Of batteries and benchtops

[GregH]

Need some advice/opinions on two issues:

My much beloved and much used (at least 15 years old) Makita 9.6volt drill is once again in need of new batteries. There are any number of sites offering replacements for prices ranging from $32 to $56- I'd buy 2. The drill itself is still a great performer, and I really hate the idea of tossing it just because the batteries are kaput. Any thoughts/recommendations will be appreciated.

Tomorrow I will start work on a new benchtop. The base already exists in the form of Birch ply cabinets. It is to be 96" X 30". I have a couple sheets of 3/4" ply that I'd like to use for the top (2 thicknesses), but they're only a grade or two above CXD, and neither has a surface that I'd call suitable for the finished top. I plan to frame out the top to hide the ply edges, so am thinking of making the frame a bit higher to accept a top-insert that could be easily replaced. I know that Masonite is a standard for this, but frankly I HATE MASONITE!!!!! Any alternative suggestions???

[TerryLL]

Can't advise you about your Makita, but a sheet of 1/4 birch, Superply underlayment, or a nice doorskin will serve as a benchtop surface. I'd glue it right on with yellow glue and trim all three layers at once.

[Gerard]

I broke down and bought the batteries, they are okay but expensive, next time I'm going to upgrade the drill, ah well.

For the bench top I have 2 layers of 3/4 ply (ACX IIRC) screwed and glued together. Top layer is a sheet of 1/4 MDF tacked down, smooth, clean, disposable when it gets trashed (use the old as a pattern for the new) and the edges of the bench are trimmed out with 1 1/2 reclaimed doug fir with a chamfer on outer edge and lag bolted to the ply. Very heavy, very rigid, bench is 25 by 80 takes all sorts of abuse.

[JimConlin]

For light work, I've never found a cordless drill whose balance I liked as well as the 9.6V Makita. So, I've kept using them. People seem to bring them to me. Occasionally I need to buy a battery or two. The batteries are available from a variety of sources, the Borg, the web, even Ebay (http://cgi.ebay.com/2-BATTERIES-FOR-MAKITA-9000-9-6-VOLT-BATTERY-NEW_W0QQitemZ370235519166QQcmdZViewItemQQptZLH_Def aultDomain_0?hash=item5633c1b0be&_trksid=p3286.c0.m14#ht_2405wt_960)

[bluedog225]

Once I get one that doesn't break at a young age, I keep buying batteries until the thing dies (or is stolen).

If you do decide to go new, the cordless Milwaukee 28 volt lithium ion will about twist your arm off. Great drill. A little bulky though.

[John B]

I take all my cordless units to a specialist battery guy every few years or as they break down and he puts whatever the latest is in the old casing. Cheaper than the stock units and usually better/ more power, dilithium crystals or something updated. Dropped a makita off yesterday come to think about it .You need to find that guy in your town.
I've got some panasonics that were beautifully engineered things but all came with crap batteries, wouldn't hold a charge and died in a year. 12 or 15 years later, a couple of battery rebuilds, still going strong.

Of course there's the old boat trick too once you're past buying batteries for it. ... get some cable and wire it up with alligator clips for using on your boat. 9.6 and even 7.2 V ( I'm told) don't seem to mind the 12 v battery.

[D Happ]

My beloved Dewalt batteries died. My wife bought me a battery pack that has the highest amp hour rating she could find. That battery last and last forever. It is abolutely wonderful!
It is well worth finding the battery pack with the longest amp hour rating you can find.

[Jim Goodine]

We've had good luck with a place called Voltman.com who rebuild batteries. No business interest in them just a satisfied customer. They seem to last longer than the originals.

[Bill R]

Ditto the superply underlayment for the benchtop.

I have a 9.6v Makita that I have had for longer than I can remember. I get a new pair of batteries every 3 years or so. Just can't part with it, and buying a pair of batteries for a drill that just won't die is still cheaper than buying a new drill.

[Dave B]

Greg,

You didn't say why you hate masonite and so this may be a waste of time, but I've sure had excellent results with it.

In my case I use 1/8" inch tempered masonite. I've seen others use the regular stuff, but the tempered panels seems to be more dense and work much better for me. I get them at the local big box store and they only cost a dollar or 2 more than the non-tempered panels. I go ahead and glue and tack them down to the substrate (2 layers of 3/4 MDF or fir ply) and then trim the panel with a router using a roundover type bit with a guide bearing just as if it were Formica or some other type of plastic laminate. You end up with an extremely easy perfect fit.

To finish it off (this is important) I get a can of Watco clear finish oil and drench the panel. It always amazes me how much the panel can soak up. When it dries in 3-4 days, you end up with a very slick, hard as nails benchtop that is virtually bullet proof. The panel ends up a dark brown which isn't near as pretty as a nice wood grain top, but if the rest of the bench is finished clear it makes a pleasant contrast. I've had some that had years of hard use but still look good as new.

For what it's worth --

[Greg Nolan]

We've had good luck with a place called Voltman.com who rebuild batteries. No business interest in them just a satisfied customer. They seem to last longer than the originals.



Did you mean www.voltmanbatteries.com ?

[gert]

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