best tool I bought in 2002

[Dale R. Hamilton]

I'm a sucker for tools- I buy them just for the sake of having them. Most are really not worth having. BUT, one new tool I bought this year is really GREAT and deserves the attention of this forum. Its a ratcheting wire crimping tool- available about $18.00 at Autozone and the like. his make a wide perfect crimp-much less hand effort- and they never fail. It will make you want to re-crimp everything you have ever done.

[Gordy]

Thanks Dale!

I didn't even know I needed a crimping tool!

Ummm, just what would I use it for?....

Gordy

[ken mcclure]

Kreg pocket-hole jig. Without a doubt, this thing has saved me more than ten times its cost already!

[John of Phoenix]

My best tool was an air compressor. It's one of those things that makes you wonder, "How did I get along with out this for so long?"

I use it for cleaning the bench, the floor, projects, tools, everything. Add a spray gun for great looking and easy painting. A brad gun has made complicated gluing jobs a snap.

I'm considering getting some sanding tools to add some versatility to it.

[Paul Scheuer]

Gordy: Dale's tool is for electrical terminals. I agree on its utility. A bad crimp can be a time bomb.

[capt jake]

Air filtration system for the shop. The simple boax that hangs from the ceiling. Sure cuts down the dust and helps circulate heat in the winter months.

Oh and John, it works great when using the air compressor to 'clean' things. Catches all of that now airborne dust.

[Scott Rosen]

I must not have bought enough tools in 2002. That gives me inspiration for a New Year's resolution for '03--Buy more tools.

[John of Phoenix]

Hi Jake. Yes, second the dust control equipment. The Lovely Carol bought me a nice Jet filtration unit and a big dust collector for my birthday last April. Seems she was tired of her car being covered in saw dust. I'm trying to figure out a similar angle to get her to buy one of those nifty portable planers we've talked about here form time to time.

[capt jake]

buy one of those nifty portable planers we've talked about here form time to time

I put that off for the longest time. Now that I have one, I can't figure out what took me so long to buy it! [img]smile.gif[/img] I use it all the time! [img]smile.gif[/img] Rough sawn is cheaper, just run it through the planer a few times. [img]smile.gif[/img]

[Matt J.]

On the portable planer, I have only 2 words:
Awe Some!

On the new Husqvarna chainsaw I have only 3:
Awe-freaking-some!



Scott, may I have permission to copy your resolution? I like it.

-Matt

[Adam C]

Best tool purchases of 2002:

Milwuakee right angle drill - don't know what I did without it.

Milwaukee Sawzall - double don't know what I did without it. This thing rocks.

Delta table saw - love it.

[john welsford]

A local builders merchant/hardware store that I would normally never go near had a big clearance sale, they had a big pile of German "F Clamps" and some big plastic spring ( clothes pin type) clamps. About 50 in all, I got there as they were setting the sale table up and emptied the lot into my trolley.
Other than that? A TCT rebate router bit for my Shaper, has replaceable throwaway knives that will take a sharpen or two with a diamond lap.
Not a big year for tools was 2002, now THIS year---------

JohnW

[JimConlin]

The Fein detail sander is tied for first (with the Powermatic #66 table saw) for Best Power Tool Of All Time. It's effective, refined, quiet (considering). The saw blade that comes with it is a pleasant surprise.

[Leon m]

I bought some pricey tools
last year but my favorite thing
has been my new diamond sharpening
stone.Man does it do a nice job !

[ 01-02-2003, 03:20 PM: Message edited by: Leon m ]

[Stu Fyfe]

Random orbital sander. I can't believe how much time I wasted without one.

[Garrett Lowell]

I finally replaced my rickety old bench vise with a Record 10 1/2" vise. I can't believe I waited so long.

[Cedarhill Boatworks]

DeWalt sliding twelve inch compound miter saw.

[Peter Malcolm Jardine]

A complete set of snap on screwdrivers. Thank God. A good quality flaring tool set.some more clamps. A new cordless drill from Craftsman 16.8 volt.. ummm its okay. I WANT an air compressor, a good portable with about 5.5 cfm at 90psi.

I like Scott's resolution too.

[Redonebyme]

Ditto on the fein detail sander. The little saw is great for flush cuts. Next would have to be my festo circular saw. More tools in 2003!!!!You bet!

[Donn]

Looks like Fein does fine on this forum. I got the multimaster this year, and it's tied for first with the Fein vac (although the ProPrep scrapers are right up there recently).

Definately more this year...waiting for an Amazon order right now.

[jlapratt]

9 piece stainless steel scraper set as seen in Woodenboat catalog for $52.95, only at Sears for $4.99 !

[imported_Steven Bauer]

Ken, can you tell my more about your Kreg jig? I saw a demo years ago. I'm building my cabinets in the next week or two and was thinking of getting one. You use it for face frame assembly, right? Or do you screw the cabinet boxes, too?
I just bought 13 - 4'x8' sheets of pre-finished 3/4" maple plywood for $25 apiece. (seven of them were part of a barter deal, so I only paid $150)
I'm making cherry face frames, side panels and doors and drawers, and a cherry strip planked back for a curving peninsula. Wish me luck.
Steven

[ken mcclure]

Good luck! But really, it takes more persistence than luck. [img]smile.gif[/img] If you can read a measuring tape, you'll do fine. Cabinets are easy.

I use pocket holes/screws to assemble both face frames and boxes. Since I do the casework in plywood, I find that the angled screws hold better than screws driven straight in.

I also use this system to attach the face frame to the cabinet, as long as the cabinet side is not an exposed side. For exposed sides I still put the face frame on with biscuits.

Lemme know if you need any help with the design, or with organizing the project.

[Ed Harrow]

Palm 130

[wolfietuk]

Ken
I have been using the Kreg jig for about 4 years now. I love it. I plug the holes on exposed ends (drilling on the interior of the cab). Or overhang the face frame by enough to put a 1/4" panel on at installation. Either way is faster than buisits.

Rick

[Concordia..41]

The dust attachment for the Multi-Master! I liked the Multi-Master to start with, but now it's a full fledged love affair.

Tools rule!

Cheers!

- M

[cs]

Keep thinking about this and keep coming back to the belt sander. I had to buy a new one this year (broke my old one) and hands down it seems to be the most used a versitale tool in the shop.

Although it is to early to tell, I did get a pull saw from Lee Valley tools for Christmas this year and it is on its way to being the most valuable.

Chad

[N. Scheuer]

A Porter-Cable Sawsall.

Moby Nick

[Rocky]

Hey Dale, that sounds like a nifty tool, I'll have to get one. You probably already have the automatic wire stripper, right? That and the random orbital sander are the two things I use most on my vessel. They make a cordless one now but who's gonna be sanding out on the water? Besides me, of course. Before 9/11 I used to take her out and just float around New York Harbor reading the paper and watching the world go by. On a nice Sunday you'd see just about anything you could think of that floats, from aircraft carriers to inner tubers to tall ships to paddlewheelers to powerboats capable of close to 200 mph. Not the same out there anymore, the authorities are still making sure the next time Osama tries to knock down the WTC they'll be ready for him. Good job, boys!

[Mike DeHart]

I would have to say my best tool purchase last year was the old old old Delta 14" bandsaw I got at a surplus auction at my old high school. It didn't work at the time, and for the 25 bucks they made me take the two Rockwell 24" scroll saws as well. The BS needed tires, bearing service, new wiring and a new switch (the reason it didn't work ) and the two scroll saws got shuffled together to make one that works, after some bearings, gaskets, and a little bit of machine work. Yea, I'm about ready to start on my old skiff. (Maybe some pics in the near future.)

[Tomcat]

I pretty much have all the tools I need for boatbuilding, I need to get new brushes for my PC ROS. The best tool I bought this year for traditional wood working, is a set of Tasai slicks. Incredible the control in small joinery that having a big handle provides. I have had large slicks for a while, but I think I will get much more use out of the small ones. largest is about 1.5". Smallest is 1/8"

[ken mcclure]

Yeah, Rick. I should have mentioned that. I use the biscuits because I'm just too d@mned cheap to buy the 1/4" plywood.

[imported_Steven Bauer]

OK Ken and Rick I bought the Kreg Pro Kit. I've cut all the pieces for the peninsula cabinets. I'm ready to Kreg it all together. Any tips? Do you ever use biscuits and pocket screws? A belt and suspenders approach.It seems like the biscuits might help align things a little. I'm going back over to the Kreg site now for more ideas. Hopefully I'll have some pictures tomorrow.
Thanks,
Steven

[David N.]

An old leather belt driven drill press , cap. 1 1/2 " (or at least that is the size of hole some one drilled in the table) it must weigh 1500 lbs , I bought it for spare parts for my other one , $100 .
The same guy had a band saw ( resaw ) which had a 32" throat , and must of been 10' in height , $250 , he had sold to a guy , and he could not come up with the money untill the 11th hour , it was close !! .
And a polishing machine , 1 1/4" spindle , 16" wheels , it is scary , having done a ton of polishing over the years , this thing commands respect ( dont they all ) , just put new bearing s in and painted it , should be running soon .

[Ernie Pawliuk]

I have a fairly extensive power tool inventory but my Japanese pullstroke handsaw still blows me away every time I use it.

[Garrett Lowell]

Ernie,

Tell me more about your hand saw. Where did you buy it, and about what was the cost? I need to replace my pull saw, and I want a good one this time. Thanks!

[paul oman]

Ditto on the japanese pull saw!

this nifty narrow saws cut on the pull rather than the push stroke. Much easier and exact to guide the pull rather than the push (and the blade doesn't bend when you're pulling it).

Great for dowels, trim work, etc.

Actually, I got a pricey tree limb saw (with about a 9 inch folding blade) - It cuts on both the pull and push strokes. Haven't used it in the yard, but great for those small, quick cuts in the shop....

paul

[Nicholas Carey]

Originally posted by Garrett Lowell:
Tell me more about your [Japanese] hand saw. Where did you buy it, and about what was the cost? I need to replace my pull saw, and I want a good one this time. Thanks!

Order from Tashiro's Hardware http://www.tashirohardware.com/ -- Tashiro's has been in the Japanese tool trade here in Seattle since 1885. First-class tools at first-class prices.

At Tashiro's, you buy the handles separately from the blades. You can even buy handle hardware, if you're inclined to make your own handle.

Tashiro sells ZETA brand saws. The blades are impulse hardened and are throw-away. The blades --literally -- can't be sharpened: they're harder (Rockwell C68) than a file (Rockwell C61 or so). Ergo, you just replace the blade when it gets dull or you break a tooth or put a kink in it.

Handles run US $8 - $20 or so. (Check out the Air Jet handle -- it has an inertial piston that blows a jet of air to keep the cut line unobstructed.

Blades run US $3-$15 or so, depending on the blade -- rip, crosscut, timber, dovetail, etc.

You really need 3 saws: 2 kataha noko-giri (single edged saw), rip and cross-cut and a dozuki noko-giri (backsaw) for cutting dovetails and the like.

House carpenters tend to use a ryoba nok-giri (saw with two edges) a lot. One edge of a ryoba is a ripsaw; the other a crosscut saw.

There are other saws, of more limited use: timber saws, keyhole saws, a saw for starting a cut in the middle of a panel, flush-cutting saw, etc., but the above saws are the workhorses (Dozuki, kataha, and ryoba).

Make sure you get saw blades intended for Hardwoods. Some of the Japanese saw blades are designed for japanese softwoods and get extremely unhappy (to the tune of bent/broken teeth) when applied to hardwoods like oak or hickory.

Tashiro's also carries Japanese hacksaw blades and handles.

Once you've used Japanese saws, it's kinda hard to go back to Anglo-style saws.

You can also get Japanese style saws from Dieter Schmid, Feine Werkzeuge and the Japan Woodworker. You can spend more on saws at the Japan Woodworker than you might think possible for a new handsaw (try US $200+ for a hand forged Japanese saw.)

And the usual suspects (Lee Valley, Highland Hardware, Woodcraft, etc.) carry japanese saws as well. Highland Hardware has pretty decent prices.

Norton makes a line of japanese-style saws as well (the Home Despot aka the Big Orange Box often carries them.)

Note that some Japanese saws require sharpening -- the ZETA brand doesn't.

[John Blazy]

Just bought an Accuspray five stage turbine HVLP spray system worth a grand for 300 bucks. Pressure pot, dry, warm air, and beats turning on the air compressor if you want to blow off yourself or your dusty boat at the end of the day. HVLP's have higher transfer efficiency (less overspray) and my old one sprayed everything from automotive metallics and pearl coats to latex. Even Polyester gelcoats, as long as you empty the gun before it sets up.

I think Ernie shouldn't be allowed to post cuz his shop is too darn nice. An indoor baskeball court turned into boat shop!!!?!?!? - JB

[Ernie Pawliuk]

I bought my pull saw (and buy blades)from Lee Valley tools.
http://www.leevalley.com/home/main.asp

[mtlake]

2002 was very good for me. I finally got the shop working and bought some tools. I was looking through all the ads on tools looking for a good deal. Then a friend was talking to the people at powermatic for parts to his old bandsaw. She appen to mention that they had a place they send all there scratch and dent stuff to. I thought sure I bet this is a real deal, but I called anyway. Wow they have all the returned stuff,trade show, damaged crate returns and new. They also have Jet stuff. I was in heaven, I ended up with a Powermatic 5 hp model 66 10" table saw with big table and fence, 8" Powermatic joiner [like new never wired], 14" jet bandsaw with 6" spacer so I could resaw, 16 " Powermatic planer,and a dust collector all for less than $5000. My face hurt from smiling. The place is in Kent Wa. near Seattle and they get new stuff everyday. It all looks new, it is. there phone is 253 804 3211 Thanks Steve