Machinery, Tools, Research, Reviews and Safety

I was lucky to pick up a Performax 22-44 for $400 -- it needed a bit of a cleanup and a new conveyor belt, but otherwise is in great shape. I'm curious as to what brand/type of sandpaper rolls y'all are using? When I last had one of these (a LONG time ago!) I was using Klingspor rolls as they were one of the few reasonably priced options out there... -M

I have a when 13 inch thickness planer with a 2 1/2 inch dust port. Right now I have it attached too a rigid shop vac and it fills it up pretty quick. So I was thinking about attaching a 4 inch adapter to the 2 1/2 inch port and hooking it to my larger shop vac, but Im not sure if it’s a waste of time because of the loss of cfm…? Or should I see if I can find someone to maybe 3d print something that will work. Any thoughts, please. Im really getting annoyed with all this dust collection stuff…sheesh.

I recently acquired a slightly used Craftsman BAS350 14" band saw. It is the same saw as the Rikon 10-321 band saw. It is equipped with a one horse power motor and a very nicely machined cast iron table with a rip capacity opening of 8.5". I got a 5/8" 3TPI blade and ran some firewood pieces through it to make turning blanks and was very pleased with the performance. It has a 2" dust port below the blade and a 4" port at the bottom of the lower wheel. I connected a dust collector to the 4" port with great results and see no need to hook up the two inch port. With the 4" port hooked up air was being sucked into the 2" po…

Back a long time ago I worked in a custom shop that had these awesome Porter Cable air sanders in various configurations that were both fast and excellent. I have been putting up with a Makita palm router for years and been pretty dissatisfied but when it died last year I took the opportunity to replace it. I looked around and eventually did replace it with a Festool 125/3 which is a great finish sander but left something to be desired particularly with panels. As I am stuck working on a pantry and building a LOT of panels for it, I needed a solution. Now don’t get me wrong, what I actually wanted was a 52” dual overhead belt sander but I also wanted to stay marrie…

Why was I not informed this existed? AGAIN, something I have not seen.. It's a UNIDRILL and I do not know how I've gotten by without one.. I can't believe I have survived this long without one.. I will not afford this one but I now have another goal.. How cool is the Delta UNIDRILL???? My life will not be complete until I have one..

We use a 1.5 - 2 HP router in the furniture bank shop to round over table tops made of 3/4" melamine coated particle board. We are looking for some corded replacement as the switch in the existing one(s) keep getting clogged up. Any recommendations for or against?

Just re-read an article in FWW from 1992 about some new innovations in table saws. First was the Ryobi BT3000 table saw with a sliding table on the left side of the blade. It seemed like these were all the rage back then. The article also had a similar Makita with a sliding version. Not sure what happened, if they were any good or not. But RIP. https://sawmillcreek.org/threads/anyone-have-any-experience-with-a-ryobi-bt3000-table-saw.242159/ Second was the table saw that had a blade that would slide forward when you pulled a rod in the front of the saw. A push-pull saw. Shopsmith had a version called the Sawsmith. Mafell also had one in the …

Ran out yesterday to get rid of some scrap metal. Stopped at the local restaurant on the way back for supper. While there, a couple and their daughter from our village came in and took the booth behind us. We've known them for over 50 years, so started chatting as neighbours do. Turns out they had just returned from the hospital, where he had undergone a "minor" procedure. It seems that he had been trying out his new tablesaw back in September, when he reached for a loose piece of lumber, resulting in the abrupt removal of an inch or so of his left thumb! Yesterday's appointment was to remove part of the nail, which had started to re-grow out of the stump. It was the fir…

Just a curious question when resawing on a bandsaw---do you get a "smooth" cut like you would on a table saw or do you get a ripple on the wood? IF you get a ripple--then what is your best guess as to the cause? Blade is a 1/2inch 4(?) tpi, guides set correctly. wood species doesn't matter. Blade is an Olsen, but it happens with off brand blades also. TIA smitty

Does anyone know someone who can resharpen my 1/2" sawblades? Willing to pay for shipping and all of the fees. I usually have sawblade.com resharpen the blades for me but unfortunately, they only resharpen the blades that was ordered from them so as not to disrupt operations.

Hi, I'm brand new here so please forgive any missteps I may make while getting to know the community and its rules and customs. I could use some advice on air filtration in my workshop located in the unfinished basement of my house which was built in 1930. The space is 10' x 12' and has an 80" ceiling (exposed joists). I don't do much with chemicals, just sawing and sanding. I have dust collection and a full-face respirator. The air flow considerations regarding the placement and use of the air scrubber I just bought are beyond me. The machine is an Abestorm Filterair HEPA V3. I intended to hang it from the joists in the Southeast corne…

Is there any place where I can get a manual for a bandsaw that I recently acquired? Machine is like a fossil and there is literally nothing written on the saw except for the part where the seller told me that it is a very old delta band. I tried bandsawmanuals.com and Manualslib but I am not getting luck.

I just bought this CUTECH /40700HC-CT portable 12 1/2" planer and set it up the last week. I had an old Delta that ran good but the feed rollers wouldn't grab the wood and I would end up having to push the board through with a pusher stick. That is unsafe to begin with and a PITA besides. So I spent about a month reading reviews and pricing out the different planers. I settled on the Cutech because the reviews were good, and it has a spiral cutter head with carbide cutters for less than $500., $379. to be exact + shipping http://www.cutechtool.com/product-p/40700hc-ct.htm They make the General International portable planer. They have several models,…

I'm primarily a scroll sawyer, so the other tools may not get used for awhile, especially if there are issues with them. Which brings us to my table saw, a vintage sears/craftsman 12" 220v 3 hp saw. I had been cutting dado's for the business I worked at, 3/4" wide x 1" deep, the 1" deep was the sticking point for being able to easily accomplish with the tools at the shop, but easy with the TS. The last time I installed the dado set I managed to let a shim slip down into the threads and I buggered them up pretty good, that was 4 years ago. I had managed to make the saw usable by using washers to get the nut to be able to tighten on a blade, but kinda wonky. Early in …

For anyone that needs help finding parts or other things for their tools, this list is for you. Below is a list of companies I have come across in my personal search for parts and repairs. Some of them I have used, some not. Feel free to add to the list or let me know about corrections that need to be made. ManualsLib - Owners manuals for just about everything you can think of. Kauffman Tool Repair - Online parts, in-person repairs in VA (Amazing customer service!!!) Renovo Parts - Complete Source for Delta and Rockwell Parts Hammerscale - Delta Reproduction parts M & M Tool Parts - Online parts for most major manufacturers Repair Clinic - Online parts …

A local woodworker was asking $200.00 for his Delta 40-640 scroll saw. I went to look at it, test it and came home with the saw. After a bit of chat, he told me I could have it for $150.00. It came with the wrenches,extra inserts, blades and the manual. What are your thoughts? I think I'm a winner here.

On my old Delta/Rockwell 8" jointer. Going to check if I have another set of blades ready to go first, if not I think it's going to be time for a Byrd. I've been told they aren't much needed on a jointer, and generally I agree with that, a light pass does wonders. Biggest problem I've had is long, fine shavings clogging up the chute. So I've long been on the fence about this..... still am on the fence I guess.

Is it just me or does Olson does not have their own website where you can get it directly? Also, any people who tried using them flex back blades from Olson?

I was doing some rabbit hole YouTube surfing this morning and happened upon this band-saw review for Harbor Freights Bauer lineup. I've been looking for a good bench top belt grinder and in the past I have seen great reviews for the red Bauer brand by Harbor Freight, so this red bandsaw caught my attention this morning. I'm not in the market for a band-saw, but it was fun watching. I watched the entire video and I am impressed. At 600 bucks, looks like you'd be getting your money's worth as long as the longevity of the saw holds up, but I was very impressed with the well thought out features the saw has. One of the cool features I really liked was the thumb kn…

Hey all! Still just the new guy here, but I'm about to sink some serious (for me) cash into my shop. I'm looking at buying a big boy lathe, the ol 300 dollar central machinery guy isn't pulling it's weight. I'm in Ohio, close to Newark/ Zanesville...I know there's a few of you around here too. What do are your opinions on this? https://jettools.com/jwl-1840evs-18-x-40-wood-lathe What are you all running that compares? If someone has one, or close to it and wouldn't mind a show and tell, I can bring some green wood blanks for ya! Thank you!