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

[Crazyraceguy]

At those kinds of temperatures your glue is freezing rather than drying. You really need some kind of self-feeding stove, like a pellet burner. It can stay running all night. The only down-side to them is that they need electricity. The feed auger and blowers need power, so they aren't as simple as an actual wood burner. They can however maintain a more consistent temp and run un-assisted.

 

[guybo]

At those kinds of temperatures your glue is freezing rather than drying. You really need some kind of self-feeding stove, like a pellet burner. It can stay running all night. The only down-side to them is that they need electricity.

none needed w/ this

 

[semenza]

Spiral router bit topic is  HERE

Seth

 

[Packard]

Betterley just released in October, an adapter that attaches the Grabo to the Festool guide rail. The Grabo has a self contained, battery powered vacuum pump on-board to maintain a safe vacuum level at all times. I've used the Grabo to lift and replace New York bluestone pavers in the patio. I've also attached the Grabo to textured plaster walls.

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Here it's supporting a guide rail on a painted door. The Betterley adapted easily fits inside the Grabo carry bag.

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I never saw or heard about the Grabo until I saw this post yesterday. This morning, while eating breakfast I was watching a home remodeling show and they had 3 men installing a marble slab to face a kitchen exhaust system.  They all had one or two of these.  I saw the guy just tap a button and lift.

They were lifting overhead so more challenging than most slab installs. It looked thicker than normal slabs— maybe 1.25” or 1.5”.  So 150 to 180 pounds. (There is an online slab weight calculator—I checked.). Impressive piece.

Aside:  I walked into the local Starbucks and the baristas were very upset.  Someone on the drive through picked up his latte and grabbed the tip container and drove off.

I said, “I know how to remedy that problem.  Give me a spare tip container and a few days and I will return with a theft-resistant tip jar.” I mounted the tip jar on a piece of oak and added two lever-lock suction cups to anchor it. 

It’s been a couple of years.  I will have to ask how it is standing up.

The holding power was such that you would shatter the acrylic container before it let loose.

They mount and remove it each shift.  Do suction cups wear out?

 

[Cheese]

They mount and remove it each shift.  Do suction cups wear out?

I'm sure they do, Wood's which has been around for years offers replacement vacuum pads for their lifters.

The thing about the Grabo is that it pumps down to .80 Bar and then monitors the vacuum condition and turns on again at some predetermined level. That 0.74 Bar that's shown in the 1st photo indicates the amount of vacuum that's present and it continues to monitor the decay rate/value.

I really like the safety aspect of the Grabo. The only way to lose vacuum is to lose battery charge.

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[rvieceli]

Wanted to try out some round plugs, so I picked up this CMT Orange Tools plug cutter. They come in several sizes, I got the 3/4 inch one. Works great I run it at about 300 rpm’s as per the instructions. Makes a nice clean sided plug that fits perfectly in a 3/4 hole from my Famag Forstner. Highly recommended if you need something similar.

Ron

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[Coen]

Do suction cups wear out?

Oh yessss. I can tell you some stories about steel plates dropping to the floor. Although usually it involved the operator ignoring the audible alarm that indicated insufficient vacuum.

 

[Cheese]

Makes a nice clean sided plug that fits perfectly in a 3/4 hole from my Famag Forstner. Highly recommended if you need something similar.

A beautiful fit Ron considering they're not even tapered. There's a whole lot of synergy going on there between the Famag bit and the CMT bit.  [thumbs up]  Nice to know...

 

[Frank-Jan]

Ron, I just saw those when I went to a local hardware store to get some stuff. I forgot to check the price there.

I have a similar plug cutter made by heller for 15mm plugs, and I use it with a centrotec zobo drill, works great. I remember the heller drill being pricey 10 years ago. (over 150€)

 

[Crazyraceguy]

I asked the purchasing guy to get me a couple of 1/4 down spiral router bits, to replace the worn-out ones I had. He got me these fancy nano-coated things, we'll see how they do.

 

[Packard]

Wanted to try out some round plugs, so I picked up this CMT Orange Tools plug cutter. They come in several sizes, I got the 3/4 inch one. Works great I run it at about 300 rpm’s as per the instructions. Makes a nice clean sided plug that fits perfectly in a 3/4 hole from my Famag Forstner. Highly recommended if you need something similar.

Ron

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I’m going to need a 1/2” plug cutter for an upcoming project, so this was interesting.

The 1/2” cutter is $25.44 from Amazon.

I have four 3/8” diameter drill bits for my dowel jigs.  Each time I get a new batch of dowels, I have to test to see which bit to use as they all seem to make slightly different sized holes. 

I am hoping that the 1/2” diameter bit I have will work with the plug cutter.

Otherwise I will have to look at buying a Famag (but I use regular bits, not forstner bits.).

Has anyone used a plug planer?  I always used a chisel, but occasionally the plug would split slightly below the surface line and then I would have to dig it out or re-drill.  This would appear to eliminate that possibility.  But I doubt it would be any quicker.

From Amana Tool.  I have limited experience with Amana, but they have a good reputation.  $130.00 from Amazon.com.
https://www.amanatool.com/plp-100-c...l-dia-x-1-4-inch-quick-release-hex-shank.html

I’m thinking I can achieve the same result with my palm-sized plunge router.  I will have to experiment. 

 

[Michael Kellough]

A hinge mortising bit in a small router with excellent depth adjustment like the OF 1100 does a very good job. In this use the very large opening in the OF 1100 is a benefit.

 

[Cheese]

Well where do I start Packard... [smile]

I prefer to use tapered plugs because they right the wrongs of plug diameter vs hole diameter. See my reply to Ron, reply 1129.

I'd also recommend to bore the hole diameter with a GOOD Forstner bit, that's one of the reasons why Ron's plug fits so well in the bored hole. A drill bit would give a horrible fit.

I've also had issues using a chisel so then I moved on to a Lie Nielsen chisel plane, I had issues with that also. I think part of the problem was, that I was trimming Jatoba (Brazilian Cherry) plugs which have a Janka hardness of 2690 lbs, that's about twice that of hard maple. Even taking small cuts, chip-out of the plugs was always a problem.

I now own the Amana Plug Planer, it works well. I adjust it so the wood plug is trimmed .003"-.004" proud of the surface. I then flush everything with a Festool ETS EC 125.

Be advised that the max plug diameter for the Amana tool is 1/2". The hole diameter in the plastic foot is 9/16" diameter. You simply attach the drill to the cutter, place the cutter over the plug, pull the trigger on the drill, lower the drill/spring loaded cutter until it bottoms on the adjustable stop. That's it...sand smooth.

 

[Lincoln]

1 - A pair of new DeWalt Bolster safety boots. My fifth pair, each lasting me around a year both onsite and in the shop before I wear right through the soles. Super-comfortable right out of the box, unlike all the others I ever tried.

2 - A subcompact Milwaukee 12v combi drill for my girlfriend. She's just bought her first house and she's very hands-on. I'm gradually gifting her all the DIY-level tools she's going to need. It's strangely satisfying to have been referred to as a 'power tool nerd' for many years - only to then catch her secretly compiling her own power tool wishlist ......

3 - A CNC-cut plywood handtools tote with 2 x drawers which fits inside a spare Sys4 T-Loc I had hanging around. My historical handtool storage (excepting expensive stuff like chisels, squares, block planes etc. etc.) has previously been embarrassingly chaotic, with everything just dumped into a Sys3. 

4 - A nice warm Hilti-branded beanie hat. It's getting cold.

5 - A bigger (1.5-litre) Stanley flask for coffee. It's getting really cold.

6 - Two 5-packs of Wera Impaktor PZ2 bits, plus one 5-pack of PZ3's.

7 - Four new Goodyear Eagle F1 235/45ZR18 101W tyres for the van - plus four replacement sets of discs/pads, plus a replacement set of rear bump stops, plus a new passenger-side door mirror glass, plus my regular 6000-mile oil and filter change, plus the annual MOT test (the UK equivalent of DOT I guess). Ouch. And you thought that Festools were expensive ???

And finally ......

5 A Mafell LS103EC chain mortiser to replace my ancient old Makita. Something I've been Jonesing after since forever, but never being able to justify. But now - three big oak framing jobs booked in for January/February/March, so it will pay for itself quickly. An absolute beast of a machine.

Kevin

[member=75780]woodbutcherbower[/member]  - more info on the handtool totes, if you don't mind

 

[woodbutcherbower]

[member=69760]Lincoln[/member] here you go mate .....
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/203914412591

 

[Lincoln]

[member=69760]Lincoln[/member] here you go mate .....
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/203914412591

[member=75780]woodbutcherbower[/member]  Nice one, thanks.

 

[rvieceli]

[member=74278]Packard[/member] there is no way I would even attempt to use a a standard twist drill, I truly believe that a quality Forstner operated at a slower speed makes for a better hole.

I'm not using the plugs in the normal sense , ie to cover a screw in a countersunk hole. I'm using them like the inlays I use to cover insect damage or a crack or some flaw. The plugs I've used so far have been 3/4 inch by about 3/4 to an inch long.

The pieces I'm using them on are small about 4.5x5x2.5 high. These are a royal pain to try to do a normal rectangular inlay on. The plug cutter and the bit allow me to pop over to the drill press and take care of it. Once I put some glue on them, it takes a clamp to get the plug to go in all the way. I usually take the piece over to the band saw and get the plug closer to flush and sand the remainder of with the ETS EC 150.

Here's a pic of the plugs overlapped.  [big grin]

Ron

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[rst]

Just received  WERA 05004283001 8009 ZYKLOP POCKET SET IMPERIAL 2 from Chadstoolbox.com

 

[Muttley000]

Added a felo posidrive screwdriver and jessem stock guides to my tablesaw fence this week

 

[Frank-Jan]

....
I’m thinking I can achieve the same result with my palm-sized plunge router.  I will have to experiment.

I remember that years ago there was this tool that was sold for this task, and that basically was the motor part of an mfk 500, with a horseshoe shaped base. (It wasn't sold by festool, but they used the festool edgerouter body)

Such a base wouldn't be too hard to make for your palm router (no plunging needed)