Rockler Summer Clearance Sale

[ProfAlan]

Got a flyer in the mail today from Rockler. They have a big sale coming up starting 6/19 running through 7/16. Lots of stuff on sale, and some coupons.


Coupons include 50% off any red dot clearance item, 50% off all screws (insert your own joke here), 25% off all lumber, 20% off all saw blades, 50% off all baltic birch, plus one coupon for 20% off any one item (except the really good stuff like power tools).

Other interesting stuff (at least to me) on sale without coupons includes 50% off 4' t-track kit, 65% off figured veneer bundles, 50% off Jig It hardware kit, 50% off dust hose, 25% off all dust collection fittings.

They are also going to have a sidewalk sale on July 15-16.

[brooks]

Better camp overnight, they often have only ONE OR TWO of the items from that sales flyer that suckered you into going there.

They are so often the highest price source. Their sales tend to move them only into average price territory. It's hard to get excited over that. Unless you're buying a stationary tool and they throw in free local assembly and delivery, I'd think twice about paying extra.

By the way - they might indulge in another practice you should consider. I read an article that said their t-track doesn't use regular machine screw head sizes. (I got Incra, which has a nicer design and uses off-the-shelf dimensions so I can use cheap machine screws from anywhere.) Sears changes the sizes of certain things so you have to buy your supplies from them. Buy a Sears belt sander (or whatever), buy Sears sanding belts forever. This usually adds a cost to owning their tools that doesn't exist if you shop harder for a better design. Rockler seems to have picked up the habit. Be careful, measure what you buy, think ahead - what else do you need to use that thing?

[jwaterdawg]

I read an article that said their t-track doesn't use regular machine screw head sizes.

I must be missing something here. None of the t-track I have ever gotten from them uses any machine screws. The only screws are wood screws; either #6 or #8 work fine in the countersunk holes. T-bolts from woodcraft and kreg work fine on their track so I don't see any special requirements of their t-track. That's not to say that they might not do this kind of thing with other stuff; only speaking to the t-track.

[brooks]

Okay, jwater, whatever you call the threaded devices which move along the track in the setup you bought the track to accommodate. Whatever you want to call them. The heads of these bits of hardware have been standardized. It is more convenient when hardware which interfaces with other hardware supports those standard sizes which are usually easier to find compared to proprietary sizes.

Maybe I was entirely wrong and the Rockler tracks now accept off the shelf bolt/screw head sizes?

(It's weird how hard it is to talk about this without pictures. It would be easier to point.)

[25]

The T-track I bought from rockler 2 years ago works fine wtih off the shelf screws.

I also have a sears belt sander that accepts the standard size of belts. The only reason I bought it was for the price at the time, I don't think I will ever buy anything motorized from sears unless it is not the sears brand.

I do however love the pipe clamps rockler sells. These are worth buying when they are on sale, like right now.

[Wood_workur]

yeah, rockler t-tak will work with and screws to attach it to the material of your desire, but the actualy t-bolts, the little things that slide and get tightened with a knob, arn't standard size, like incra's track that takes standard 1/4" bolts in it.

[kmk]

If your rockler is open on sunday, go there with the flyer.

I received the summer clearance flyer today and they accepted it. Not only that, I was also able to buy all the sale items today.

[Andrew Benedetto]

They use 5/16" bolt size not 1/4". The "T" bolts included in the kit work great and do not mark up the track and are more HD than the 1/4" tracks. I bought several kits so I have many extra knobs and t-bolts.
Highland Hdw. is good if you like the smaller track.
Never found anytyhing red dot of value at my local Pasadena ,CA store BTW. Wanted the wood workbench when they had it on clearance(Christmas?), saw people literally camping out infront of the store to buy them the next day!

[Howard]

I was there today at lunch and pickup a pretty good deal on the Kreg screw pack for half off. I don't have the pocket hole system but those seem to be pretty good general use screws. I have found them to be quite helpful and, interesting enough, they have usually steered me away from their own branded products. Seems they are very hit and miss on their own stuff like their forstner bits. I also got a delta bench drill press for a pretty good price so I'll be coming back.

[davidtu]

I'd like comments on the following items as to whether they're any good for the money:

Jig It knob kit $10 -- the knobs look sort of cheapo and the screw threads aren't centered in them either... but are they good enough for jigs or will they break in 2 weeks?

Plastic router fences -- $7 and/ or router accessory kit $20. I am planning to build my own benchtop router table, will these work well enough?

Forstner 7-bit set $22

Leigh RVA1 Router Vacuum attachment -- will this work with Bosch 1617 and is it really workable as a solution or just a neat idea that in practice is too clumbsy? $14

Thanks!

[ryan.s]

I'd like comments on the following items as to whether they're any good for the money:

Jig It knob kit $10 -- the knobs look sort of cheapo and the screw threads aren't centered in them either... but are they good enough for jigs or will they break in 2 weeks?

Plastic router fences -- $7 and/ or router accessory kit $20. I am planning to build my own benchtop router table, will these work well enough?

Forstner 7-bit set $22

Leigh RVA1 Router Vacuum attachment -- will this work with Bosch 1617 and is it really workable as a solution or just a neat idea that in practice is too clumbsy? $14

Thanks!

In case you haven't checked it looks like the Forstner 7 bit is now on sale for $10.99

[drumpriest]

Brooks, while I agree that rockler's prices arn't usually the best, they do have some good prices from time to time. Amazon typically beats them for price, but then again, you can go see the product first hand if there's a rockler near you. Same with woodcraft, though most of the time woodcraft is higher priced than rockler, which would make woodcraft "the highest priced source".

Your post "sounds" a bit bitter, did you get screwed over by a rockler? Just wondering, no flame attempt or anything.

[LCHIEN]

I must be missing something here. None of the t-track I have ever gotten from them uses any machine screws. The only screws are wood screws; either #6 or #8 work fine in the countersunk holes. T-bolts from woodcraft and kreg work fine on their track so I don't see any special requirements of their t-track. That's not to say that they might not do this kind of thing with other stuff; only speaking to the t-track.

Okay, jwater, whatever you call the threaded devices which move along the track in the setup you bought the track to accommodate. Whatever you want to call them. The heads of these bits of hardware have been standardized. It is more convenient when hardware which interfaces with other hardware supports those standard sizes which are usually easier to find compared to proprietary sizes.

Maybe I was entirely wrong and the Rockler tracks now accept off the shelf bolt/screw head sizes?

It's not the mounting screws for the track, its the bolts that lock in the track.
I find the Rockler blue T-track does NOT take regular 1/4-20 hex head (with 7/16th flats) bolts in the track like most do - which I find very inconvenient. Because I have two drawers full of various length 1/4" hex head bolts so I can fit to jigs easily.

What they take are the 1/4" T-bolts which have 1/4" threaded portion but the thin, flat oval shaped heads. Works absolutly fine but just requires a special bolt at $1 apiece from Rockler that I have to make a special trip to get rather than a $.15 bolt from Lowes (which I've already stocked).

[LCHIEN]

BTW, I see in the latest Rockler e-mail flyer that the retail stores are selling 12" wooden hand screw clamps for 2 for $10. That would be a good buy esp. if you don't have any of these types of clamps.

[jgscott987]

Toilet Flange Bolts

It's not the mounting screws for the track, its the bolts that lock in the track.
I find the Rockler blue T-track does NOT take regular 1/4-20 hex head (with 7/16th flats) bolts in the track like most do - which I find very inconvenient. Because I have two drawers full of various length 1/4" hex head bolts so I can fit to jigs easily.

What they take are the 1/4" T-bolts which have 1/4" threaded portion but the thin, flat oval shaped heads. Works absolutly fine but just requires a special bolt at $1 apiece from Rockler that I have to make a special trip to get rather than a $.15 bolt from Lowes (which I've already stocked).

The bolts that rockler supplies with their t-track are "toilet flange bolts". They're available at any hardware store.