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  A review of the Kreg Precision Trak & Stop Kit

  • Created by: twistsol
  • Published: 03-23-2022, 02:59 PM
  • 2 comments

  A review of the Kreg Precision Trak & Stop Kit

  
  Summary
  I built my miter station last summer and used the Kreg Precision Trak & Stop Kit. The kit was just the starting point. 8 feet of track and a single flip stop didn’t meet my needs since I was building a miter station the width of my shop, nearly 24 feet. I added four 48” pieces of top track and three additional swing stops so I could have two left and two right. Finally, I added metric rules to the top. Total cost breakdown is as follows
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  Review of VIX-type Self Centering drill bits

  • Created by: LCHIEN
  • Published: 08-29-2021, 11:47 PM
  • 2 comments

  Review of VIX-type Self Centering drill bits

  I have always had trouble mounting small hardware on small wood boxes, with the hasps and hinges always looking slightly off perfectly square - particularly a problem with flat head screws and countersunk hardware which aligns the hardware to the hole location and centers on the hole.
  
  I'm talking small wood screws. I place and mark the hardware carefully and mark the center of the hole with a sharp awl.
  The problem comes about with small bits like 1/16 and 5/64 and 3/32"...

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  Last edited by LCHIEN; 10-29-2021, 02:40 AM.

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  Grizzly Overarm Blade Guard review.

  • Created by: twistsol
  • Published: 07-26-2021, 03:47 PM
  • 2 comments

  Grizzly Overarm Blade Guard review.

  Since my new shop is in the basement, dust collection is a bit more important than when I had my own building and could do as I pleased in the shop. With that in mind, I upgraded the dust collection on my table saw. I purchased the Grizzly Overarm Blade Guard to use with the saw.
  
  First impressions were that this is an extremely solid and well built unit. It's made mostly of steel and connects to a 4" DC hose. There were a number of issues getting it set up and installed, and a...

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  Kreg KMA 3220 5mm Shelf Pin Jig

  • Created by: twistsol
  • Published: 03-19-2021, 05:57 PM
  • 5 comments

  Kreg KMA 3220 5mm Shelf Pin Jig

  
  
  
  I decided to look for the rock bottom cheapest 32mm drilling system available that would let let me create real 5mm holes spaced 32mm apart, that was easy to use, and didn’t require a bunch of setup time. I’m really surprised at how much I like this little Keg jig especially when you consider the price of $34.99, and it has everything included. There were a couple of jigs cheaper but you needed to buy a self-centering 5mm bit to go along with them so they would...

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  Knife marking pencil Accutrax

  • Created by: LCHIEN
  • Published: 01-14-2021, 02:25 AM
  • 3 comments

  Knife marking pencil Accutrax

  Here's a tool I found useful for marking. Accutrax pencil blade marking knife.
  
  
  
  I have one I've been using on and off for a while. Its a fine pencil lead in the shape of a utility blade that can be installed in any utility knife handle and used with a straight edge, combination square, saddle square etc. to mark easily seen, fine lines on wood..
  
  Here's mine. I have not broken it, it seems to be quite sturdy. The sharp edge lasts a long time. I'm still on the...

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  Last edited by LCHIEN; 01-14-2021, 10:51 AM.

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  Saddle squares

  • Created by: LCHIEN
  • Published: 01-13-2021, 01:20 AM
  • 9 comments

  Saddle squares

  Hey, I'm sharing one of my favorite tools. A Veritas Saddle Square. Actually I have two in different sizes. This is the large size for marking 2x4 and 4x4 (shown on 4x4 here). One of those tools that makes woodworking a pleasure.
  
  
  
  They're great for continuing lines from side to side. And even side to opposite side.
  Works really well when the board has a rounded edge or some wane where the edge is not really sharp and square but the two adjacent faces are square to...

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  Last edited by LCHIEN; 09-25-2021, 10:20 AM.

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  A Review of the Sommerfeld Router Table and Fence

  • Created by: twistsol
  • Published: 06-27-2016, 09:19 AM
  • 1 comment

  A Review of the Sommerfeld Router Table and Fence

  Over the years, I’ve had multiple router tables. Everything from a small aluminum Craftsman benchtop model, to the router mount on my BT3000, to a custom built version in my old ultimate tool stand and another custom built one in the wide table of my saw. In every case there was something missing or just not quite up to par. The Sommerfeld table and fence change all that and meet nearly all my criteria....

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  Katana Edge Band Set from MLCS

  • Created by: twistsol
  • Published: 06-13-2016, 02:24 PM
  • 3 comments

  Katana Edge Band Set from MLCS

  Summary
  The setup for both bits in the set took some time to get right, but once set up properly the bits made mostly clean cuts. The reasoning behind the bearing placement on the bit set escapes me but all in all, the set performed well and functioned as advertised. ...

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  FlashCell cordless battery-less power screwdriver Review

  • Created by: LCHIEN
  • Published: 02-26-2016, 03:16 PM
  • 2 comments

  FlashCell cordless battery-less power screwdriver Review

  I have owned a Coleman Flashcell screwdriver since about 2009. it does not replace the drill driver (Craftsman 19.2V C3 drill driver with lithium ion cells and clutch) but it replaces small powered screwdrivers for doing repetitive screw driving. The no longer sell them and haven't for several years. I've been wanting one to have handy in the garage shop or house rather than running back and forth.
  
  The advantage of a cordless, batteryless driver is that it uses a supercapacitor to drive...

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  Last edited by LCHIEN; 01-10-2017, 01:05 AM.

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  HF Silver & Deming Drill Bits

  • Created by: Bill in Buena Park
  • Published: 02-04-2016, 12:49 PM
  • 3 comments

  HF Silver & Deming Drill Bits

  In a recent shop project to make a lathe chuck / center organizer, I needed to drill some holes to accommodate the MT2 shanks of my live centers and drill chucks. For my purposes (a nice snug fit at a certain height), I needed 11/16 holes. None of my forstner bits (also HF) were this size. For some threaded spur center inserts, I needed 9/16 holes. No love there among the forstners either.
  
  So I found this set of the Silver and Deming bits at HF: http://www.harborfreight.com/s...

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  Dremel vac operated Rotary tool

  • Created by: LCHIEN
  • Published: 10-17-2015, 06:17 PM
  • 0 comments

  Dremel vac operated Rotary tool

  I saw this and Lowes has it for $30 and for some reason Amazon has it for $44, so I bought on a whim but its not a winner. The promise was a rotary tool and vacuum tool that cleared the debris as say you were engraving or grinding. It has the blue ring you turn to adjust that allows some vacuum to bypass and thus control speed. It has a few accessories and a clear guide for flat work. It fits most all dremel bits that are 1/8" diameter shank. In reality the RPMs were low (I measured 15,000 with...

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  Bosch CM10GD Sliding Miter Saw

  • Created by: Condoman44
  • Published: 03-16-2015, 11:31 AM
  • 2 comments

  Bosch CM10GD Sliding Miter Saw

  I have had several good encounters with the CPO Bosch web site and decided to look there first for a new compound miter saw. I noticed that the Bosch #CM10GD was available as reconditioned item at $499. Yes, I know that is a chunk of money but I want quality and not at the green line of tools price. I have purchased a few reconditioned Bosch items in the past and been happy with the results.
  
  Now that I have an idea what I want I am off the reading everything I can about that partic...

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  Irwin SpeedBor bit, 1 inch diameter

  • Created by: JimD
  • Published: 03-15-2015, 08:15 PM
  • 4 comments

  Irwin SpeedBor bit, 1 inch diameter

  I started the wiring in my shop this afternoon and decided I needed a new drill bit in addition to the other stuff. I noticed the Irwin Speedbor at Lowes. They were high on all the wiring stuff but I went back anyway to get the bit and an extension. My local Lowe's didn't have the 6 inch extension so I got a 12 inch. I was able to put 1 inch holes through as many as 6 back to back 2x4s with this bit. It pulls itself through HARD. I used my Ryobi cordless on low speed. I was going through Lit...

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  AZCarbide carbide cutters for lathe tools

  • Created by: Bill in Buena Park
  • Published: 12-06-2014, 10:08 PM
  • 0 comments

  AZCarbide carbide cutters for lathe tools

  I purchased some carbide cutters from AZCarbide (AZCarbide.com) to mount onto the lathe tools I made, including a 15mm 4inch radius (#RA4), a 14x28mm diamond (#DIA14), a 14mm square (#SQ14), and 16mm round (#RD15). I can't say enough good things about Dale Guilford, the proprietor, and his helpfulness. He sent an email to confirm the order, and responded in short order to some questions I had. The cutters were shipped flat rate for $2, and I received them in just a couple days. They were carefu...

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  Hammer drill Harbor Freight Chicago Electric 68169

  • Created by: LCHIEN
  • Published: 10-19-2014, 11:57 PM
  • 9 comments

  Hammer drill Harbor Freight Chicago Electric 68169

  I had to attach a header to my brick wall and I tried to use my 1/4" masonry bit and a regular cordless drill. After quite a while of drilling I had almost no penetration to show for it. So off to the internet on how to drill concrete and masonry. They suggest a hammer drill and one place sort of suggested an impact driver and yet another must have been confused because they talked about an impact drill. And some Brits talked about a percussion drill. But I checked and the big difference is tha...

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