OCtoolguy

I used to sell Howes Oil off my tool truck. I had a case or two of the little sample bottles. I gave them out and sold a ton of the oil in gallon jugs. I did keep a couple of the sample bottles and have been using it for years. Best oil you can buy. If you can find a vendor, they do sell it in small cans/bottles. I highly recommend it. Works for lubricating and as a penetrating oil. Great stuff. Ray

Well said. In this case, I might make a lowball offer for the two tools and if they say no, leave you name and number and tell them to contact you when and if they decide to take your offer. But, I would definitely check it out and see what the condition of the saw is other than the rust/corrosion. If it's not a piece of crap, make an offer. Ray

Excellent review. I found exactly the same thing. I love the machine. It's a bit pricey but in the end, after it's all paid for and I'm enjoying it, I don't care. The same will happen once I buy an EX21 I'm sure. I don't see that happening any time soon though. Ray

This is a great idea Paul. My problem is, I have a cheap H/F grinder that I hate to turn on. The reason I hate to turn it on is, it will still be spinning for an hour after I turn it off. I would love to have one that has an electric brake on it. Or some electronic device to slow/stop it quickly. It's a great grinder but that one thing keeps me from using it. Ray

I completely agree. You have to go with your gut sometimes. Mine had some minor surface rust too but it ran fine and it was a type one so I went for it. I did offer less than he was asking though and got it for $50 less. Same thing happened with my Hegner. But, at the same time, don't go so low as to piss off the seller. I have been on the other end of that and just told the buyer to go pound sand. There is some degree of finesse in "bartering". Ray

Amen to the metric/imperial debate. It would have been nice to have learned metric at a young age but I didn't so I'm just like you. Ray

Excellent post. I too am a left handed person but am also semi ambidexterous. I can go either way. Ray

When I took the marquetry class, the instructor gave each of us a small counter sink drill. Hand held and operated. It opens up the mouth of the tiny holes just enough to make it easy to stick a 2/0 blade up through the #68 hole. So far, I have done this on all the stuff that I have cut. But, with that said, I'm now going to give top feeding a try. It may end up being my blade feeding choice. Ray

In my estimation, the only negative referral to "bottom feeder", is when referring to attorneys or lawyers. They are true "bottom feeders". Ray

Looks like you have it covered. I check C/L everyday too. Not that I need another saw but if I see a deal I post it here for anybody who might be close enough to take advantage. That Hawk last week was a great deal and it didn't last long. Ray

I go along with that too. A pillow change might help. I have a prescription for meloxicam. That's an anti inflammatory and when I get an ache or pain that is out of the ordinary, I pop one of those for a couple of days. It seems to work. Sort of like Predisone. My wife takes that for here RA. Ray

Be patient. Just about the time you give up, one will come along. It's too bad that you are where you are because they show up here all the time. And in good shape for a fair price. Have you checked on eBay? I see a lot of stuff there from your area. If it's within driving distance, you may get lucky. Ray

I recently bought one very similar to that one. Mine is a 1998 if I recall. Anyway, it is in very good condition with all the same upgrades as that one. I gave $300 for mine and it came with the factory magnifier light and foot switch. That one looks pretty good. How much? Ray

Remember where you live too. Very prone to corrosion. Find one that has been cared for. Ray

I have one of each. They are completely different in the way they operate. I think I would start with the Dewalt. It should serve you well. For doing what I think you are doing, I would have bought a band saw. Unless the corbels are very small. Just my opinion here. Ray

I'm a nut. I took mine apart and inspected the bushings. They were dry and sticky. I cleaned them up and oiled them. My saw runs great. There is no reason to worry about taking them apart. I did one at a time though. Also, the arm that connects to the motor uses sealed bearings and are not serviceable. The arm comes with bearings. $42. Mine is cracked on one end and I will be replacing it soon. It's made of plastic. Not impressed. The weakest part on the saw. I thought about making one out of aluminum. May still give it a try. As Sycamore67 said, they are a simple machine and not much to service on them. I just like to take stuff apart and put it together. Just me. Ray

I might offer him $50 for the spindle sander. They come in handy. But the saw, I'd wait for a better one. Ray

Feel better soon. I hope it's nothing serious. Ray

That's the exact same saw and misc. stuff that I bought for $300. There are better deals out there. Thanks for posting Les. Ray

Yes, for sure Les. We have to remember that an awful lot of American mfgrs went overseas because of labor costs and built factories over there to make the same products that they made here. It's only the Chinese startups that tried to copy our stuff and cheapen it. When I was still in the tool business back in the late 70's or early 80's I was selling the heck out of an OTC product that you could diagnose the charging system on the cars just by hooking it up and reading the 4 LED's. It would tell you if it was the battery, alternator or ??? but it was pricey at that time. It sold for $69.95. A Chinese guy came on my truck dressed in a suit and tie and asked if I had one. I showed it to him and he bought it no questions asked. I was curious enough that I had to ask him why he was buying it dressed like a businessman rather than a mechanic. He told me that he was going to take it to China and "clone" it and bring it back to the states and it would sell for $20. Not long after that, it was true. It sold under a different brand name and cost $20. It did exactly the same thing and the quality was great. What a darned shame that our patent laws meant nothing over there. That was the beginning for me with the Chinese tools. I held off as long as I could but was forced eventually to buy/sell their stuff. A lot of it was from our own companies though so I didn't feel too bad. Ray

Would the Timberline scroll saw blades be from the same place that makes bandsaw blades? Ray

So, who is selling the ones made in Taiwan? That would be the one that I would want. Ray

The way I see it, we can divide them up by mfgr. and that would be 3. Then by size. Then by tooth configuration. It can become very intimidating. I was thinking of making two of them so I could have one at each saw but I think I will just make one and move it back and forth. Someone is going to come up with the perfect one right after I make mine. It always happens. Ray

Thanks to all of you for your replies. The ROS that I have is a single speed from H/F. I think after reading all of your replies that I will end up buying a better ROS sander. I used to have a Makita palm sander and a Dewalt ROS with dust collection but they unfortunately got sold when we went out on the road. I will start shopping the used market first. Thanks again. Ray

I keep reading about folks using a palm sander instead of a random orbital sander. I have an ROS but I don't own a palm sander. I thought I'd ask the question before I run out and buy one. What brands of sanders are preferred here among you folks who have been doing this for a while? I saw one on sale at H/F for $19. I know you don't get much for that price but how bad could it be? I can't afford to buy one of the top quality brands so I was wondering what you all are using. If I hear of too many of you using Dewalt or Porter Cable or ????? I'll hold off and collect more bottles and cans. I'd appreciate any advice, Ray