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 | WTF? | Mar 17, '11 1:35 PM
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 Get Free Shipping on your entire order when you place an order that includes a Festool item of $150 or more in value! Special shipping charges will apply for Express delivery and heavy/oversized items. Not valid at Rockler Retail stores or Independent Partner Resellers. The ETS 150 is Festool?s elite finishing sander, producing a satiny-smooth, swirl-free finish with almost no vibration. As the lightest sander in its class, it provides maximum comfort and minimal fatigue during extended sanding projects. Features a perfectly flat, precisely balanced sanding pad and robust componentry for smooth running and a long life. 1/8'' random orbit action eliminates surface swirls, while the pad brake prevents scratches when starting and stopping the sander. MultiJetStream dust extraction prevents dust from collecting at the center of the disc, greatly prolonging abrasive life. Also features electronic speed control, StickFix hook-and-loop pad and an integral dust port for near total dust extraction. Includes filter bag/holder, Plug-It cord, sample abrasive and New T-Loc Systainer storage case.
-> Festool ETS 150/5 EQ Random Orbit Sander with New T-Loc Systainer - $295.00 -> CT Midi Dust Extractor Package Deal - SALE: $355.00 -> CT Mini Dust Extractor Package Deal - SALE: $315.00 -> More >> delta woodworking machinery rockwell delta woodworking machines delta woodworking machines and accessories delta woodworking machines bandsaw delta woodworking machines parts delta woodworking machines prices delta woodworking machines uk delta woodworking table saws wood working 000 free woodworking plans and projects Those Air Force boys sure make life interesting! This week, someone brought another fighter jet control stick to my shop, and asked if I could make a display pedestal for it.And... could I make it in just three days. So after listening to what he wanted, I put together this small mock-up of what I had in mind, while he waited. It was such a rush order, I didn't have a lot of time to come up with a couple of sketches, like I normally do. So I grabbed some scrap MDF and cut the small cube that he had described. The sample box was just a little too small for all the artwork that he wanted to include on this cube, so when I made the actual solid-wood piece, I made it just a bit taller. It's a good thing!
He came back later that day, and picked up the cube so he could have it engraved. The original plan was for me to stain this pedestal, so I started staining the top and bottom pieces, while I awaited the return of the piece he took.When he came back with it, it had the artwork, which were cloth patches and some metal coins and plates, already glued down to the cube. Check out the very cool artwork of the plane, laser engraved onto the wood. You probably can't see it, but it letters about 1/16 of an inch tall, it says - United States Air Force.
Only problem - if I applied the stain as planned, the engraved artwork would have disappeared. Uh... what's Plan B? All four sides of the cube were covered with artwork. The only alternative with just 24 hours to go was to apply a couple of coats of my new "go to" finish - a Minwax Wipe On Poly. It's easy to control, dries quickly, and makes the wood look great. I'm not a big fan of two-toned projects, but I didn't have much choice, since the other pieces were already stained. Once I attached the base, I actually really liked the effect it gave this piece. Mounting the flight stick was another one of those "design-on-the-fly" moments, as he wanted the piece secured with a nut from the bottom, in case it ever needed to be removed. (WTF?) Finding a nut to fit this controller proved to be the most challenging part of this whole piece, but - mission accomplished. Here is the flight stick, attached to the top piece. They chromed it. Sweet. And finally, the finished piece, completed with just hours to spare.   Like I said, those Air Force boys sure make life interesting!
custom woodworking shop ideas custom woodworking shops custom woodworking tables david marks woodworking videos dealers delta woodworking tools delta industrial woodworking machinery delta woodworking lathe delta woodworking machine parts delta woodworking machine tools delta woodworking machinery I have to hand it to Grizzly tools, they did the right thing. Back in December, I ordered one of their 12" drum sanders, the very slick looking Polar Bear series sander.
 Even though the tool's 12" capacity was fairly small, the price was right and I felt like it was worth the money, if the tool performed properly.That's a big IF.
One thing I do when considering a tool purchase is thoroughly research the tool. So I read quite a few comments from people who had purchased this sander, like this woodworker's blog post, and knew going into it that it might have some issues. Still, it sounded like a good value, and since the tool was so small, it wasn't like I was going to use it all the time.
Right?The tool was delivered very quickly, and I mounted it on a sturdy tool stand I had in the shop. The first thing I realized is that the handle that raises and lowers the conveyor table was very short, thus reducing your leverage. That made it very difficult to raise and lower the table smoothly.
Look how short this handle is!
OK, you get what you pay for, so I switched the handle out with another one I had in my shop, a few inches longer. Problem solved.
My second issue was the Velcro that held on the sanding drum paper started de-laminating from the drum. The machine was only about two weeks old, so a call to Grizzly did the trick. I had a new Velcro drum cover in just a few days. Later, I noticed that Grizzly recommends that after you install a new piece of hook and loop paper onto the drum, you tape the ends of the drum with 3/4" strapping tape.
Seriously?
If I did that, I would be reducing the size of the drum from an already small 12" to about 10.5". If that was the case, maybe they should advertise this as a 10.5" drum sander. Here is a picture of the ends wrapped with the tape. Whatever. I didn't wrap the drum with tape on the ends.
Yup, you guessed it - it de-laminated again. I broke down and taped the paper.
Then - one day, the sander started tripping the circuit breaker for the outlet into which it was plugged. By the time I finally got the sander to start without tripping the breaker, the conveyor wouldn't move.
This was starting to look like a nightmare purchase.
After experimenting with it a bit, I realized that if I manually moved the conveyor just a tiny bit, thus rotating the motor, it would start moving again. Perhaps there were some bad windings in the small drive motor?
I barely know what the hell that means, but the damn motor ran intermittently, and it was completely frustrating.
But - at least I could get the conveyor to work when I needed it to.
Finally - and this was the last straw - the small worm gear that controls raising and lowering the table just simply gave out. This, unfortunately, happened with a piece of wood in the sander. I can't begin to tell you what a PITA it was to dislodge the piece of wood, not to mention the fact that I had a board that was partially sanded - it was one thickness on one end, and a completely different thickness on the other end.
My solution? A kick-ass pair of vice grips allowed me to manually rotate the chain and gears that raise and lower the table. I finished sanding that board manually and threw up my hands - the last straw!All of this occurred in about five weeks of owning the machine - with approximately 3 hours of usage. Maybe not even that much. Wow.
Of course, the tool had a 30-day money back guarantee. Only I had owned the tool for about 33 days. D'oh!
Luckily, I always save all of the boxes and packing that come with the various tools I buy. A call to Grizzly gave me the necessary return authorization number, and that baby was on it's way back to their factory pronto. It took five calls to their service department, and finally - today I received an answer - they refunded my complete purchase. At least they did the right thing. Don't get me wrong - I am happy that they did that. Thrilled, in fact.
But wouldn't it have been easier to simply make a better tool? I am quite satisfied that Grizzly treated me fairly, and have nothing bad to say about them. This is truly a case of getting what you pay for.
So here is my new dilemma, - if anyone out there can recommend a small drum sander that is captive on both ends (no cantilevered ends for me, ever again!) - I'd appreciate the recommendation.
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Take the guesswork out of difficult miter cuts by transferring the exact angle from the tool to your miter saw or table saw! Simply measure the angle on your project, divide by half and transfer that angle using the Bora Angle Master™ to your saw. Measures internal or external angles from 70° to 180° or a miter angle from 35° to 90°. Has a graduated scale for both corner and miter angles. 
Get Free Shipping on your entire order when you place an order that includes a Festool item of $150 or more in value! Special shipping charges will apply for Express delivery and heavy/oversized items. Not valid at Rockler Retail stores or Independent Partner Resellers.
Get a smooth, professional-looking finish using water-based or solvent-based finishes! Coleman's HVLP (High Volume, Low Pressure) Spray Gun has a stainless steel fluid needle that works well with water-based or solvent-based materials, and it's easy to clean. And a high transfer efficiency feature reduces the amount of overspray, making it easier and more affordable than ever to get a high-quality finish. All you need to get started is your standard air compressor! 
Get full and total organization of all your clamps and save! This affordable Clamp Rack Combo keeps all your clamps safely stored and lets you attach them to the 
