Vince Pitelka on thu 28 jun 12
Jim Kasper got bounced from Clayart and is figuring out how to re-subscribe=
,
and in the mean time asked me to post this.
Subject: Tools --Help!
From: "Jim Kasper"
Date: Wed, June 27, 2012 6:46 pm
To: "clayart"
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
My brother called this evening. He is off to Croatia to do a mission of
sorts. He is making some soapstone medallions for the kids to work on, and
now he needs (wants) a belt /disk sander to do some finish work on them,
and was wondering about quality vs price on what was out there.
I was bragging on my clayart list. I told him that the quality
experience on out list was an amazing resource.
With that
little preface, I plead for one and all to throw in your opinions. What
would you suggest?
Thanks,
Jim
Zafka Studios
Jensen Beach, FL.
http://zafka.com
Phone: 772-334-3070
James Freeman on thu 28 jun 12
On Thu, Jun 28, 2012 at 1:06 AM, "Jim Kasper" wrote:
>
> My brother
> now he needs (wants) a belt /disk sander to do some finish work on them,
> and was wondering about quality vs price on what was out there.
Jim...
My belt/disc sander is a cheapo, private labeled Chinese unit that I bought
before I began serious woodworking, and just needed something small and
moveable for occasional use. It is similar in quality to today's Harbor
Freight tools, which is to say pretty crappy. I keep meaning to replace
it, but it's not a tool I use terribly heavily nor often, so just never got
around to it. Though noisy, imprecise, and frequently losing tracking and
other adjustment, and with a disc table that is barely one step up from
useless, it does spin sandpaper, so technically speaking, it works. Such a
cheapo unit would probably be just fine for your brother's one-time
project, followed by years of occasional and imprecise work.
The belt/disc sander at the college is an ancient Powermatic. It is a
thing of beauty; powerful, quiet, and built like a Sherman tank.
Though there are exceptions in specific categories (One-Way Lathes being an
example), my general rule with stationary woodworking tools is:
Price no object: Powermatic
Price somewhat of a factor: Delta
Price is a strong factor: Grizzly or Jet
I'm going to use it once, then throw it away: Harbor Freight
Craftsman used to be a great choice in the category with Grizzly and Jet,
and with very simple tools like a drill press or belt/disc sander probably
still is. With more precise tools, however, my impression is that they
have gone even cheaper on the "guts" of their machines in order to add a
few fancy bells and whistles while still maintaining the price point. With
power tools, it is the guts that matter, the bells and whistles being mere
niceties, so the strategy strikes me as akin to putting a leather interior
and parking assist on a Ford Pinto.
Though you did not ask, with power hand tools, my hierarchy is as follows:
Price no object: DeWalt/Bosch/Porter-Cable/Milwaukee
Price is somewhat of a factor: Every remaining name brand other than those
listed below, including Craftsman "Professional"
Price is a strong factor: Black&Decker/Craftsman/Makita/Ryobi
I'm going to use it once, then throw it away: Harbor Freight and all the
other private labeled Chinese junk
Also, keep in mind that even within brands, there is variation in quality.
Delta, for example, offers machines at the top end of the scale in terms of
both price and quality (the machines I am talking about), but also offers
stuff way down in the Sears Craftsman category. Price will be your guide.
With tools, the market is so competitive that one gets precisely what one
pays for, pretty much regardless of brand. Choose the quality you need or
want, and purchase accordingly. A good tool on sale is a bargain, but a
cheap tool rarely is.
Just my opinions. Others will have their own experience and
recommendations.
All the best.
...James
James Freeman
"Talk sense to a fool, and he calls you foolish."
-Euripides
http://www.jamesfreemanstudio.com
http://www.flickr.com/photos/jamesfreemanstudio/
http://www.jamesfreemanstudio.com/resources
Vince Pitelka on thu 28 jun 12
James Freeman wrote:
"Though you did not ask, with power hand tools, my hierarchy is as follows:
Price no object: DeWalt/Bosch/Porter-Cable/Milwaukee
Price is somewhat of a factor: Every remaining name brand other than those
listed below, including Craftsman "Professional"
Price is a strong factor: Black&Decker/Craftsman/Makita/Ryobi
I'm going to use it once, then throw it away: Harbor Freight and all the
other private labeled Chinese junk"
Hi James -
I'll chime in on this based on all our experience with power tools at the
Craft Center clay studio, and of course this is just my own opinion. Over
the 18 years I have run the studio we have gone through a lot of
glaze-mixing drills and 4.5"and 7" shelf-grinding angle-grinders, plus some
reciprocating saws, saber saws, and circular saws. In the glaze-mixing
drills and 4.5" angle-grinders we have used Makita, Bosch, Porter-Cable,
Hitachi, Ryobi, and DeWalt.
Porter Cable has deteriorated and the quality of their tools has dropped
drastically. Makita and Hitachi are good, and both far above Black & Decke=
r
or Craftsman. Ryobi is below Makita and Hitachi but better than Black &
Decker or Craftsman. DeWalt is equal to Makita and Hitachi, but not as goo=
d
as Bosch or Milwaukee, which I see as the best-quality hand power tools.
For any serious tool-user, I feel that Craftsman and Black & Decker are not
worth bothering with. Of course neither you or I believe in the "I'm going
to use it once and then throw it away" philosophy of tools, because in that
case we would borrow or rent a tool. Electric tools from Harbor Freight,
usually sold under their "Chicago Electric" brand, are worthless junk.
I agree completely about the choice of Grizzly or Jet for the disk/belt
sander, and Grizzly is certainly far more accessible than Jet. I know a lo=
t
of woodworkers who use Grizzly tools and especially appreciate their
reliability and customer service. Grizzly is certainly not comparable to
PowerMatic, but they do a fine job of maintaining quality.
- Vince
Vince Pitelka
Appalachian Center for Craft
Tennessee Tech University
vpitelka@dtccom.net
http://iweb.tntech.edu/wpitelka/
ivor and olive lewis on fri 29 jun 12
<<
...now he needs (wants) a belt /disk sander to do some finish work on them,
and was wondering about quality vs price on what was out there. ...>>
This process can make a great deal of very fine dust. Best done wet.
Regards,
Ivor Lewis,
REDHILL,
South Australia
| |
|
