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Harbor Freight parallel clamps (compared with Jet and Irwin)
I own a variety of clamps, and only recently started using parallel clamps. I own a few from Irwin and Jet, and I tried the Bessey clamps in the store. I recently got a sale flier from HF with a ridiculously cheap price on their parallels, so I had to try them. Overall impression: Better than the Irwin and Bessey clamps, not quite as good as the Jets but 1/4 the price. All of these clamps (Irwin/Jet/HF) have nice big handles. The Jets are hard plastic with three rubber strips for good grip. ... -
Turning off BT3*00 from left side; another view
After reading Ed62’s article I was invigorated. During my first use of my new 21829, I felt the need for left side turn off and Ed had supplied an answer. I sat before my saw and considered Ed’s solution. Good, but I thought I saw another approach. I wanted a switch that could be easily added or removed, one that interfered with saw function to a minimal extent and one that could be adjusted to eliminate any slop in my construction efforts. (This is important; I received my training as an electrical... -
Harbor Freight 4" belt/6" disc sander
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Created by:
Carlos
Harbor Freight 4" belt/6" disc sander
I picked this up with a coupon and sale, thinking that $60-ish is a bargain for a belt sander. Unfortunately it has extremely limited usability because the motor is too weak and there are no square/solid faces to be found on the thing. The work support on the belt is out of square in both directions, but it is a solid piece of thick steel so bending it would be a challenge. The tiny table for the disk bends if you set a pen blank on it, so while you can adjust it to square, it won't hold with... -
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Oneida Dust Deputy
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Created by:
George Cole
Oneida Dust Deputy
My most wonderful daughter gave me the "Onidea Dust Deputy" for Christmas. It is one fantastic tool. So far it has saved me from dumping and cleaning my shop vac filter. I would recommend one if you can not go to the high dollar engineered, suck the grass off the lawn system. The only down side is you have to buy your own hoses. -
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Harbor Freight 7" jointer vs. Jet 6" jointer
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Created by: Carlos
Harbor Freight 7" jointer vs. Jet 6" jointer
A few years ago I picked up the HF 7" rabetting jointer. With coupons and the sale price it was somewhere below $200. Assembly of this jointer is insanely horrible, with incorrect instructions and the requirement of both SAE and metric tools (on the same bolt/nut!). You really have to go through the entire assembly instructions, then compare them to what you have, then grab a beer and torch the instructions. You're gonna be here a while. Setup takes a very long time because nothing is pre-adjusted.... -
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BT3000 - Crack in Saw Table Casting - Repair or buy?
Trying to dust of and setup my old, often moved, and rarely used BT3000, I found that it has a crack in the saw table. On the back left side, where the back rail is connected, I found a crack. Can it be effectively repaired? Or should I pay the 80 bucks for a replacement?
Help???
I am trying to get rolling on woodworking after a parent and job induced layoff.
Thanks,
Mike -
BT3X00 Shim Maintenance Aid
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Created by:
twistsol
BT3X00 Shim Maintenance Aid
My 7 year old BT3000 finally refused to raise or lower the blade and I had to do some shim maintenance.
So, I came back to bt3central to review recent articles on shim maintenance.
David Green's article on using the BT3100 parts is part of my long term plan http://www.bt3central.com/showthread.php?t=33948 (parts are on order).
Mark Stripes article on shim maintenance was very helpful. http://www.bt3central.com/showthread.php?t=27266 I really liked his idea to use... -
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Denali 3- by 48-Inch Medium Duty Bar Clamp
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Created by:
mashtun
Denali 3- by 48-Inch Medium Duty Bar Clamp
Well I bought some of these through the Bargain alert of a couple of days ago and someone asked "I wonder how much flex you would get on this 48" bar." So I decided to write a review. First my subjective opinion. This is a very well built clamp. It is very heavy at about 7 lbs per clamp. It is also in my opinion heavier per foot, that other similar clamps that I own. In other words the 24 clamps I have don't weigh 3.5 lbs, they way more like two. The bar seems thicker in both dimensions that the... -
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CST/Berger LM30 Rotary Laser Kit
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Created by:
ragswl4
CST/Berger LM30 Rotary Laser Kit
As we have started framing the garage at the new home site our foundation contractor recommended that we purchase a laser to lay out the level lines for the walls. So after some research I purchased this CST/Berger unit at the Borg for $399 + tax. I must say that I am inpressed with this laser. It only took about 5 minutes to establish the level lines for the side and back walls of the garage. The unit is very easy to operate. It levels manually but takes only a minute or so to do it. The system... -
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BT3000 To 3100 Shim Upgrade
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Created by:
crokett
BT3000 To 3100 Shim Upgrade
Upgrading the shims avoids the issue of the BT3000 shims dropping out and causing the blade-raising mechanism to bind.
Before you begin:
Call Ryobi technical support at 1-800-525-2579 with the serial number from your saw to
verify that your saw is eligible for the upgrade. Some earlier BT3000s are not.
‘Right’ and ‘Left’ designations assume you are starting by looking at the front of the saw....
These instructions assume a stock -
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RIKON 70-100 Mini Lathe
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Created by: ragswl4
RIKON 70-100 Mini Lathe
The lathe arrived today. Although I will not be able to play with it for some time I did remove it from the packaging and set it up on a work table just to inspect it and make sure it would run. I must say I am very impressed with the fit and finish of this lathe. There is no paint where it shouldn't be, the bed is polished nicely and not a spot of corrosion. The handles are all chromed metal and feel very solid. The only plastic part on the lathe is the belt cover. Changing belt speeds is a... -
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HF Combination square set
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Created by:
LCHIEN
HF Combination square set
I got the Centech 4-piece combination square set HF#92471 for around 6-7 bucks. I think it was on sale for $6, a buck off the regular price. Having a decent Stanley Comb. Square, I wanted a protractor and centerfinder attachment. I figured for $6, how bad can it be? Came in a wooden case which it turns out was the best part. The fit and finish was awful. the metal was rough, the paint rough and peeling and the parts did not slide well at all. I guess the square and centerfinder move OK (locking screw ... -
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Lie-Nelson Low Angle Adjustable Mouth Block Plane
I have put off hand tool work for a few years now. I finally took the plunge on some nice MHG chisels a few months ago due to demands for dovetailing. A set of waterstones ensued to sharpen them. It was clear that I was sliding down the hand tool slope but I still was very apprehensive about hand tools. Frogs, back bevels, spinwheels . . . a whole new world of terms I really had no desire to learn. I picked up a good hand plane book and while full of information it really didn't point me in the... -
DeWalt DW056
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Created by:
cork58
DeWalt DW056
I needed more outlets in the shop and hired a friend of mine to do the work. When he got out his cordless to remove the wall plates I thought maybe I had made a mistake if he tries to put them back on with this thing. Next he is putting the new box in and I heard this clicking and he was putting the screw in just as much as he wanted to. O.K. I say. What is that Todd. He just laughed and handed it to me. After a few screws, lag bolts and nuts and bolts I knew I had to have one. I gave it... -
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Sears router
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Created by:
tellittojake
Sears router
Nice features for half the price of the higher end products. While I do think that DeWalt, PC, Milwaukee etc. are well made and worth the price they ask for the better names, I do not always have hundreds of dollars to make another purchase at any given time. The new Routers from Sears are certainly a huge step above the Skil and B&D offerings, at only a slightly higher retail. I love the soft start, PC compatable base for bushings, work light and noise level that is not as deafening as some. If... -
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