Would you buy a Woodpecker straight edge?

[lcm1947]

Would somebody tell me I'm crazy for wanting to pay $169.95 for this 48" SSE straight edge. I am so close to ordering it but keep thinking about the money. I know however it would be the answer to all my straight edge problems ( I guess ) but gosh - $169.95? I can't help but think that it would eliminate the need for having to keep up with alot of other straight edge tools like jigs, etc and would no doubt be even more accurate but is it over kill? I guess my main use of it would be to edge glue boards with a hand held router since I don't have a jointer.

[justaguy]

I'll bite..You are crazy

I'm not exactly an expert yet.. but no way I'd pay that price for a straight edge.

If ,as you state, your primary use is to edge joint boards I would get a jointer. I paid $175 for my Delta 6" jointer on CraigsList and it came with a spare set of unused knives.

That is my opinion YMMV...

[LarryG]

Would somebody tell me I'm crazy for wanting to pay $169.95 for this 48" SSE straight edge.

If you wouldn't mind an extra two inches (all right, that's enough of that, stop it, right NOW!) you can get the 50" version of the aluminum Veritas straightedge that I have from Lee Valley for a far more reasonable, much less angst-inducing $66.50.

http://www.leevalley.com/wood/page.a...at=1,240,45313

Or maybe just get the 38" model that I have, for an even lower $38.50. I have found this to be plenty long enough to set up my 6" Ridgid jointer, BT, etc; and contrary to what many people said in the recent thread about straightedges, I do think it's a worthwhile investment.

[mschrank]

Would somebody tell me I'm crazy for wanting to pay $169.95 for this 48" SSE straight edge.

Yer CRAZY!!

Put the $170 away, save a bit more and buy yourself a jointer.

[RodKirby]

Definitely crazy!

[linear]

Mad as a box of frogs.

[lcm1947]

Thanks for the replies guys. Well LarryG you are right, that is a lot more attractive price and probably accurate enough for my needs. The only thing that bothers me is the shape of the thing. Do you have any problems clamping it down flat, like when using it to route a board edge straight like Niki's straight edge cutting tutorial? That's mainly why I need a good straight edge. I wonder why the weird shape anyway? And justaguy I had thought about buying a jointer and still am but I just flat don't have the space otherwise I'd already have one. I also thought about just getting a 72" Fat Max but can't help but think clamping it down wouldn't affect it somehow.

[LarryG]

Accurate enough? I'd say so. When/if you find any wood that'll hold itself to 0.003" over four feet, be sure to let us all know where to send our money.

I don't clamp it down flat; I use it standing up (as pictured) as a test-tool for my jointer beds, BT, planer, CMS fences, etc. The weird shape is, I think, to lower the CG by concentrating more of the weight toward the bottom, so it'll be less likely to fall over; and to make it easier to grip when picking it up. It should readily clamp down flat enough to accurately guide a router base, however.

[TheRic]

If you wouldn't mind an extra two inches (all right, that's enough of that, stop it, right NOW!) ......

Larry you owe me a new keyboard, got the monitor cleaned up, but the keyboard is shot.

...The only thing that bothers me is the shape of the thing. ...... I also thought about just getting a 72" Fat Max but can't help but think clamping it down wouldn't affect it somehow.

Then I read this.

...I don't clamp it down flat; I use it standing up .....

and this.

Man I got to get my mind out of the gutter, or people are going to wonder why I'm grinning ear to ear.

[lcm1947]

I got a good laugh out of that TheRic but yeah you might want to start worrying about that mind of yours. This is a woodworking forum you know.

[LCHIEN]

Crazy. Even the ALuminum one is $90.

I got a 6' stanley level on clearance at Lowes for my straight reference.

[vaking]

I have an aluminum straight edge consisting of 2 pieces 48" each with steel jointing plate. When joined - it gives you 8' toatal length, separately you have 2 comfortable 4' straight edges. I am not very happy with its precision in a 8' version - the joint isn't rigid enough. But on a 4' length it is plenty straight for me and I am sure I will solve the jointing issue if I really need it. All of that is from HD for under $40.

[lcm1947]

Vaking I've seen what you are describing at Lowe's for around $20.00 actually, just days ago but figured while they may be straight enough to cut down ply sheets where the cuts don't have to be dead on since you'll cut them down further anyway that they wouldn't serve as straight edges per say. I might go take one out of it's and compare it to a 72" Fat Max level though just to see. Boy that sure would be cheaper then all other alternatives. I knew by just looking at it though that when you joined them together they wouldn't be that straight except like I said for just cutting a large ply down. Worth a look though. Thanks.

[Ken Massingale]

Mac,
Here's another method that doesn't require an absolute straight edge.

[Rob R]

Yes, you are crazy. I think you'll find just about any straight edge worth it's salt will work fine for what you are talking about.

if you were setting up machinist tools to mill a $1000 piece of cast, then go ahead and buy it.

but wood movement is going to eat up any gain you recieve by spending $100 too much on a yardstick.

rob