There has been some discussion regarding the Master Build Center – Pro Series as to whether it should be considered a “Tool†or a “Machine†so, as experts in the field of woodworking, I need your help to answer the question once and for all.  If you can watch the video on the web site www.torontotool.com and let me know, I would greatly appreciate it. You can send me an email directly if you like roger.hamblen@torontotool.com. Thanks everyone. This is a great site and I look forward to spending some time with you folks.

Roger

Thanks for coming over to check us out Roger! I am off to work now, I'll have to watch the video later today, but my first question is, is this one of your machines? Your design? I was able to surf your site very briefly, so forgive me for asking what may be an obvious answer. On first looks, it looks like a wonderful idea and a pretty nice piece of machinery, and look at me, I am calling it machinery already!

So lets go folks, help Roger decided it his "woodworking implement" should be called a "Machine" or a "Tool"!

Good luck Roger, our folks here will put this baby to rest once and for all.

I watched the video. Interesting concept. Thanks for posting. bob

Thanks John, and to answer the question, Yes, I have designed this machine or tool (to be determined). I tried to buy something simular but just couldn't find anything anywhere in the market. I have limited room in my workshop so I set out to design a machine that was perfect for a multitude of uses and here it is. I find myself using it everyday because it does such a great job. I starting out by building one for myself but then, as soon as my friends saw it, they wanted me to build one for them and on it went until many of my friends said you need to get this out in the market because it is such a great machine or tool (again, to be determined). So I did, and here it is. The question always came up.........is it a "tool" or a "machine" so I am asking all the fine folks on the site. I hope they can watch the video at www.torontotool.com and let me know.

Thanks again

Roger

John Morris said:

Thanks for coming over to check us out Roger! I am off to work now, I'll have to watch the video later today, but my first question is, is this one of your machines? Your design? I was able to surf your site very briefly, so forgive me for asking what may be an obvious answer. On first looks, it looks like a wonderful idea and a pretty nice piece of machinery, and look at me, I am calling it machinery already!

So lets go folks, help Roger decided it his "woodworking implement" should be called a "Machine" or a "Tool"!

Good luck Roger, our folks here will put this baby to rest once and for all.

Thanks Bob, I will reply to your email here and thanks for sending it.

I really appreciate your insite. I work mainly with wood myself and love it but I found myself limited when it came to speciality brackets and metal inserts and the like. The metal bending capeability may not be used at first, but I can say that it comes in very handy in a lot of cases. Just as an example, when I built a big deck onto my house, I made all the metal support brackets for the joists and saved a ton of money. When I made planters, I formed all the copper inserts myself and again, saved a ton of money. 

 

I will have the web site looked into and I greatly appreciate you input. I will definately keep you in mind for testing the machine. I will mark it as one vote for "tool"

 

Thanks again

Roger  

Bob Kloes said:

I watched the video. Interesting concept. Thanks for posting. bob

That's a "tool'' in my opinion. If fact I'd call it an adjustable height clamp. To be a machine it needs a motor that moves something. Example, a planer with feed rollers driven by a motor is a machine. Just my view doesn't' necessarily make it so but that's what I think.

Thanks Richard, Your coments make sense. Does a machine have to have a motor? Not sure.

There is a split decision so far ...... 2 people for "tool" and 2 people for "machine".   

Richard McComas said:

That's a "tool'' in my opinion. If fact I'd call it an adjustable height clamp. To be a machine it needs a motor that moves something. Example, a planer with feed rollers driven by a motor is a machine. Just my view doesn't' necessarily make it so but that's what I think.

Is there a reason for the association of  "tool" or "machine"  Take for example those "bench cookies" Rockler sell's. What are they, a tool?

 

Too me it has more of a feel .....

Saw horse

Clamp 

Saw guide

 

I'm having a tough time with the "tool or machine" identity. It almost makes me think of those Black and Decker Workmate benches. Multi task, its a bench and a vice or a guide...sorta thing for sawing wood and steel

 

SAW STATION

 

That's rolling around in my head at the moment. That's just my view

 

-Ace-

 

 

 

 

Great view Ace,

The only reason I ask is because it causes such a stir. A group of friends sat around one night and we discussed it "tool or machine".  Some said it was definately a machine because it has multiple parts to form a unit and performs multiple tasks while other said it was a tool. I would like to settle it once and for all.

 

Well said Ace "to me it has more of a feel..." and very true I might add.  

 

 

Ace you made me think of a comment made by one of my friends during the conversation “machine or tool†we all had that evening and I quote Rick. He said......“I don’t care what you call the darn thing. All I know is I made a perfect set of kitchen cabinets with it and my wife is really happy and if she is happy then I am happy, so call it what you wantâ€. This is along your lines of thinking I believe Ace.

Roger Hamblen said:

Great view Ace,

The only reason I ask is because it causes such a stir. A group of friends sat around one night and we discussed it "tool or machine".  Some said it was definately a machine because it has multiple parts to form a unit and performs multiple tasks while other said it was a tool. I would like to settle it once and for all.

 

Well said Ace "to me it has more of a feel..." and very true I might add.  

 

 

Exactly....when someone mentions SawStop...your not too concerned if its a tool or machine?

 

-Ace-

http://www.thefreedictionary.com/tool

 

http://www.thefreedictionary.com/machine

Hi Richard,

Thanks for the web sites. This is exactly what the group of us did during the conversation we had during the evening. We opened the dictionary and believe it or not, it added fuel to the fire. There were about 15 of us that evening and we had two camps. One camp said it was a machine and said “just read the dictionary†and the other said it was a tool “read the dictionaryâ€. It is amazing how a few cold beer can spark such a great conversation that went on for about 3 hours.  We never did resolve it.

After reading the definitions in dictionary I'm still not sure.  

Roger Hamblen said:

Hi Richard,

Thanks for the web sites. This is exactly what the group of us did during the conversation we had during the evening. We opened the dictionary and believe it or not, it added fuel to the fire. There were about 15 of us that evening and we had two camps. One camp said it was a machine and said “just read the dictionary†and the other said it was a tool “read the dictionaryâ€. It is amazing how a few cold beer can spark such a great conversation that went on for about 3 hours.  We never did resolve it.

That's exactly the problem we had Richard. I am hoping with all the experts on this site we can resolve it once and for all. So far there are 2 people here that say it is a machine and 2 people that say it is a tool...........

Richard McComas said:

After reading the definitions in dictionary I'm still not sure.  

Roger Hamblen said:

Hi Richard,

Thanks for the web sites. This is exactly what the group of us did during the conversation we had during the evening. We opened the dictionary and believe it or not, it added fuel to the fire. There were about 15 of us that evening and we had two camps. One camp said it was a machine and said “just read the dictionary†and the other said it was a tool “read the dictionaryâ€. It is amazing how a few cold beer can spark such a great conversation that went on for about 3 hours.  We never did resolve it.

Thanks Richard...now I understand why my Wife says... I'm such a tool...

 

-Ace-

 ha ha ha ..........you don't want to know what my wife calls me sometimes

Ace HoleInOne said:

Thanks Richard...now I understand why my Wife says... I'm such a tool...

 

-Ace-

Roger..  A warm welcome to TAW.

Great design; well built and a very fuctional.. Tool.

Larry

Roger

You can put my vote in for a tool.

In a sense it comes to me as a multi purpose jig that appears to handle many tasks.

Even bending sheet metal is done with a brake, which is a tool.

 

Best Wishes

Wayne

 

It is a clamp.  So therefore, a tool.

 

If it also cut the wood for you it would be a machine.