What - non Festool - tool / workshop related gizmo/stuff did you buy today?

[notenoughcash]

wera VDE Kompact set with 4 flat heads and a pz 1 and 2

 

[Cheese]

These arrived today, they're pretty slick. They start off as normal Norton bench sharpening stones that are then ground with a diamond wheel so that each is flat to within .0001". Their purpose is to remove very small burrs and high spots from precision tooling items such as gage blocks, parallels and machine tool beds. I purchased a pair to clean up the male Morse tapers on the drill press & lathe tooling.
https://www.kineticprecision.com/all-about-pfg-stones1

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As an introduction, I decided to use them on a pair of small Starrett Double squares which have always had a sticky sliding action unlike their larger Starrett relatives. The 1st photo is a view of the blade edge before stoning and the 2nd is after.

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What a huge improvement, I'd recommend this treatment highly for any precision tooling or accessories.

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[batmanimal]

eBay deal came in today: complete PAPR system kit by RPB Safety. Box included the belt-attached air purifier unit, hose, helmet, two hoods, two batteries and one charger, two filters and 20 prefilters. This was more than was listed in the posting, so i was pleasantly surprised, especially about the extra battery. Also nice to see that everything is made in the USA.

Model for the purifier unit is the previous gen (PX4 vs PX5). Price was $495 plus shipping for everything, which is quite a steal, previous gen purifier or not. (Lookup seller “kotonk_kid” on eBay if you’re interested.)

I tried it briefly today, and can tell it’s going to make my time in the shop much more pleasant, even if I do look like Dustin Hoffman in “Outbreak” now.

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Only complaint so far is the battery is annoying to get on and off the charger.

 

[DynaGlide]

I picked up some waste-side cut jigs, vacuum hose/cable clips, and dust covers for the TS55 and 75 from Strawbyte Workshop before Christmas.

I just learned about these waste-side cut jigs. Hey [member=66216]GoingMyWay[/member] how are they working out for you? Are you finding them to be useful, or is it one of those things that are quickly forgotten and end up in drawer?

Hi [member=75283]4nthony[/member] I actually haven't had a chance to use the waste-side jigs yet.  I haven't really done any woodworking since last November.

I more often than not find myself making narrow cuts with the tracksaw.  I keep a Veritas 3/32" setup block in my apron pocket to aid with the narrow cuts, but I thought these jigs would be easier and more convenient so I expect that I will find these jigs very helpful. 

I'll try to report back once I finally get around to using them.

[member=66216]GoingMyWay[/member] [member=75283]4nthony[/member]

I bought a set a few years back. I keep them in the systainer with my saw at the back where the manual sits, they fit perfectly. I use them more often than I thought.

Matt

 

[ChuckM]

A light-duty broom arm for $55 Cdn from Amazon.

I don't have any immediate need for a broom arm (for my CT15), but since the price is right, I hoard it for now.

Amazon prices have gone crazy lately: I got two crock pots for $14 Cdn each about three months ago. Now, it's $24 each... a jump of some 70%. The gas price has gone nuts, too. [eek]

P.S. One of the pots is used to keep OBG warm.

 

[ChuckM]

Magnetic tray from Lee Valley Tools, and pet brush from Dollar Tree.

Why pet brush? It is used to clean the hook & loop pad, a tip I gleaned from one of the woodworking magazines.

The brushes were hard to find; I tried many Dollar Stores before with no success.

 

[Euclid]

My new gizmo… my BCT Jointmaker Pro arrived a few days ago; I’m excited to get it set up and begin experimenting (need to make some room for it first, it’s quite space-hungry for a ‘hand’ tool).

Something of a ‘luxury’ purchase, yes, and some might say it’s a toy, but I’m hoping it will be fun to use and help me with some things that my particular needs and circumstances make tricky for me. Also, since ordering the thing, I’ve picked up a hand injury - not woodwork related - the long term effects of which are not yet clear, so it might possibly be more helpful than I imagined (just for example, dovetailing with less chisel work needed, maybe  - although I think my primary use will be for tasks more akin to architectural modelmaking and small detail and decorative components for larger projects).

I realise that this is very much a niche tool - and virtually unheard of in the UK - but would appreciate any feedback, hints, warnings from other users.

 

[4nthony]

This arrived in the mail today. I handed it to my wife to open and she was all delicate, sliding the box out of the sleeve, gently taking off the lid, then couldn't believe it was "just a tool". Because of the packaging, she thought I bought a fancy wallet or something.

 

[Euclid]

Understandably perhaps, given its size, the Jointmaker was not quite so seductively packaged...

 

[Packard]

I bought a Freud 5/16" router bit with a 1/4" shank.  I tried to find a Whiteside down spiral but it was only available with a 5/16" shaft.  Do they make 5/16" router collets?

 

[Coen]

5/16"??? Are you sure it isn't just a normal 8mm one?

 

[Cheese]

I've never seen a 5/16" collet although Milwaukee made 3/8" collets for years.

I'm thinking that 5/16" bit would probably be used in a 8 mm collet - .3125" vs .3149".

So the 5/16" bit shaft at max material limit and the 8 mm collet at min material limit will probably produce a marriage.  [smile]

 

[Packard]

Amazon does not call out the shaft diameter and I did not read the description carefully.  I doubt I would have guessed a 5/16" shaft.  The packing slip said 5/16" as did the plastic envelope that it arrived in.

Read this Amazon description and tell me where they indicate the shaft diameter (I am not able to link at this time--it is an Amazon description):

Whiteside Router Bits RD3100 Standard Spiral Bit with Down Cut Solid Carbide 5/16-Inch Cutting Diameter and 1-Inch Cutting Length

Whiteside does sell a 5/16" collet.  I am disinclined to add another collet to my collection.  Freud bits are good quality and I'm sure this will be fine.
https://www.amazon.com/Whiteside-Ro...1180022849&hydadcr=8434_9618940&keywords=5/16+router+collet&qid=1647627981&sr=8-2

 

[Coen]

Yeah Whiteside indeed claims 5/16", they also have bits in 1/4", 3/8", 1/2", 5/8" and 3/4"

I think they are intended for CNC use.

 

[rvieceli]

[member=74278]Packard[/member] For future reference Whiteside does make a 5/16 down cut spiral with a 1/2 inch shank.
https://www.whitesiderouterbits.com/products/RD4850

You are right on a lot of the Amazon router bit descriptions. I have been burned a couple of times.  [sad]

I have started going directly to Whiteside or even routerbitworld for the description and getting the actual model number. Actually routerbitworld has a big selection and does a decent job of getting orders out and they only charge $1 for shipping.

www.routerbitworld.com

Ron

 

[Packard]

It may be cheaper to buy the extra collet than to have Whiteside machine the solid carbide from 5/16” material or from 1/2” material.  The extra collet is just $15.00.  I did not know that.

With a 5/16” cutting size from 5/16” diameter carbide would involve the minimum amount of machining.

 

[rst]

Another vote for routerbitworld.com and toolstoday.com are my go to sources for bits and more.

 

[ChuckM]

Only dealt with toolstoday.com once, but was happy with its customer service. The bit set ordered (over $250) didn't arrive as expected, and they resent another set. Out of nowhere, the original set showed up weeks later. They covered the return shipping.

 

[Crazyraceguy]

I have had mixed results with Routerbitworld. They ship quickly, but I have had "picking" mistakes too.
One time a couple of years ago, I ordered a 1/8" diameter cutter with a 1/4" shank. It came in 2 days, but had only 1/8" shank. At that time, I had no way to use it, so I called customer service. The guy I spoke to was fantastic. He sent me a replacement with Next Day delivery. It was wrong again, exactly the same bit again. The next call went to a management guy who said the he would go pull it and ship it himself. He did (next day again) correctly, and even told me to just keep the 2 wrong ones.
Okay, I got the right thing....eventually. They did happily fix it, but they also got it wrong twice first and cost me a few days too. They had to have lost money on this deal. The Next Day shipping, twice, alone had to cost more that the profit of the correct bit, plus the 2 they "gave away"? I did eventually get a 1/8" to 1/4" adapter sleeve on a later order, to be able to use those freebies.
This was all long before I got the Shaper Origin and started collecting 1/8" shanks too.
All of the other times have been better. Tools today has gotten quite a few dollars from me too, much of the time through Amazon, rather than direct.
I have started to notice that Amazon doesn't seem to have "everything" though, even from vendors who have their own sites or actual retail stores? This has sent me back to the actual sellers directly in some cases. Things are just easier to find too, less of the overwhelming "suggested" or "sponsored" hits.
Simply searching the Festool offerings will leave a lot of things out. Places like Hartville and Highland have much more complete catalogs, but don't sell all of it through Amazon.

 

[rmwarren]

FWIW, Elaire has collets in imperial and metric for numerous routers, and they say they will make custom ones for sizes they don't stock.
http://www.elairecorp.com/routercollets.html

I just received M8 for use with the [member=60461]Bob D.[/member] adapter for DeWalt router to the LR32, the quality is awesome.

It may be cheaper to buy the extra collet than to have Whiteside machine the solid carbide from 5/16” material or from 1/2” material.  The extra collet is just $15.00.  I did not know that.

With a 5/16” cutting size from 5/16” diameter carbide would involve the minimum amount of machining.