Useless Conversation

[ghost]

I turned 40 on Saturday without anything falling apart, which is a good thing.

The ceiling of my laundry room fared less well, as half of it's on the floor of the laundry room after a pinhole leak that sprung last night.     Luckily I had a pipe clamp from the last time a leak sprung, but I detest doing sheet rock work.  It's just annoying.

Do it soon.  You don't want any super toxic mold forming. 

[Minvaren]

Doesn't that only happen in Dallas?   

Didn't see any visible mold in the area from the previous leaks this morning, but will likely swap that 6' section of pipe later this week as it now has 3 pipe clamps on it and I'm tired of redoing the sheet rock annually.

[ghost]

Doesn't that only happen in Dallas?   

Didn't see any visible mold in the area from the previous leaks this morning, but will likely swap that 6' section of pipe later this week as it now has 3 pipe clamps on it and I'm tired of redoing the sheet rock annually.

Yeah, that's no fun.  I hate sheet rocking. 

[Bunk]

I get amused by little differences in vernacular. I don't think I've ever used the term "sheet rocking" in my life. Drywalling, or if you go back ten years, maybe Gyprocking.

[Merusk]

Sheet Rock, Drywall, Gyp. Board, Wallboard.  I'm sure there's others but those are the 4 I've heard used.

[Ironwood]

Just spent ages on an online application and the browser eat it.

This is why a fucking Save button on these things is the least bit of fucking courtesy that you can manage.

[ghost]

Just spent ages on an online application and the browser eat it.

This is why a fucking Save button on these things is the least bit of fucking courtesy that you can manage.

Chrome has saved some things for me when it has crashed before. 

[Sky]

I don't mind drywalling. Replacing the window extension jambs/sills/etc is going to be a pita. Watched the guy do it for the living room last summer, but it's all custom work because everything in my house was just kind of added on over the years.

I can't say how much I'm jonesing for a decent table saw and router. The right tools make things so much easier, especially the stupid rabbet that runs along the back of the stool to make everything match up. Looked at shoulder planes to hand tool it, but may as well buy a router at those prices...

Carpentry is a pita.

[ghost]

The act of doing good drywall is a lost art.  Most companies now just nail it down and spray shit all over it.  Nice smooth drywall can be difficult to do and is more time consuming than the other options. 

I looked at getting a nice table saw a few years ago when I was putting down some wood flooring in the house we lived in.  I ended up settling on a portable model by Hitachi because the Delta's and other nice standup brands have too big of a footprint and I already have too much shit in my house.  I've been reasonably happy with it the few times I've used it.  I would kill for the space to have a wood shop though. 

[Chimpy]

The act of doing good drywall is a lost art.  Most companies now just nail it down and spray shit all over it.  Nice smooth drywall can be difficult to do and is more time consuming than the other options. 

I looked at getting a nice table saw a few years ago when I was putting down some wood flooring in the house we lived in.  I ended up settling on a portable model by Hitachi because the Delta's and other nice standup brands have too big of a footprint and I already have too much shit in my house.  I've been reasonably happy with it the few times I've used it.  I would kill for the space to have a wood shop though. 

Delta tools are only decent when you get into the absoluely non-portable cabinet saws etc. Their 10" table saws over the last 15 years or so have become pretty junky and you are better off spending your money elsewhere.

If you are looking to buy large fixed powertools at a low price, always look at Grizzly. Their stuff is not as cheaply made overall as Jet/Delta and usually cost less as they are catalog only for the most part.

I know a couple of contractor type people that have the DeWalt 10" table saw that like it a lot. I am not a huge fan of aluminum decks, but it does make it a lot lighter and DeWalt doesn't make tools that fall apart easily.

[ghost]

Delta tools are only decent when you get into the absoluely non-portable cabinet saws etc.

These were what I was looking at.  I tend to overdo things. 

[Merusk]

Yeah I'm a fan of the DeWalt stuff, too.  Had my eye on a nice 10" compound miter saw until my life fell apart.

[Sky]

I would kill for the space to have a wood shop though. 

Three occupants ago there was a functional wood shop in the basement. The guy ran it from the 60s until the late 90s, then there was a renter and then the kid I bought the house from, both of the interim occupants ignored it. Bad in that I've got to clean some rust and mold (zomg), but good in that some stuff is still there, a couple bench frames and some metal-framed tables, probably good for a router or saw. Also some decent motors for grinders, one set up with a grinding wheel already. My project this winter is to clean it up fully and start using it for other than storage, I do have the bench with the motor cleaned up and usable. I was waiting to be sure my fixes to dry out the basement worked, it was flooded 1" the first year.

I was thinking maybe a Dewalt contractor saw to start with, but $350 is still out of the budget. I retrieved my grandfather's circular saw, which is cheap as hell as my grandfather wasn't into carpentry whatsoever. It's an ancient 7" Montgomery Ward model, but it seems to work. I was hoping for a router, too, but as I said, he was no woodworker. Selling the family "camp" and I've got to raid what I want out of the garage....but there were a couple feet of snow so I only grabbed the saw. For what I paid in gas and how cheap the saw is, I'm not sure it was worth it!

[Nebu]

I was thinking maybe a Dewalt contractor saw to start with, but $350 is still out of the budget.

Check local pawn shops.  The first thing that they get tons of when the economy gets bad are tools.  I bet you could gear up on the cheap.

[ghost]

I was thinking maybe a Dewalt contractor saw to start with, but $350 is still out of the budget.

Check local pawn shops.  The first thing that they get tons of when the economy gets bad are tools.  I bet you could gear up on the cheap.

That is a great idea.  I've never been to a pawn shop though. 

[Oban]

How does one buy things from a pawn shop?  What happens if the person who pawned the item comes back to the store and tries to buy their item back?

[NowhereMan]

They work by paying you a percentage of what the item is worth and giving you a window in which to buy it back at that price. If you don't buy it back within that time frame it goes up for general sale at whatever price they think they can get for it.

[Polysorbate80]

If you're going to do woodworking in the house, definitely buy a shopvac or two to hook up to the tools.  I used to do woodworking in the basement, and sawdust was a constant battle when working on a project.

[Oban]

So if I purchase something it is a final sale, so to speak, and there is no way for the original owner to claim ownership?

Hmm, I have been thinking about getting a new casual watch...

[Sky]

Yeah, either the shop bought it or the owner didn't pay up in time, thus the shop can sell it. You can usually buy it back for a fee if you exceed the window of the loan (meaning you the loanee), but if the shop sells it, it's gone. Not that musicians ever use hock shops. Can't believe I didn't think of checking the local fence, Nebu.

PS80, I have two shop vacs, one mighty unit I got when a local big box went out of the area and a smaller one for truly nasty jobs (cleaning aforementioned basement). I am a true believer in shop vacs. Needed the little one because of the water, even mopping the floor is a hassle because the city supply and sewer enter/exit about four feet off the basement floor. Eventually I'll get a utility sink + pump, but for now it's a hassle and I really miss having a floor drain.

[ghost]

I honestly find it weird when people don't have shop vacs. 

[Paelos]

I honestly find it weird when people don't have shop vacs. 

I live in a condo, and have no shop vac. I also have no shop.

[ghost]

I honestly find it weird when people don't have shop vacs. 

I live in a condo, and have no shop vac. I also have no shop.

And I find that weird.   

They're so useful and they sell little bitty ones now.  You should pick one up. 

[Salamok]

I can't say how much I'm jonesing for a decent table saw and router. The right tools make things so much easier, especially the stupid rabbet that runs along the back of the stool to make everything match up. Looked at shoulder planes to hand tool it, but may as well buy a router at those prices...

I had a portable table saw and took it back, now I have a router table and love it.  If I need to rip something I use the skillsaw and follow up with the router if needed.

Yeah I'm a fan of the DeWalt stuff, too.  Had my eye on a nice 10" compound miter saw until my life fell apart.

I have 4 or 5 DeWalt items and while I like them I preferred my Makita stuff way more.  The DeWalt cordless skill saw is a total piece of shit.  Everything else is pretty good other than the tool cases being crap and the batteries being a bitch to swap.

[Chimpy]

I had a portable table saw and took it back, now I have a router table and love it.  If I need to rip something I use the skillsaw and follow up with the router if needed.

Problem with that is you really can't rip dimensional lumber, or flooring in Sky's case, with anything other than a table saw safely. You COULD use a router table with a straight cutter, but I don't recommend it.

I have 4 or 5 DeWalt items and while I like them I preferred my Makita stuff way more.  The DeWalt cordless skill saw is a total piece of shit.  Everything else is pretty good other than the tool cases being crap and the batteries being a bitch to swap.

ALL of the portable circular saws have been borderline crap since circular saws use a LOT more power than anything other than routers. They did have uses, but overall a corded option was always better.

Makita stuff used to be good in the old days when they were the only cordless out there, in the late 1990s - early 2000s their stuff was utter shit. I would put them below DeWalt, Hitachi, Panasonic, Milwaukee, and even Porter Cable during that era.

And you could still use the old 9.6 and 12 v battery inside handle ones if you had batteries that worked but they didn't have the torque of any of the others. I had one of the original model 18v DeWalts for years, finally had to retire it when the batteries became worthless. You know a tool is still worth a lot when the batteries sell for 80 bucks a piece 10 years+ after you bought it. I bought a 18v Hitachi a couple years ago I really like (though I don't know if it would hold up to 7 years of constant daily use and abuse like my DeWalt did).

[Salamok]

Yeah, when the 18v revolution hit Makita for whatever reason went in some other direction.  I had the same decision when my 14v batteries died, spend a hundred on a new one or get new tools.  At least now I have 6 batteries and chargers so maybe I'm good for the next decade.

[Merusk]

I'm a heretic and hate cordless items.  The only cordless stuff I own are the 14v drill/ flashlight/ sawzall/ small rip saw pack my dad bought me from Harbor Freight.  I've always noticed the difference in power between my cordless drill and the corded ones and hated it.   I see their usefulness in places but if I have the option, it's going to have a cord.

[Selby]

All my real tools are corded for doing tough work or are connected to an air hose.  Cordless drills are fine for minor things, but I've noticed the power drops off a bit when using anything below 14.4V.  But then when I am usually using a drill it's for drilling metal or priming an engine...

[ghost]

I'm a heretic and hate cordless items.  The only cordless stuff I own are the 14v drill/ flashlight/ sawzall/ small rip saw pack my dad bought me from Harbor Freight.  I've always noticed the difference in power between my cordless drill and the corded ones and hated it.   I see their usefulness in places but if I have the option, it's going to have a cord.

I agree 100%.  With a cord you never have to worry about it not working unless it is broken. 

[Sky]

I got a Makita 18v hammer drill when the aforementioned big box pulled out. Also got three batteries with it. Love the thing, it's a beast though a bit heavy. Comes in handy living in a masonry house. Eying the matching 18v circular saw, but wary of the power issues.

I'm not doing flooring (yet). Current project on hold is casing and trimming a window. Well, I guess trimming that wall spanning two rooms. I got medieval on the ants this autumn. Without proper tools (and not liking to finish drywall in the cold), I just roughed in some jambs etc to get through the winter. If things go tits up at work this year, I'll just expand that to finishing a connecting wall + door for another bedroom, instant $$.

Sawing to length, not a big deal, I use my handsaw. No ripsaw, and it's a pita to do by hand. I'd be game for rabbeting by hand, but not sure I want to tackle it with a cheap chisel...and it's a good 8' long rabbet...though now that I think about it, it's hidden so it could be messy as shit...

[Chimpy]

I'm a heretic and hate cordless items.  The only cordless stuff I own are the 14v drill/ flashlight/ sawzall/ small rip saw pack my dad bought me from Harbor Freight.  I've always noticed the difference in power between my cordless drill and the corded ones and hated it.   I see their usefulness in places but if I have the option, it's going to have a cord.

For putting things together with screws, a cordless drill is a godsend (if only because you won't find a decent corded drill with a clutch on it). I rarely if ever will use a cordless drill for any serious drilling, but to drill small holes quickly or putting screws into something the cordless is definitely the way to go.  Other than that and the occasional use I have found for a cordless sawzall (usually when I am up in a manlift where cords become both a hassle and a possible safety issue) I will always use a corded tool first.

If I ever find a need to have a hammer drill, I will just bite the bullet and buy a decent rotary hammer. Even if the bits cost 20 bucks a piece, using a rotary hammer versus a hammer drill is so much better.

[rattran]

I've gotten a hell of a lot of use out of my 18v cordless sawzall and drill/driver, and the 18v circular saw is good for occasional cuts. I have a good wormgear for heavy use, but sometimes you just need to cut a piece of trim, or adjust a cut up on a roof, and the cordless is convenient.

And after using all the major brands, I'm using Ryobi now. Their lithium stuff works well, and is cheap enough to replace if/when it breaks.

[Yegolev]

you never have to worry about it not working unless it is broken. 

[Sky]

Sometimes I lay awake at night, dreaming of a time when I can own a tool for every job. I would have one of those pegboards with little shapes drawn on them so I knew just where to hang everything, and drawers that have that nifty soft close feature everyone is raving about. I would also put in fuscia shag carpeting and disco lights that pulse to the music. When I had to work on a project, I could put in my 8-track of Tragedy by the Bee Gees and really get some work done. Then, having every tool for the correct application, I would use my hot glue gun to bedazzle whatever project I happened to be working on with attractive matching gewgaws that would definitely add what the kids call bling.

Anyway, I only own one power tool, so it's got to do multiple duties. Actually, I guess I own two now, if you count the Montgomery Ward vintage 80s circular saw, but I'm pretty sure I'll end up just using it as an unwieldy and ineffective hand saw, as it probably cost $3 and was meant to last eight to ten days before catching fire.

[Chimpy]

I have actually used one of those vintage 1980s 7 1/4" Ward's table saws before, they actually aren't that bad (though all 7 1/4" table saws are mildly frightening to use for me being used to 10, 12, and 14 inch Delta/Powermatic/etc cabinet saws).