan

HVLP ready primer.

twc — Fri, 10 May 2013 02:56:45 GMT

This is my first review on LumberJocks.

I purchased this primer at HD to use on some knotty pine tongue & groove v-boards. I have to say it worked as well as i hoped. Being shellac based it does have a pretty strong odor but that goes away within a few hours. During the application I wore my respirator and did not spell anything but once removed there was a strong odor. A huge bonus in my eyes was that it is ready to spray straight out of the can. I used my Earlex 5000 hvlp sprayer and applied two coats within an hour. This stuff lays down super smooth off the gun and dries super quick. I think this would be a great prime for any painted project and would recommend it to anyone that hasn’t tried it yet.

They suck

Rick M. — Thu, 09 May 2013 07:19:50 GMT

Not very descriptive title but accurate. Around Christmas I bought a bag of these for $5 and feel I was ripped off. I didn’t even open the bag until a month ago and three have gone in the trash. One was clamped to a wood extension on my miter gauge, came apart and flew into the blade, no damage except to my wits. Another was clamping my drill press fence and suddenly exploded, again my wits took a beating. On another, the spring just broke through the handle. Quite a few more feel like they only have minutes to live. The orange jaw pieces do not want to stay together for some reason, their default position is flipped over backwards. These are horrible, horrible, shop clamps; though they might, and I mean might, hold potato chip bags shut.