I'm a hobbyst, woodworker-wannabe and like most beginners (full of passion, but lacking in knowledge and experience), I have wasted literally thousands of dollars over the years (roughly 3 years in my case) because I get excited about using every little jig I come across on the internet or in a catalog (after a few purchases from some well-known online retailers, my physical mailbox is swamped with catalogs from woodworking suppliers I never even heard of). I buy the little machine only to find it doesn't really work that well...but the damage is done.
Do I regret it? Yes and no. Yes because it is money wasted, of course. No because I can afford the hobby and I feel I'm - in a weird kind of way - "buying" the experience that I would never get otherwise. As a hobbyst, I'll never see enough "real-world action" to have the experience and every-day knowledge of a real pro.
ok, ok, I'll get to my point now
Why don't we list the real "gems" out there - and perhaps the real duds, too!. I'll start with what I consider one of my best purchases:
The "Dowelmax" (
http://www.dowelmax.com/ ). It is a gem (to me) because it works flawlessly and it is extremely simple to use.
A real "dud":
Freud's Doweler Joiner (
http://www.freudtools.com/p-420-fdw710k-doweling-joiner.aspx ). It is very imprecise, clumsy and difficult to handle. I was lucky to have amazon.com accept it from me after 60 days.
Great reputation, but a bit dissapoiniting (most likely due to my lack of knowledge): the D4R Leigh Dovetail Jig (
http://www.leighjigs.com/d4.php ). I found it way too complicated to use. The constant adkusting and re-adjusting and measuring is a real pain in the .
Well, that's all for me for now. Other people's experiences?
