Aging, Wisdom and Forum Members

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  • leehljp
    Just me
    • Dec 2002
    • 8429
    • Tunica, MS
    • BT3000/3100

    Aging, Wisdom and Forum Members

    Aging, Wisdom and 2 Forum Members (One dearly departed forum member).

    I wanted to name this “Aging, Wisdom, Tools, Rod Kirby and Loring!” It is ALL related.

    Back around 2005 give or take a couple of years, Rod Kirby made a statement in a post that he liked 12V tools. I was proud of my 18V tools and thought they were the cats meow. I had a powerful 14.4V Porter Cable Drill Driver that once twisted my wrist and I got a serious sprain from it. Rod said that 18V was too big for him, and I thought at that time - With all his power tools, I would think that he would like all the power he could get, even in hand tools. I “think” Rod said something along the lines of too heavy, too powerful and too hard for him to grip.

    Now on to “aging”. We all age at different rates and degrees, and I now think I understand Rods like of smaller hand tools for being easier to grip, hold and move around. I can still handle heavy hand tools, but they wear me out quicker too. Going to smaller hand tools that will still get the job done equally as well as we age - is very wise. Where I have purchased smaller tools, I find myself using them more and more, and the heavier ones less and less.

    About 18 months to 2 years ago, I purchased a Ridgid compact router and have thoroughly enjoyed it. I did not buy the Plunge base, just the fixed base.

    THEN LORING showed us his signs two or three weeks ago, and the sale on at Rockler! Dadgum it! Routed Signs snuck up on me and bit me. I ordered the mid size and the small size letter sets. Then I remembered that my Ridgid router was fixed base only. I have two plunge bases for my PC 690 family of routers and thought “I can use that”. They are not too heavy . . . but after having used the Ridgid so much, the PC routers in the plunge base felt quite bulky and heavy. Darn it!

    Well, LOML will just have to get me a compact plunge router for Christmas, just a little early so that I can make some signs for the family. I ended up getting the Makita with plunge base and the adapter for accepting standard guides.

    See what you did Loring!

    I fully understand Rod’s like of smaller hand tools! Aging changes the perspective.

    BTW, I have used the Makita on several projects this past week. Love it!
    Hank Lee

    Experience is what you get when you don't get what you wanted!
  • LCHIEN
    Internet Fact Checker
    • Dec 2002
    • 20914
    • Katy, TX, USA.
    • BT3000 vintage 1999

    #2
    I will point out in Rod's defense that at the time he lived and made that satement lithium ion battery tools were still a few years from flooding the market due to cost but have now are much cheaper and considerably dropped the weight of portable tools.

    However I still use my wired and full sized Bosch 1617 EVS with plunge base to make my signs.

    Rockler should give me a discount. Instead they just flood my SDZ app and e-mail with ads.

    Show us your signs. Did you go natural, paint fill them after routing and sand, or paint and then rout? Which works best for you?

    And why get yet another router (Makita) rather than the route of just getting a compact plunge base for the Rigid which seems cheaper? (Question asked by a man with 5 routers).

    And a Happy Thanksgiving to you.
    Last edited by LCHIEN; 11-27-2020, 12:16 AM.
    Loring in Katy, TX USA
    If your only tool is a hammer, you tend to treat all problems as if they were nails.
    BT3 FAQ - https://www.sawdustzone.org/forum/di...sked-questions

    Comment

    • leehljp
      Just me
      • Dec 2002
      • 8429
      • Tunica, MS
      • BT3000/3100

      #3
      I wanted the Makita because I had one (a 1/4 inch) for several years and then gave it away to a son in law. I sure miss that router. But the compact is a little smaller.

      Ridgid: A very good router but one item I do not like is the flat top that allows me to turn it upside down as though I would use it for something, BUT the switch is on top. ANY time the Ridgid is turned onto its top, the switch cuts off, so it cannot be used in that configuration.

      Signs, I have been waiting for the right bits to come in. Just got them on Wednesday. I waited until my Rockler Sign kit came in (both of them) and then studied the plans, looking for which bits I wanted to use before ordering. Last week, I ordered several sets (core box, "V" and flat bottom set of 4 (1/4", 5/16", 3/8", 1/2") in each set. One set DID come in last week - four 3/16 round/core for the small letters. And Believe it or not, it came in with 3/16" marked on the outside but actually had four 5/16" bits inside. I Called Amazon, and they sent me a replacement; it came in Wednesday with my other sets.( I sent the mislabeled 5/16" back).

      I have been collecting 1/2 in bits for the last 30 years and don't have a huge set of 1/4 in bits - after giving most 1/4" shafts away to son-in-laws. I didn't think I would need them anymore.

      Hopefully, this Saturday I can make a sign or two and will post a picture or two.
      Last edited by leehljp; 11-27-2020, 12:39 AM.
      Hank Lee

      Experience is what you get when you don't get what you wanted!

      Comment

      • LCHIEN
        Internet Fact Checker
        • Dec 2002
        • 20914
        • Katy, TX, USA.
        • BT3000 vintage 1999

        #4
        Ridgid router turns it self off when placed top side down on a table... that would seem to be a good feature. Of course rotating a running router requires overcoming its gyroscopic tendencies. Still works when table mounted inverted because there's no force on the "top".
        Loring in Katy, TX USA
        If your only tool is a hammer, you tend to treat all problems as if they were nails.
        BT3 FAQ - https://www.sawdustzone.org/forum/di...sked-questions

        Comment

        • leehljp
          Just me
          • Dec 2002
          • 8429
          • Tunica, MS
          • BT3000/3100

          #5
          Originally posted by LCHIEN
          Ridgid router turns it self off when placed top side down on a table... that would seem to be a good feature. Of course rotating a running router requires overcoming its gyroscopic tendencies. Still works when table mounted inverted because there's no force on the "top".
          Turning the router bit end up is something I have done many times for a one time/small edging on something. But even though I don't like that feature on the Ridgid, It IS too small (mass wise) for use that way. But if put in a WorkMate, it would do.
          Hank Lee

          Experience is what you get when you don't get what you wanted!

          Comment

          • leehljp
            Just me
            • Dec 2002
            • 8429
            • Tunica, MS
            • BT3000/3100

            #6
            I did NOT get to do a sign today. I pulled out some nice cherry I have had for about 40 years and started laying out the letters for the sign for LOML. Then. . . LOML along with my visiting daughter called me to get the Christmas stuff out of the attic and help get out house into the Christmas spirit. Been doing that all day.

            I doubt that I would have been able to do the sign today anyway. I have been redoing my DC system for my lathes to add one more line to run to my Grizzly 9 inch thickness sander. I have spent about 6 - 7 hours on the DC this week. I have the connections, but I haven't screwed the DC piping to the wall yet. It is all hanging with "hold me" wire. My old cherry boards are nice but the one I pulled out has just a tad of a cup in it. The board is 8 full inches wide, 11/16 in thick and has about 1/16 in cup in it from side to side. I figured it could run it through my thickness planer and level it out, and it needs sanding anyway. I later remembered that I had an 80 grit sanding roll on the sander, so I need to change that out too.

            I need to finish my DC system to get my thickness sander running to flatten and smooth the board out to make the sign! Life is funny!
            Last edited by leehljp; 11-28-2020, 11:24 PM.
            Hank Lee

            Experience is what you get when you don't get what you wanted!

            Comment


            • LCHIEN
              LCHIEN commented
              Editing a comment
              Go to drain the swamp and the alligators always get in the way.
              Last edited by LCHIEN; 11-29-2020, 11:32 AM.
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