OCtoolguy

I love this one. I will have to go get it. Thanks Paul.

I'd build my own too. There are many videos on bench building. It would just be a matter of plugging in your own numbers.

Oh, I didn't see that. Thanks, R.J.

I'm not familiar with an EX 12. Could you post a pic of your saw? What is the vintage?

@kmmcrafts, Kevin, when we went out on the road, I had a complete collection of many woodworking magazines. I needed to get rid of them quick so I donated them to a local woodworking club. They were very happy to get them.

12 hours ago, Bill WIlson said: I've got tools from just about every major brand that is available. I've always bought tools based on what I felt served my purpose & fit my budget, regardless of brand. When I started buying power tools, Sears was about the only local place that you could get any sort of selection. I bought several Craftsman power tools from an era when they weren't all that highly regarded by woodworkers and tradesmen. But they were cheap(er) and the Sears store at the mall had everything I could want, so it was convenient. I've upgraded and replaced many of those old Craftsman tools, but I still have some and a couple still get regular use, despite being several decades old These days I don't really have a strong opinion on HF vs other brands. By the time HF built a store in our town, I had acquired most of what I needed. If HF had existed here 45 years ago, I would likely have been a regular customer. That said, I do like a good quality tool and HF's age old reputation has kept me from looking at their offerings, even out of simple curiosity. They are making a decided effort to up their game though and I think they have a place in the market, if for no other purpose than to offer some competition to the Big Box stores. As for internet reviews, those that focus on tools aren't a whole lot different than ones for any number of other products. I've spent a lot of time reading and watching reviews for hand guns as I'm a relative newcomer to that arena and am trying to learn as much as I can and make sound buying decisions. Unfortunately, like tool reviews there are a lot of them that aren't worth the time to read/watch. One still needs to be a discerning consumer and learn how to tell the good from the bad. There is good info to be had out there, but you have to wade through a lot of fluff and useless blather to get to it, sometimes. Unfortunately, many of the best gun manufacturers are gone. I'm a big fan of High Standard. I won many trophies with my High Standard Trophy model.

Yes, and a darned good one, obviously.

We are leaving ours to local pet rescue groups who are doing great work. Our kids have more than us and don't need ours.

When I buy anything now I think about my age. At 81 I don't need anything based on 20 years of service. Or even 10. It makes no sense to buy "the topline" of anything.

Whatever the market will bear. If they don't sell, lower your price until they do. Then decide if it's worth your time and trouble.

As to the padauk, it is nice and red but will change to brown very soon. So keep that in mind. And as JT said, it's very messy to work with. I still have some but hesitate to use it now that I have experience with it.

Whenever I have paused for more than a week or two I have to re-learn the muscle memory again. The older I get, the less my muscles remember.

When I first started scrolling I had some cheap plywood from when I redid the interior of a motorhome. I think it might have been Phillipine mahogany, cheap thin crap that was used as a backing for wallpapered walls. The dust got up my nose and I was plugged up for 2 weeks. That's when I bought my first dust mask. I now have a very good respirator mask with changeable filters.

And all this time I thought they were in Germany.

I think I will just ship my stuff to Dave for the final finish.

Let us know what you are searching for. Someone here will be able to help for sure.

I appreciate your kind words but I still have no idea how to finish what I make. In my estimation Dave Monk is the person I would love to have as my neighbor. His work is second to none. I could learn so much from him and I know he would be happy to tutor me. Thanks again.

Next time you go to town, visit one of the local jewelry stores, explain what you need and I'll bet they will either sell them to you or tell you where to buy them.

I am totally in awe of the work you all have done. Fantastic job of cutting and choice of woods. I guess I will have to up my game a bit and try to keep up with you all. Kudos to you all. Thanks for showing off your work.

One would sure think so but not. We are warm for the same reason the fires are spreading. The warm winds coming in off the desert are what is driving both our warm days and the out-of-control wildfires. It's a shame but also a fact of life for So. Cal. We can count on 3 things, earthquakes, mud slides and wildfires. Other than that, it's not a bad place to live. Now, if we could just get the political situation back under control........

80 degrees today in SoCal.

19 hours ago, Steve Simon said: I will checkout the thrift shops for used dressers; I figure the drawer sides and backs are around 1/2" and some older pieces are made of poplar and the like. I looked at Home Depot by me for poplar thin boards and a short boards, less than 3 feet long, 1/4" thick and around 5" wide was $9 in change! I can buy a whole dresser for $20 and scavenge the drawer sides and get a dozen boards... I get it's a "Learning Curve" H/D has a section for craft woods. Wood isn't cheap so you are right to find sources but I've never had any luck with used furniture. Let us know what you come up with.

To start with, get something besides plywood. We all lean toward baltic birch plywood but I'll bey you are trying to use construction grade. Get some poplar and I suggest thinner than 3/4". If there is a cabinet shop near you, check with them for scraps and offcuts. As for drilling, it will be much easier to drill perpendicularly in a softer wood. Practice holding the drill as straight up and down as you can. A drill press is nice, but there will be times when you won't be able to use it, so back to the hand drill. We've all been there. It's a learning curve so just take it slow. Better wood will help a lot.

Looking forward to Spring. Nascar!

I've been using Foxit for years. It works great.