These tool reviews are submitted by members of
the Northwest Indiana Woodworkers Association. They are meant to be a
guide to other woodworkers as to what tools our members have found to be useful
or not. NIWA is not responsible for these comments.
To submit a tool review, please contact Webmaster.
Index:
Black
& Decker 4.5" Angle Grinder
Chicago
Electric Power Tools 4.5" Angle Grinder
Drill
Doctor 400
General
Finishes Satin Finishing Wax - Natural
General
International Table Saw Model 50-220CL M1
Grizzly Dial Protractor
Freud
LU91R010 10" saw blade for Radial
Arm and Sliding Miter Saws
Freud SBOX8 Box Joint Cutter Set
Heatlock - an iron-on
veneer adhesive.
Jasper
Circle Jig
Japanese-style handsaws
Kreg Pocket Hole Jig
Mills
Electric Co. (Motor repair)
Rebuild
Cordless Tool Batteries
Ridgid 5” Random Orbital Sander
Sanding Table
- Shop Made
Sheffield Oval Handled Cabinet Screwdrivers
Wixey
Digital Angle Gauge
I recently tested the Drill Doctor 400 drill bit sharpening machine.
It is great. It sharpens
bits from 3/32 inch to ½ inch diameter. A larger ½ inch to ¾ inch chuck is
available. It was easy to learn how
to use the Drill Doctor because of the good instructional video and well-written
manual. It takes only a couple of
minutes to sharpen a drill bit. This
model will sharpen High-Speed Steel,
Carbide, Cobalt, TiN-Coated and Carbide-Tipped Masonry bits as well as split
point bits. In fact you can
easily convert a standard bit to a split point bit.
So now instead of doing a poor job of hand sharpening my
dull bits or throwing them away and buying new ones, I am able to do a good job
of sharpening them myself.
There are several models available.
For more information, go to www.drilldoctor.com
or to Home Depot, Lowe’s, Menards or Sears.
Drill Doctor donated a model 400 to our club. It is available for loan to
our members.
Submitted November 23, 2003 by Bob Roach.
_____________________________________________
Japanese-style handsaws
If you have never used a Japanese style handsaw you really need to
give one a try. These saws cut on the pull stroke vs. Western saws, which cut on
the push stroke. You get a lot of control of the cut, especially for fine work
such as trim work, dovetails, or other fine work. A saw with 20-28 teeth per
inch is best for this type work.
These saws are very handy for a quick cut such as
cutting some pieces of dowel or any general cutting. The blades hold their
sharpness for quite a few cuts and are replaceable. Re-sharpening is possible
but a bit tricky, so I would recommend a new blade when the time comes.
I’m sure that after you have used one a few times
you will be buying two or three with different tooth patterns and lengths. Not
to forget the flush trim version that has no tooth set for cutting off dowels,
etc. nearly flush to the surface without doing any damage to the surface.
Submitted October 22, 2004 by Lou Takacs.
_____________________________________________
Ridgid 5” Random Orbital Sander
I recently purchased one of the Ridgid 5” sanders from Home
Depot. I had a Ryobi 5” orbital sander but decided a new, more powerful one
would be helpful. It was a very good investment of around $60.00. The tool has
variable speed, which is handy with some course papers or to get a bit less
aggressive. The tool has a very comfortable grip, which helps to reduce hand
fatigue. One very nice thing is a
LONG power cord, meaning no need to use an extension cord. The sander uses the
8-hole type paper and has good dust pick-up in the on-board bag. Remove the
bag and you can plug a shop vacuum hose into the tool, which almost eliminates
all air-borne dust.
If you are need of a 5” random orbital sander, this
one is worth consideration.
Submitted October 22, 2004 by Lou Takacs.
______________________________________________
Following the advice of Rudy Scherer I purchased a dial protractor (G9900)
from Grizzly.com.
This is a great set up tool. It is
accurate within 5 minutes, which is 1/12 of a degree. I do not have a
jointer so I have to joint boards on my table saw. I had set my blade to
be perpendicular to the table using an engineers square, but I found out I was
off by 1/2 degree. This protractor is invaluable when setting your saw
to cut other angles.
Rudy uses it when cutting segments of
wood for his segmented bowls. These segments have to be cut right on.
The tool was rated "Best New
Tool" by Popular Woodworking magazine and for $39.95, it is a bargain.
When ordering, be sure to tell them to send the instructions. The
catalog says instructions included, but they did not send them to Rudy or
myself until requested to do so.
Submitted December 17, 2004 by Bob Roach
_______________________________________________
Kreg Pocket Hole Jig
After watching the demonstration of the Kreg
Pocket Hole Jigs at our club meeting last year, I purchased the K2000 ProPack
Pocket Hole system from Menards. I love this system. It is a quick
and easy way to build very strong cabinets, drawers, tables and many other
projects.
Your table saw should be
tuned to cut straight perpendicular edges. You then glue, clamp and
screw the parts together. You do not have to wait for the glue to dry
before moving on because the screws hold the parts together.
I had hesitated building
furniture because of the thought of making dove tails or mortise and tenon
joints put me off. Now, with my pocket hole system, I do not hesitate to
build furniture.
I suggest that you get a
copy of The Pocket Hole Drilling Jig Project Book by Danny Proulx.
Submitted May 31, 2005 by
Bob Roach
________________________________________________
Heatlock - an iron-on
veneer adhesive.
I have done a few minor veneer projects
and the options that veneers open up is something every woodworker should
consider. Many exotic woods and burls are best when applied to a solid
substrate and would be cost prohibitive as solid boards. If you have never
attempted to do any veneer work because of all the concern of not having a
vacuum bag or making of culls to clamp the piece flat, this product will
simplify the process and allow you to get some good results.
I bought a
pint bottle of the product, so I would minimize the waste if I did not use the
glue within the shelf life period (one year if stored at normal-room
temperature). The product is applied to both the veneer and substrate and
allowed to dry. Then the veneer is put in place and ironed on with a cotton
cloth between the veneer and iron to prevent scorching. A hard-rubber veneer
roller can be used while the veneer is still hot to help get a good bond.
Supposedly you can apply the veneer to curved surfaces with this method,
though I have not yet tried this procedure.
After the
veneer cools and is allowed to cure for a few hours your piece can be trimmed
to final size.
See joewoodworker.com
for additional details on the use of this product.
All in all
it’s a very good, low-tech method for applying veneer, which will add some
new looks to your projects.
Submitted October 31, 2005 by Lou
Takacs
________________________________________________
Freud SBOX8 Box Joint Cutter Set
Box Joints are a very strong, yet decorative corner joint
for boxes of all sizes. You can cut them in a number of ways from a single saw
blade, a router bit, or a dado to name a few. Freud has come up with a
specialized mini-dado set called the SBOX8, which is two 8" blades that
when used together can cut an exact 1/4 or 3/8" wide flat bottomed slot.
Once you build the jig for spacing your work piece over after each cut, you
can crank out very accurate joints in very little time. I cut some 1/4
veneered plywood with this set and had very minor tear-out especially when
compared to the brand-new 1/4 spiral cut router bit I first tried using to cut
the joints. This is a quality tool you should consider if you plan to cut more
than one set of box joints.
Submitted November 1, 2005 by Lou Takacs
_________________________________________________
Freud
LU91R010 10" saw blade for Radial
Arm and Sliding Miter Saws
If you ever have used a radial arm or sliding miter saw, you
know that you have to hold back the saw from trying to "pull/walk"
itself through the work piece. This is a potentially dangerous situation and
though I like to use my radial arm saw for final dimensioning it's a concern.
Well, at the program/presentation at the club meeting this last summer, by the
Freud Representatives, they mentioned a blade that was designed to overcome
that problem. I went to Von Tobels, a local Freud reseller, and had them order
me one of the LU91R010 blades for my saw.
It works as advertised. The first time I turned on the saw I noticed it ran
quieter with the new blade and when I cut through a 4" x 3/4" piece
of oak -- I was amazed. I didn't have to brace myself to hold the saw back, as
a matter of fact there was hardly any "pull/walk" feel while making
the cut. The cut was very smooth with no burning.
If you have a radial arm saw or sliding miter saw this blade will make your
tool a joy to use.
Submitted November 1, 2005 by Lou Takacs
_____________________________________________________
I picked up one of these the other day and have enjoyed
using it. It is small in size and has 3 magnets on the bottom for
holding on steel and cast iron surfaces.
I'll explain how to use it on the table saw. First
place the unit on the saw table. Press the button to turn it on, then
after it settles down press the zero button. This makes it so that
your table saw does not have to be level to start with. Once it is
zeroed, place it on the face of the blade and read the readout. Then
make your adjustments. My blade was 2/10's of a degree off. Just
enough to cause trouble in making segmented bowls.
It will also help in setting angles on many different
machines, jointer, scroll saw, and band saw to name a few. It also
helped when I set the angle on the jig I made for cutting segments.
It has been easy to use and understand. I looked at
many places and only found it a Woodcraft for $39.99. Other stores
that I talked to had never heard of it.
If you have any questions, I will be glad to answer them
to the best of my ability.
Submitted August 27, 2007 by Phil Malavolta
_____________________________________________________
You
may ask “Why write a tool report about screwdrivers?” Well the reason why
is that these screwdrivers are not like the standard mechanics screwdrivers
that you would use on your car. The design is totally different and designed
for driving and getting screws into and out of holes in the stock. Holes that
you plan to plug or want the woodscrew deep beneath the surface. With these
screwdrivers you do not have to drill oversize diameter hole that you would
need to have just to insert that regular wide flared tip mechanics screwdriver
into the hole. The hole that these screwdrivers need is no bigger than the
diameter of the head of the woodscrew, or any type of screw or the width of
the tip of the cabinet screwdriver.
These
cabinet screwdrivers are the classic style traditional design for English
cabinetmakers. In fact these cabinet screwdrivers are manufactured in England
by Sheffield . If you just said, “Ouch they are going to be expensive.”
Your right, good tools are not cheap.
Let
me describe the differences between these cabinet screwdrivers and the
standard mechanics screwdriver. First the handle is made from beech wood. The
handles are oval (cross sectional view) and NOT round. The handle is not
straight up and down but curved to fit the hand. The first time I held one in
my hand, many years ago, I fell in love with them. I never could find a set or
who manufactured them. Last year the only place I found to get them was from
Garret Wade.
The
next thing you will notice is that where the handle ends and the shank begins,
the shank is flat, extremely wide (about as wide as the wood that they are
insert into) and not as thick as the round shaft that it abruptly tapers down
to. This design is functional. These cabinet screwdrivers look weird and
distinctively different from the standard mechanics screwdriver you are used
to. This design allows you to put a crescent wrench on it to turn the
screwdriver while pushing down on the screwdriver handle with the other hand.
This feature could save you from having to destroy a piece of stock to get the
screw out when the slot in the head of the screw is damaged and when needed it
is a stock (life) saver.
The
next feature is that the round shaft is narrower then the end of the flared
tip. The round shaft then flattens out to a flared tip and does not widen out
like mechanics screwdrivers. I fact, the very end of the tip that is inserted
into the slot in the screw head is flared out a bit and wider then the round
taper shaft.
I
have found that these flared tips are easier to keep centered in the slot and
the oval beech handles are easier to hold and turn than round handled
screwdrivers, and the wood handles feel great and natural to my hand. It is my
personal opinion that because the handles are oval you get better twisting
leverage then with standard round or square handle screwdrivers.
There are two sets: a set of 6 includes the 3", 4", 5",
6", 8" & 10" sizes. The Set of 5 is the same, less the
10".
The price, as of this writing is regularly $113.70 for the set of 6 and $83.75
for the set of 5 but they are on sale for $99.95 and $76.80 respectfully. I
did warn you about the price.
However,
Woodcraft just recently got similar screwdrivers made in China
with what appears to be hardwood handles. They sell for $39.99 for a 4 piece
set in blade lengths of 4”, 5”, 6”, and 8”. The handles are oval in
shape. There is the old adage you get what you pay for.
You
may find that grinding down a set of mechanics screwdrivers to fit in the
holes for wood screws far cheaper then these quality Oval Handled Cabinet
Screwdrivers.
Submitted February 26, 2008 by Bob Philpot
____________________________________________________
I bought
the General International 50-220CL M1 cabinet table saw based on a article
written on a higher grade table saw in the Workbench
magazine Vol. 62 No 3 Issue 295 June 2006 on the model General
International 50-260. This is the first table saw I have owned or used. The
difference between this model and the models 50-220 and 50-220C M1 is
basically the length and type of fence system. This saw, in my opinion, is a Taiwan
saw by the way of Canada
. It does not come with a saw blade. I have been told, but have not checked it
out that the “General” (no International after the name) brand is made in Canada
by the same company that sells the General International cabinet table saw.
The author
of the article did not find out and therefore did not report about the motors
rating. The rating of a motor goes from A to F and F is the best, A is the
worst. Any article that does not give this rating is doing a big disservice to
its customer, the company’s product and to the reputation of the reporting
company (magazine) and its author. I am aware that the products company does,
in most cases, advertise in the magazine doing the reporting. I would not put
much weight in the evaluation of any article reporting on a piece of
woodworking equipment without giving that equipments motor rating. The motor
of the cabinet saw I bought has no tag on the motor (or anywhere else that I
can see) that gives information about the motor. I called the factory tech
people in Canada
and ask what the class rating of the motor is. The response I got was “I
think it is an ‘E’ if my memory serves me correctly.” A red flag went
up. Everything I have read informs me that Asia motors are rated at “B” at
best.
The manual
is written very, very badly. It does not completely cover the table saw and
all its features. I guess they assume the purchaser will have some experience
for there was nothing included about the steps required to fine tune the table
saw. For instance: the saw blade was not set at 90 in relation to the table
top and the manual did not explain how to adjust it. In investigating I found
that there is a set screw in the table top that is the tilting mechanism stop
angle or stop block. Below the table there is a red swivel handle, above the
wheel that raises or lowers the saw blade, which locks the blade tilt angle
when you set it at the angle you want. This is not covered in the manual
explaining this. There is no lock on the blade to prevent the lowering of
the blade, on its own accord, as you are working.
The wheel
handle that raises and lowers the blade, covers some of tilt gauge marker
indications at the zero end of the gauge making it difficult to read.
The
wrenches that come with this table saw, for loosening and tighten the saw
blade arbor nut, are made out of cheap stamped steel and within 6 uses, the U
shaped end of the wrench that goes over the slot cut into the arbor shaft,
spread and twisted apart making the wrenches totally useless. I had to buy two
standard metric wrenches to fit the arbor and the arbor nut (two different
sizes). I also had to buy two 10 MM wrenches so I could
fine tune the splitter (they do not furnish any wrenches for these adjustment
nuts holding it in place) in lining it up with the blade I bought. Everything
is in metric measurement.
The table saw
blade insert has a screw on the end near the operator that screws into a
recessed lip on the table top and a clip under insert on the other end that
slips over a recessed lip on the bottom side of the table. If one wants to
make their own insert (zero or angled) so it will NOT have a chance to rise up
and get caught on the whirling table saw blade is extremely difficult because
of the clip design feature to hook under the recessed lip. The manufacture
makes a zero clearance table saw insert for $35.99 (at the time of this
writing and this does not cover duty import fees which they call shipping
fees.) The cost of the “shipping fees” is about $22. There is an after
market company that makes solid blank inserts for this saw at Woodcraft. There
is a small lip on the far end and under the top surface of the blank that goes
around the lip on the recessed table saw edge
The cast
iron table top was very flat. I made an unscientific comparison of the depth
of the side of the table top to Jets and Deltas cast iron table tops and found
it to be about a 1/4” inch shorter. Thus, the screw holes in the fence
rails, for attaching a self made wooden table extension to the fence rails, is
not very far down from the top of the fence rails and therefore the table top
surface. This means that when one makes their own wooden table top right side
extension for this model (depending on thickness of the wooden extension table
top that is chosen including the laminate), the nuts for the screws going
through the fence extensions holes may have to have a recess cut out (or
routed out) of the bottom of the wooden table top extension in order for it to
be attached to the fence rails and be level with the table saw top. This
condition would seem to be especially true if you want to use a washer with
the nut in attaching the extension table top to the side
rails. (I have yet to make an extension top for it.) This does not seem
to be a problem with the other two brands I mentioned.
This
condition of the sides being shorter then the aforementioned brands makes me
wonder as to the sectional thickness of the cast iron table top in comparison
to other brands. I would check this out if I were to do this purchase again.
The miter
gauge that comes with it has a very comfortable rubber handle around the shaft
that locks the setting by rotating the handle. The problem here is: that when
you go to tighten it up by rotating the handle to securely tightening it, the
rubber handle will slip turning around the shaft, and not give a very tight
setting lock. Because of this, when handling the miter gauge, the setting lock
may come loose and the setting can change, possible without one knowing it. I
ruined some expensive exotic wood because of this.
There was
another cheaper General International cabinet saw that had a better miter
gauge included with it. Why they put a cheaper miter gauge with the better and
more expensive cabinet saw is a mystery to me. The better miter gauge sells
for about $80, and lets not forget the “shipping fee cost”.
On the left
side of the table saw, the fence rectangle shaped slide extends beyond the
cast iron table. If one wants to install an after market table slide, some of
the fence rectangle shaped slide will have to be cut off.
I called to
order the legs to support the shop made extension table and the cost in their
catalog (and their web site) does not mention an additional cost of about $40
for import duty fees. I original placed the order for the legs with my local
Woodcraft store and they finally told me that they had to order an additional
$3000 to make it worth while. I cancelled the order and bought the parts to
make my own.
The
manufactures web page, at the time of this writing, boasts a Workbench
magazine award of quality and top value. I have not seen the article in the
magazine where this was made, nor was the issue stated on the web site.
Therefore I cannot comment about the evaluation that was made for the model(s)
on the web site or the model that I have purchased (which is one of the models
on the web site with this award).
In summary
and retrospect, the fact that I am suspicious of the motor rating, the
addition high shipping fees, the swallow depth of the cast iron table top, the
cheaper miter gauge, the poor manual and its lack of model features
explanations, I would not purchase it again.
Submitted March 3, 2008 by Bob Philpot
___________________________________________________
BLACK & DECKER
4.5" ANGLE GRINDER
MODEL 7750 TYPE 2
120V.
5.5 AMP 10,000
RPM4.5"
(115mm) GRINDER 5/8"
SPINDLE 11 TPI
MADE IN CHINA $40.00
THIS IS A TOOL THAT
SHOULD HAVE BEEN LEFT IN CHINA, THE ON/OFF SWITCH IS
INCONVENIENTLY LOCATED SO THAT WHEN YOU LOCK IT IN THE ON POSITION, THE
COMFORTABLE POSITION FOR HOLDING, YOUR HAND RELEASES THE LOCK AND
IT TURNS OFF, JUST MOVING WILL ALLOW IT TO RELEASE ALSO, BOTH
UNSAFE AND ANNOYING. BALANCE IS ACCEPTABLE
BUT THE DRIVE MECHANISM IS VERY POORLY CONSTRUCTED.
IT IS RETAINED BY SCREWS INTO A PLASTIC YOKE, THE SCREWS LOOSENED AT
ABOUT 1 1/2 HOURS OF USE AND ALLOWED GREASE TO RUN FROM THE GEAR
BOX, THIS WOULD HAVE BEEN SEEN AS MY ERROR IN NOT KEEPING A
BETTER EYE ON THE TOOL, EXCEPT THAT IT STRIPPED THE PLASTIC
YOKE SCREW HOLES. THE NOISE
IN OPERATION IS ON PAR WITH OTHER
GRINDERS. PATCHED AND SPARINGLY
USED, GUARANTEE WAS NOT CHECKED OUT DUE TO THE RETURN
HASSLE AND AS USUAL, NO SALES RECEIPT AVAILABLE.
ITEM #91222
4" ANGLE GRINDER
110V.
60 CYC SINGLE PHASE
4.5 AMPS 11,000
RPM. 5/8"
SPINDLE 11 TPI
MADE IN CHINA $9.99
ON SALE AT HARBOR FREIGHT
BOUGHT OUT OF NECESSITY
FROM THE FAILURE OF THE BLACK & DECKER WITH A GREAT DEAL OF
TREPIDATION. WHAT A
PLEASANT SURPRISE. THIS TOOL IS CONVENIENT
TO OPERATE, THE ON/OFF SWITCH IS VERY CONVENIENTLY
LOCATED AND LOCKS IN PLACE AND STAYS THERE, BALANCE IS ACTUALLY A
LITTLE MORE COMFORTABLE THAN THE B & D. NOISE RATIO IS ABOUT
THE SAME. 40+ HOURS OF
OPERATION, SOME FOR AS LONG AS 2 HOURS AT A
TIME AND NO PROBLEMS. NOT IF, BUT WHEN THIS
TOOL WEARS OUT, IT WILL HAVE PAID FOR ITSELF MANY TIMES OVER AND I
WILL NOT FEEL AT ALL BAD IN PITCHING IT OUT AND SPENDING ANOTHER 10
BUCKS, INSTEAD OF 40.
Submitted June 30, 2008 by Charlie
Morris
______________________________________________
While talking with Sheryl, from
General Finishes, at the May meeting of the Northwest Indiana Woodworkers
Association, I was questioning what the effects of the Satin Finishing Wax
applied on a violin Sprit Varnish would be. Due to the nature of the sprit
varnish as an alcohol base with shellac flakes dissolved and other ingredients
added for a durable but flexible finish, I was not to sure that the finish
would be compatible. Unfortunately she did not have an answer.
She offered to send me
samples of the wax to try on an older instrument too ascertain the effects on
the sprit varnish. I received the sample on Friday May 31, 2008. After reading
the instructions and safety warnings, I proceeded to apply the finish as
instructed. After waiting the allotted time, I rubbed off the dried wax and
buffed the finish.
To my surprise I have had
no reaction on the test instrument #28 built in 2002. The wax finish was so
easy to use, total application time took about 15 minutes. Buffing the finish
leveled the minor imperfections of the finish and resulted in an even
professional looking finish. As far as tone I am unable to tell at this time.
I will wait and see what the long term effects will be.

Top
of 28 before Top of 28 after
Back of 28 before
Back of 28 after
I was extremely pleased
with the results on #28; I applied the finish to Violin #35 with the following
results.

Top #35 Before
Top #35 After
Back #35 Before Back
#35 After
As you can see the results
are satisfactory. If this product can enhance the finish of a violin think
what it can do on other projects.
Submitted June 30, 2008 by Carl Mills
_____________________________________________
Sanding Table
- Shop Made
This is the shop made sanding table that I
made from a plan downloaded from the Woodsmith Magazine website
http://www.woodworkingtips.com/etips/2008/07/17/sn/
The point
of making this table is
to capture dust at the source. It works very well when connected to my
measly 1 HP dust collector. My son-in-law tells me that when
hooked to a shop vac, he had to enlarge the holes in the peg board.
If you will be using a shop vac you might want to make the table smaller
to increase the suction. Either that or lay sheets of paper on the
table to block some of the holes.
I modified
the plan somewhat. Instead of using 3/4 stock for the baffle board
inside, I used 1/4" plywood held in place with caulk. This was done
because I had the material on hand and it reduces the weight of the table
somewhat. I also used calk to attach the hose fitting. Pocket hole
screws and glue were used to construct the frame.
This is a
tool that I should have made years ago. And now, after about two hours
work and no cost for material, I have one. I will breathe easier now.
The web page
above has links to many other shop made projects.

Submitted October 13, 2008 by Bob Roach
Revised October 23, 2008
_____________________________________________
I have
an 18-volt Delta NiCD cordless Drill/Driver that is 6 years old.
It is a fine tool, but one of the batteries would not recharge.
I took it to Batteries Plus in Homewood, IL.
They tested it and said that several cells were dead.
I could not find new batteries for this tool so I had them
replace the 15 cells that were rated at 1200-1700 mAh with new 2100 mAh
cells. This will give me a
longer time between charges. The
cost for this service was $61.03 including tax.
This sounds expensive, but a new Drill/Driver with similar
features would cost $150-$250. They
will recondition batteries whose memory is short for $5.
Batteries
Plus is located at 17958 S. Halstead. Phone (708) 206-9999
Submitted December 26, 2008 by Bob Roach
_____________________________________________
Jasper
Circle Jig, Small, 1" - 7-1/2" holes from Woodcraft
I picked up the jig from Woodcraft and
found it was very easy to install on my plunge router. I cut a test
with it and it cuts perfect
circles from 1" to 7 1/2". You need a 1/4"
spiral cutting bit in the router. To use, simply drill an
1/8" center hole in your stock, push in the included pivot pin
and rout your hole or disk. I do recommend using either a double back
tape or brad nailing the piece to be cut out to prevent it from coming
loose when the hole is cut. You also need to have a piece of scrap
under the board you are cutting to protect the surface of your work
bench.
One thing you will want to do is be
certain when storing the tool is to not loose the pivot pin, I taped
it to the side of the router base so it is easy to find when I need
the jig again.
I highly recommend this jig.
Submitted November 8, 2009 by John
Hunter
_____________________________________________
Mills
Electric Co.
This is not exactly a tool
review. It is a tip on repairing your table saw motor and
information about a very reputable company.
Table Saw Trouble
Oh no! I flipped the switch on my
contractor style table saw and all I got was a hum-mm. Now
what? I checked on-line for help with motor repair and that
indicated a bad start capacitor. This motor has two
capacitors. A start capacitor and a run capacitor. I
tested both with my ohm meter and they tested the same. I
figured that they both would not have gone bad at the same time so
it must be something else.
My next thought was to use this as an
excuse to buy a new saw for $2700. or more, but then I decided to
call Mills Electric Co. in Hammond
to see if they could repair my motor. I explained my problem
to them and was told that there is a switch inside the motor housing
that can get fouled with sawdust. I should try tapping the
motor gently with a hammer and then blow the sawdust out of the
housing.
Of course my air
compressor was at my brother-in-laws house. I did have
a can of compressed air used for cleaning computers. I tapped
the motor and blew out the sawdust; lots of sawdust. I then
flipped the switch and by golly, my saw started up.
Mixed emotions here. My saw is
now working, but I lost my excuse to buy a new one. Oh, well.
Anyway, I want to let you know that it
was really nice of Mills Electric to give me that tip. They
could have said "Bring it in and we'll fix it" for a
price.
Submitted November 18, 2009 by Bob
Roach
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