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Tiny, but powerful
I have been looking for a small, inexpensive vacuum cleaner that I can attach to an orbital spindle sander. My DC and 16 gal vacuum is overkill for this task. Searching through catalogs, I came across this. It is 1 HP, 1 gallon capacity. I read reviews on-line and just about all were 4 and 5 star. On the positive side, suction is powerful for it’s diminutive size and it is light. On the negative side, it was loud, the cord and the hose was too short. For less than $40 and free shipping,...
Harbor Freight Mortising Machine
I bought a Harbor Freight mortising machine around 5 years ago and have not used it on a project, other than to test cut. I now have a project that needs mortising, so I tried it out and I was surprised as to how well it worked. I did have to tweak it and make some modifications which are common to most HF tools. I bought an X/Y cross slide vise and mounted it in place of the hold down device. The bit and chisel was not very sharp, so I diamond honed the chisel and the bit. It now cuts quite ...
Deluxe Gopher Pick-up Tool
This is not a woodworker tool, but it is a tool none-the-less. Made of plastic, aluminum and spring steel; operated by hand, it is used to pick up items that are out of reach with suction cup like grippers. Originally intended for older people who have difficulty picking up items that are out of reach, I have found more uses for this tool than it was intended for. Although I’m not an old person (only 79), I do have difficulty picking up small items that fall to the floor in my shop. Th...
California Air Tools model 1610A Ultra Quiet & Oil Free Air Compressor
I just received the long awaited air compressor I bought off Amazon. It arrived in perfect condition by UPS as I was eating dinner. After reading the manual, I plugged it in and flipped the ON switch. I couldn’t believe how quiet this compressor was. Four rubber feet kept it anchored to the floor with no vibration. It uses a two cylinder pump driven off an induction motor. It is oil free and has an aluminum tank. At 35 pounds, even a 79 year old can lug this around without much effort. ...
Harbor Freight Dado set
I’m certain the purists will condemn me for using the name “Harbor Freight” in connection with woodworking tools, but like it or not, here it is. I don’t use a dado blade very often, so I couldn’t justify $200+ sets like those from Forrest. But when I do need one, I went with the cheapest set I could find. The HF set is 8” and cuts dados up to 7/8”. The teeth are C2 carbide and number 22 teeth. I was impressed by the size of the carbide. They look lik...
Jet model CTAS 10-1 right tilt, 3 HP 220V
I bought this saw 25 years ago. I thought a review of this saw would be useful to people looking for good used machines on E-Bay and CL. It has been across the country in my many moves. I believe the price at the time was around $1100. I added a Biesemeyer 54” fence to it as soon as I got it. It has seen much use over it’s 25+ years. It still runs perfectly; bearings are tight; top is flat; everything remains aligned. I couldn’t ask any more from a saw. It would compare favo...
Ridgid BS1400 W/Riser Block
Out of the box, I would give it a 2 star rating, but after tweaking it a bit, I was able to raise it to 4 stars. I moved the motor to a position below the saw, made a new belt guard, replaced the blade guides and tires. I got it on clearance from HD; I think I paid around $175. I generally don’t expect 100% satisfaction from any tool I buy, but if there is something I can do to improve it, I will. The only time I will return a tool is when the fault is beyond my ability to fix.
