Between 485 & 705 SQ/FT The **** Shack

[bdbecker]

A SawStop Story...

One evening last week, I was doing my typical used tool search routine - checking FB Marketplace, CL, eBay, etc. looking for any deals on tool that I've had my eye on. Searching govdeals.com, I found a listing for a SawStop table saw that came out of a local middle school. I've had my eye on a SawStop contractor saw for a few years now because it seemed like a nice mix of features and affordability. Specifically, I wanted model CNS175-TGP236. This is the one with the extended 36" rip capacity and comes with the upgraded fence system.

I clicked on the link expecting to either see that it wasn't really the model I wanted, or that the price was above what I could afford. The pics weren't that great, but I could tell it was the right model and the price was ~$300 with only a few days left on the auction. Not wanting to get my hopes up, I bookmarked the link and figured I'd keep an eye on it just in case.

Fast forward to Thursday evening, I checked back on the listing. The price had crept up to $625. Still a steal of a deal for a $2100 saw. I decided to create an account so I could bid on it if the price didn't get out of hand. When I checked again on Friday morning, the price hadn't changed. That was about the time I talked to Wife about possibly buying a new table saw. Her response was "As long as you don't go over your budget and it counts as your birthday and Christmas gift, good luck!" I sure love my Wife.

Up until that point, the bids were between two users. One guy would hop on in the morning and outbid the previous guy by the minimum amount. The other guy would then hop on randomly sometime during the day and outbid the first guy by the minimum amount. I didn't think the first guy was going to be a factor since he only bid in the mornings. The second guy was my competition.

GovDeals has an auto-bid system where you can enter your max and it'll automatically up your bid during the auction. Because of the timing of the other bids, I don't believe either of those other bidders was using that feature. Not wanting to give that second guy a chance to find out what my max was by incrementally upping the bid all afternoon, I decided to wait until there was ~30 seconds left in the auction before making my presence known. I knew it would not give me any time to place a second bid, but I figured I'd just put in the max and let it sort itself out.

With two minutes left on the auction, the guy who had been one-upping the other guy all week came in as predicted with another minimum bid. As I'd later find out, another sniper popped in about the same time as me and in flurry of auto-bids over the last 30 seconds of the auction, I ended up winning a new (used) table saw for $800, which was well under what I was willing to spend. I'm sure the guy who kept logging in and doing the minimum bid was swearing at the two assholes who laid low until the literal last minute of the auction.

I went and picked her up today and was happy to see that it’s in better shape than I anticipated. The stamped steel wings aren’t worn like I original thought, they are just dusty. While you can see the saw has been used, it has not been used all that much – really no different than what it would look like after a few months of if I had bought a new one. All the manuals and accessories were included, even though they weren’t in the pictures. It was a bit of gamble, but I think it’s going to pay off.

The cherry on top of the whole deal came when I asked the maintenance guy who helped me pick it up if he knew why the school was getting rid of the saw. I was glad to hear it wasn’t a sad story about how the shop program was cut. Instead, it’s the opposite. Too many kids wanted into the program so they built a wall and divided the shop area into two halves in order to offer more spots/classes. There was just an odd number of saws and it didn’t fit into the new layout. I honestly am glad I asked; now I can enjoy the saw guilt free.

By the way, if you do happen to stuff a SawStop contractor’s saw into the back of a Dodge Grand Caravan, take the time to install the table support leg or strap it down. I wasn't worried about it sliding around - it was pushed against the middle row seats and I wedged the stroller between it and the hatch door (total Dad move). What I didn't think of was the center of gravity. If you've ever been to Iowa, you know its pretty flat here. I encountered no issues driving 10 miles home, until I hit the hill near my house. Going downhill and tapping the brakes causes the whole thing to want to tip forward. While I caught it before it did any damage, I still had to check my underwear when I got home.

Now if I can just figure out how to get the damn thing out of the minivan...

View media item 105483

 

[mybigwarwagon]

Several years ago I went to pick up a scrap car, and the guy next door to the house was mowing. He hit something so hard it stopped the engine. Then he couldn't get it started again. Since I was going to be in the path of destruction if it flew apart, I walked over and flipped the mower and found the blade adapter bend and the blade barely hanging on. I told him it wasn't safe to mow with. He said, "So you mean I can't start it?" I said it depends on how much you like your feet. He put it in the back of his truck and left. Not worth getting hurt over.

 

[fourbyford]

Congrats on the saw deal! ...I think that just may call for a hearty "you ****"

Can't tell you the number of times I set an alarm to wake up at all hours... to snipe a deal on ebay. I definitely won my share... Too much fun!

...D

 

[amkluttz]

Its kind of funny how a building I loathed at one point has become a place I love.

Can you teach me how to get to this point? I still loathe my space. I'm grateful for it but I loathe it all the same. I lay in bed at night and dream about what it would be like to have even a moderately larger space to work in.

 

[fourbyford]

I hope I'm not being rude by interjecting into BD's thread...

The garage at our new place is certainly NOT what I envisioned for my next (last) garage... not even close to anything I would have built. The only good thing I saw was that it has a fairly large footprint... 30' x 46'. That said, the layout seemed odd... 3 x 12' bays (with O/H doors) and 1 x 10' bay to park the tractor. Inside the enclosed space, a stairway (to access a small loft area) took up space along one end wall... the walk door took space from the other end. Outside, I guess you'd have to call the architectural style "Salt Box"... a steep, short roof line to the ridge in the front... to the back, a long, shallow slope. I've seen some Salt Box styles that I like... this one, not so much. It appeared that the electrical was done by an electrician but, as I tore into it, not much made sense. And, the electrical system was a bare minimum... a few outlets and a few incandescent bulbs for lighting. There was no insulation in the building and it had single sided, uninsulated garage doors. Hot in summer and cold in the winter. I realized it was better than nothing, but was not in love with it.

After a lot of ideas and inspiration from GJ, I began working on my garage. I have put a lot of thought into the things I've done... and continue to do. I'm nearly finished with the addition of insulation (including the doors)... I've upgraded the lighting, installed a heater, created some storage solutions (still to be refined), and thought a lot about the layout... to make the maximum use of every square inch. The layout continues to evolve. At first, I had a sort of mental block when it came to finding some sort of logical way to organize things. As I've done a variety of work in there, ideas for better layout/organization became obvious. I continue to work on it as much as time allows (always so many other things getting in the way) but it has become my favorite place. I can't wait to be able to get the rest of the interior work finished and my tools and machinery in place!

I guess, if I were to summarize, I'd say, pay attention to your surroundings as you're working. Pay attention to the details. How could you improve the lighting/electrical? Do you need insulation/heating or cooling? Are the doors functional? Think about your basic layout... are there ways to make things better?

I'm sure most of us here would like a bigger shop/garage. That may or may not be feasible in the near term. But, making the best of what we have is possible. The solutions will present themselves... if we're open to seeing them!

HTH...

...D

 

[bdbecker]

I hope I'm not being rude by interjecting into BD's thread...

Not rude at all - I appreciate your input. You touched on a lot of the same things I've had to work through as well.

Can you teach me how to get to this point? I still loathe my space. I'm grateful for it but I loathe it all the same. I lay in bed at night and dream about what it would be like to have even a moderately larger space to work in.

---Warning: Philosophical rambling ahead. You've been warned.---

For me, it comes down to mindfulness.

I know that sounds pretty absurd in the context of learning to like your garage space, but its tied to a change in my perspective on life that has occurred over the last few years. I was going through a rough patch and had a bit of a revelation - I was always staking my happiness on achieving the next "thing", but when the next "thing" came around, it never lived up to the hype and I was left disappointed. The world "thing" is in quotes because it can mean more than just material items - it can be personal achievements like getting promoted or running a marathon. This is no way to live life. So I began the slow process of teaching myself to focus less on the future and appreciate the present more. I've still got a lot of work to do, but I'm getting better at it every day.

So now how does this all tie into learning to love your garage? For a long time I was so hung up on the things I didn't like about my space that I neglected to see all the good things about it. It basically comes down to the old "glass half full" perspective.

Instead of being annoyed by the giant crack down the middle of my slab, I think about how my Dad's garage had a dirt floor for the first 5 or so years, and that cracked concrete is better than no concrete. Instead of wishing that I had 240v service, I appreciate that I have a dedicated 30 amp circuit of 120v because that is a lot more than most garages get. Instead of obsessing about how I only have 550 square feet, I think about all the benefits a small space has to offer. If my space was twice the size, every project I've done to finish it would have cost twice as much, leaving less room in the budget for things like government auction table saws. When I install a heater (and maybe even AC), I'll be able to buy smaller, less expensive units that cost less to operate. Having a small space has also taught me how to prioritize what is important and has also forced me to learn how to let go of junk that serves no immediate purpose.

The other thing to remember about mindfulness is that it doesn't mean you settle for what you have, you just try to appreciate it more. You still need to have aspirations and make plans for the future, the key difference is the perspective you have along the way. I do want to fix my concrete, upgrade my electrical, and maybe get a yard shed to store the mower in so I can have more space in my garage, but for now, I'm not going to let those things stop me from enjoying my space.

Hopefully all that rambling makes a little bit of sense.

 

[nicholam77]

I know that's sarcasm about the shop burning down, but that would really bum me out after all the work I've put into it. Sure, a new build would be nice, but at the same time, this little shop has really taught me a lot about myself. There's a lesson learned in every corner of that building. Its kind of funny how a building I loathed at one point has become a place I love.

And it should, you've put a ton of work into it! New is always "nice", but I strongly think there is a lot of sentimental value that comes from creating something yourself. It may never be perfect or your dream shop but the time spent working on it has value in itself that is often irreplaceable!

I'm super jealous about the Saw Stop. That's a killer deal and should be a great saw for you. Nice bidding strategy, it's always nerve-wracking in the final moments. Glad to know I'm not the only one who is always cruising FB marketplace and Craigslist for tools. Never found the right deal myself but just gotta get lucky! I'll have to check out that GovDeals auction site. Looking forward to seeing the saw all cleaned up.

 

[mybigwarwagon]

Can you teach me how to get to this point? I still loathe my space. I'm grateful for it but I loathe it all the same. I lay in bed at night and dream about what it would be like to have even a moderately larger space to work in.

Step one. move to where it is 1100000000 degrees in the summertime wiht 3847484749% humidity.

Step two. Take all your tools and cram them into a building that will only hold the tools.

Step three. DO all your work in the blistering sun, on dirt, in mud, on grass, while it is raining, with fire ants crawling up your **** crack, or any combination thereof.

Step four. Make sure you lay your tools out in said blistering sun.

Step five. Burn yourself regularly while picking up tools.

Step six. Drop the one bolt you need, and don't have a replacement for on a surface where it will never be seen again, that wold not be a problem if you had any kind of a shop.

Then you will be thankful to have a shop, even if it is small.


I need a shop.

 

[amkluttz]

---Warning: Philosophical rambling ahead. You've been warned.---

For me, it comes down to mindfulness.

I know that sounds pretty absurd in the context of learning to like your garage space, but its tied to a change in my perspective on life that has occurred over the last few years. I was going through a rough patch and had a bit of a revelation - I was always staking my happiness on achieving the next "thing", but when the next "thing" came around, it never lived up to the hype and I was left disappointed. The world "thing" is in quotes because it can mean more than just material items - it can be personal achievements like getting promoted or running a marathon. This is no way to live life. So I began the slow process of teaching myself to focus less on the future and appreciate the present more. I've still got a lot of work to do, but I'm getting better at it every day.

So now how does this all tie into learning to love your garage? For a long time I was so hung up on the things I didn't like about my space that I neglected to see all the good things about it. It basically comes down to the old "glass half full" perspective.

I totally get where you're coming from. In a minuscule context of what you're saying... When I bought my Tundra there was no key fob and the driver's rear door wouldn't lock. I longed for the keyless entry to work and thought how satisfied I would be with the truck when it worked. Fast forward to after it's been fixed for a while and I catch myself wanting to add this or do that. When I stop and think back about fixing the keyless entry I remember how satisfying it is to be able to just click the button and walk away. It's crazy how fast we forget and move on to the next latest and greatest. In a small way this is a daily reminder to me to be grateful for what I have.

Thanks for taking the time to honestly consider what I asked and send a well thought out response. I appreciate it and hope I didn't hijack your thread too much.

Step one. move to where it is 1100000000 degrees in the summertime wiht 3847484749% humidity.

Step two. Take all your tools and cram them into a building that will only hold the tools.

Step three. DO all your work in the blistering sun, on dirt, in mud, on grass, while it is raining, with fire ants crawling up your **** crack, or any combination thereof.

Step four. Make sure you lay your tools out in said blistering sun.

Step five. Burn yourself regularly while picking up tools.

Step six. Drop the one bolt you need, and don't have a replacement for on a surface where it will never be seen again, that wold not be a problem if you had any kind of a shop.

Then you will be thankful to have a shop, even if it is small.


I need a shop.

Step 1. I live roughly an hour from you, so check!

Step 2. Exactly the situation I'm in now. I do all of my own automotive and household repairs. I sometimes do side work for others. All of my tools are crammed in my garage. It's basically dry storage for tools and a motorcycle. Check!

Step 3. I'm a little ahead of you here. The other half of what should be a 24'x22' garage ended up rotting and being torn down. I do have an 11'x21' concrete pad to work on but it isn't covered. I still deal with the blistering sun and weather whenever I have to do automotive work. I've recently learned to borrow a 10'x10' pop-up canopy from work to help with automotive jobs.

Step 4. Check!

Step 5. Have you ever left a black, faux leather creeper out in the sun on a concrete pad and then decided to lay on it without considering the consequences? Check!

Step 6. You got me! The concrete really pays off in this respect and I'm grateful for it. I used to work in gravel doing these jobs. Dragging a floor jack across gravel is no bueno.

 

[mybigwarwagon]

Step 1. I live roughly an hour from you, so check!

Step 2. Exactly the situation I'm in now. I do all of my own automotive and household repairs. I sometimes do side work for others. All of my tools are crammed in my garage. It's basically dry storage for tools and a motorcycle. Check!

Step 3. I'm a little ahead of you here. The other half of what should be a 24'x22' garage ended up rotting and being torn down. I do have an 11'x21' concrete pad to work on but it isn't covered. I still deal with the blistering sun and weather whenever I have to do automotive work. I've recently learned to borrow a 10'x10' pop-up canopy from work to help with automotive jobs.

Step 4. Check!

Step 5. Have you ever left a black, faux leather creeper out in the sun on a concrete pad and then decided to lay on it without considering the consequences? Check!

Step 6. You got me! The concrete really pays off in this respect and I'm grateful for it. I used to work in gravel doing these jobs. Dragging a floor jack across gravel is no bueno.

There have been days I would have done many illegal things for a concrete pad. Especially when we had 8 months of rain last year. My best friend is a broken pop up canopy. It ain't pretty but it works.

Hang in there.

 

[BoilermakerFan]

For me, it comes down to mindfulness.

I know that sounds pretty absurd in the context of learning to like your garage space, but its tied to a change in my perspective on life that has occurred over the last few years. I was going through a rough patch and had a bit of a revelation - I was always staking my happiness on achieving the next "thing", but when the next "thing" came around, it never lived up to the hype and I was left disappointed. The world "thing" is in quotes because it can mean more than just material items - it can be personal achievements like getting promoted or running a marathon. This is no way to live life. So I began the slow process of teaching myself to focus less on the future and appreciate the present more. I've still got a lot of work to do, but I'm getting better at it every day.

So now how does this all tie into learning to love your garage? For a long time I was so hung up on the things I didn't like about my space that I neglected to see all the good things about it. It basically comes down to the old "glass half full" perspective.

Instead of being annoyed by the giant crack down the middle of my slab, I think about how my Dad's garage had a dirt floor for the first 5 or so years, and that cracked concrete is better than no concrete. Instead of wishing that I had 240v service, I appreciate that I have a dedicated 30 amp circuit of 120v because that is a lot more than most garages get. Instead of obsessing about how I only have 550 square feet, I think about all the benefits a small space has to offer. If my space was twice the size, every project I've done to finish it would have cost twice as much, leaving less room in the budget for things like government auction table saws. When I install a heater (and maybe even AC), I'll be able to buy smaller, less expensive units that cost less to operate. Having a small space has also taught me how to prioritize what is important and has also forced me to learn how to let go of junk that serves no immediate purpose.

The other thing to remember about mindfulness is that it doesn't mean you settle for what you have, you just try to appreciate it more. You still need to have aspirations and make plans for the future, the key difference is the perspective you have along the way. I do want to fix my concrete, upgrade my electrical, and maybe get a yard shed to store the mower in so I can have more space in my garage, but for now, I'm not going to let those things stop me from enjoying my space.

Hopefully all that rambling makes a little bit of sense.

Well said and congrats on being on your path...

But how do you function with only a 30A 120V circuit?


My buddy moved to west central Michigan a couple years ago. The house they bought had an attached garage and a nice sized detached garage. He just completed a huge expansion of the detached garage... and has promptly sold off everything he had in the old shop/storage after the new shop was completed. I asked him why and he said that now that he has a new, huge shop, he wants to start fresh with only the things that he needs or are important to him now. So much of the stuff he had was no longer of use or interest to him.

And that got me thinking more about all the **** I'm still sitting on. I intend to purge a lot of it, but I've now realized there is a lot stuff that I should purge.

Add in your comment above and when we finally get to move in a few years, I think I'm going to stay smaller on my new detached workspace too. I want quality over quantity! I'll focus on flexibility of the space instead of shear volume of space.

 

[bdbecker]

Several years ago I went to pick up a scrap car, and the guy next door to the house was mowing. He hit something so hard it stopped the engine. Then he couldn't get it started again. Since I was going to be in the path of destruction if it flew apart, I walked over and flipped the mower and found the blade adapter bend and the blade barely hanging on. I told him it wasn't safe to mow with. He said, "So you mean I can't start it?" I said it depends on how much you like your feet. He put it in the back of his truck and left. Not worth getting hurt over.

Good on you for making sure he didn't do something silly. I didn't even think about the blade adapter when I heard a neighbor a few houses down kill his mower in a similar fashion a few weeks ago. He struggled with it for a good 15 minutes before giving up. If I knew him better, I probably would have walked over and told him it there was a good possibility he sheared his flywheel key and that no matter how hard he tried, it wasn't going to start. I didn't because I know the last thing I would have wanted in a moment like that is for one of my neighbors to walk up and give me unsolicited advice on the situation. He never did get it fixed - it was on the curb earlier this week with a "Free" sign on it. I considered grabbing it, but I'd guess its never seen an oil change or a new air filter.

-----

Congrats on the saw deal! ...I think that just may call for a hearty "you ****"...

I'll take the "you ****" even though I don't know that it is totally warranted. Maybe a "semi ****" would be more appropriate? Speaking of which, we should probably get some official GJ "You ****" stickers made and force guys to stick them on tools they got good deals on to remind them of how lucky they are.

-----

... Glad to know I'm not the only one who is always cruising FB marketplace and Craigslist for tools. Never found the right deal myself but just gotta get lucky! I'll have to check out that GovDeals auction site. Looking forward to seeing the saw all cleaned up.

If I'm going to waste time on my phone, I figure browsing for used tools seems like a healthier alternative to the dumpster fires that the social media platforms have become, even if I rarely buy anything.

One thing to note about GovDeals is that there is a tiered probation scale that restricts how many auctions you can be bidding on at any given time. So if a bunch of equipment you are interested in were to get posted at the same time, you might not be able to bid on everything you want. The first level restricts you to three auctions at a time, second level is six, and the third level is nine. I'm going to keep my eye out for a cheap file cabinet or shelf so I can get myself out of the first level at least.

-----

...hope I didn't hijack your thread too much...

No worries, we jumped the rails years ago. I genuinely enjoy these detours.

 

[bj383ss]

Great score on the SS and "You Semi ****"

If you lived closer I have a 5 drawer file cabinet I need to get rid of.


Bret

 

[bdbecker]

...But how do you function with only a 30A 120V circuit?

I haven't tripped the breaker yet, but I'm probably never pulling more than 10-15 amps at a given moment, even if I'm running a high load item. My neighbor across the street is a retired electrician and was the one who pulled the line and wired up the garage, so at least that's one thing about my place I don't have to worry about.

...And that got me thinking more about all the **** I'm still sitting on. I intend to purge a lot of it, but I've now realized there is a lot stuff that I should purge...

Do it! It can be a little tough at first, but it gets addictive once you start to see a little progress and free up some space. Even more fun if you're able to sell some unneeded items and you find yourself with little extra cash tucked into an envelope.

 

[BoilermakerFan]

Do it! It can be a little tough at first, but it gets addictive once you start to see a little progress and free up some space. Even more fun if you're able to sell some unneeded items and you find yourself with little extra cash tucked into an envelope.

Oh, it's going to happen. I have a huge carrot of motivation from my wife to make it happen in the form a 2020 Kawi Z900rs or another bike in the same price range. I'm also motivated to purge now on my own. The biggest issue I'm running into now is the @*$%! heat. This summer has been pretty mild up until 2 weeks ago, but I've been working on a major landscaping project that I just wrapped up. Now it's hotter than Hades and if it's not stupid hot, it's raining. My garage is worse than yours ever was so I have to drag everything out in order to even be able to access things I want to purge. Plus I figure if it's out of the garage in the driveway, I'll be less motivated to move things I'm on the fence about back into the garage.

I've already purged a lot of stuff from my basement storage/hobby area. I had to do that in order to make room to bring the new hobby bench into the basement. It's a lot bigger than my old setup so I had to get rid of stuff. It's height adjustable too, so I don't leave much on top of the bench.

 

[amkluttz]

There have been days I would have done many illegal things for a concrete pad. Especially when we had 8 months of rain last year. My best friend is a broken pop up canopy. It ain't pretty but it works.

Hang in there.

That's what I love about this place, perspective. There are people on this forum overlaying Porsche logos in their epoxied concrete floors and there are people that would give their left nut for a simple concrete pad. There's absolutely nothing wrong with either one of those.

You reminded me that 1.5 years ago I didn't have that concrete pad and was still doing all that work in the gravel. The concrete was a godsend but as time goes on all I can think about is how to make it better. More, more, more! Isn't that the American dream? I'll try to be better about stepping back and being appreciative of what I already have.


bdbecker,

Part of the reason I started following your thread was because of your garage size. The only reason I found Garage Journal in the first place was because I was searching for 12'x22' garage layouts and ran across Mr.360's Workshop 88 thread. I've been hooked on this place ever since. I tend to search out small singles and doubles because people without a lot of space tend to be inventive with how they make use of that space. Don't get me wrong, I love reading about some of these surgically clean garagemahals but I find quite a lot of inspiration from the common guy getting things done in his small detached shop. Thank you for being willing to put it all out there for everyone to see.

 

[nicholam77]

For me, it comes down to mindfulness.

I know that sounds pretty absurd in the context of learning to like your garage space, but its tied to a change in my perspective on life that has occurred over the last few years. I was going through a rough patch and had a bit of a revelation - I was always staking my happiness on achieving the next "thing", but when the next "thing" came around, it never lived up to the hype and I was left disappointed. The world "thing" is in quotes because it can mean more than just material items - it can be personal achievements like getting promoted or running a marathon. This is no way to live life. So I began the slow process of teaching myself to focus less on the future and appreciate the present more. I've still got a lot of work to do, but I'm getting better at it every day.

So now how does this all tie into learning to love your garage? For a long time I was so hung up on the things I didn't like about my space that I neglected to see all the good things about it. It basically comes down to the old "glass half full" perspective.

[...]

The other thing to remember about mindfulness is that it doesn't mean you settle for what you have, you just try to appreciate it more. You still need to have aspirations and make plans for the future, the key difference is the perspective you have along the way. I do want to fix my concrete, upgrade my electrical, and maybe get a yard shed to store the mower in so I can have more space in my garage, but for now, I'm not going to let those things stop me from enjoying my space.

Hopefully all that rambling makes a little bit of sense.

Sorry for another long quote of this but it's all so well-stated. It hits close to home for me, and I think I act very similarly to you. Not just talking about garages here, but everything, life itself. For me it doesn't have to do with anyone else or what they have or have achieved, it's just pressure I put on myself. I think some of that definitely comes from being a perfectionist. That certainly doesn't mean I do everything perfect, not even close, but it does mean I get stressed and frustrated when not all the details are right. Even if something is 95% good, one little defect can throw the whole thing off for me and cause me anxiety thinking about it. The defect then becomes the thing I focus on the most. As much as I hate to say it all the DIY work on my garage and house has made me even more this way. I would say I'm borderline obsessed with my vision for our house, and as such I'm often thinking of what I want it to be, and not enjoying it as it is. I have to constantly remind myself that these things take time to build and don't happen overnight, and that I'm very lucky to have what I have. Despite my personality and growing obsession with the house and the "next thing" (not necessarily material, like you said), I have to say having my daughter two years ago has been a huge force in re-centering myself and living in the "now". As much work as kids can be, I think they sort of force you to live in the present and cherish any given moment, and that's something I'm extremely grateful for. Anyways I think you have some very wise words and it's something I've thought a lot about, as well.

 

[bdbecker]

Oh, it's going to happen... ...I've already purged a lot of stuff from my basement storage/hobby area...

Glad to hear that! That's how it starts - one spot at a time. Having a carrot on the end of that stick is also a big motivator.

-----

...Don't get me wrong, I love reading about some of these surgically clean garagemahals but I find quite a lot of inspiration from the common guy getting things done in his small detached shop. Thank you for being willing to put it all out there for everyone to see.

Lol... warts and all, as they say.

I'd honestly encourage everyone reading this to start their own build thread, regardless of budget or building size. I am constantly inspired by all sorts of people on this forum, but I also suspect that there are some really talented people that are holding back because they don't think their work is "good enough" or their shop is "nice enough" in comparison to others on this board. If anything, I figure my build thread can be the justification for others to start their own threads. If a hack like me can have a build thread, there's really no excuse why a lot of other more talented people shouldn't have one as well.

(No, I'm not fishing for compliments by using the word "hack" to describe myself or my work. I do realize that my skills have come a long way in the last four years and that my current work is a lot less hacky than it used to be, probably well into "amateur" level by now.)

-----

...I get stressed and frustrated when not all the details are right. Even if something is 95% good, one little defect can throw the whole thing off for me and cause me anxiety thinking about it. The defect then becomes the thing I focus on the most...

That doesn't sound familiar at all... (sarcasm)

I have to constantly remind myself of the Churchill quote "Perfection is the enemy of progress" (there are a few different quotes from other notable sources that say the same thing). Not as an excuse to accept mediocrity, but as a reminder that at some point, good enough really is good enough.

...I have to say having my daughter two years ago has been a huge force in re-centering myself and living in the "now". As much work as kids can be, I think they sort of force you to live in the present and cherish any given moment, and that's something I'm extremely grateful for...

Totally agree.

-----

Not a lot to report on over the weekend, the heat and other commitments limited QST to just a few hours on Saturday. But, with the help of Wife, we wrestled the saw out of the minivan and I got her into her new home and started cleaning her up a little (the saw that is, not Wife, she still lives in the house). Under better light, she's showing a bit more wear than I noticed at first. Mostly cosmetic, although I did notice the blade has a little wobble when turning it by hand. It appears that the blade is a little warped, but I'll get the indicator on the arbor to make sure its not anything more than that. I plan to do a full rundown when I get her all cleaned up.

Also - looking for suggestions on a good brand of table saw blade if anyone has some good/bad experiences to share.

View media item 105609

 

[mybigwarwagon]

I have had really good luck with Diablo blades.

 

[Finallygotit]

I have had really good luck with Diablo blades.

 

[rattle_snake]

An 'extra' blade, so you never have to use a dull one... Sharp is key, more important than the number of teeth.

 

[fourbyford]

...Interesting you asked for info concerning good saw blades. I've been planning to post this info on my own thread but, since you asked, I'll post it here as well.

I formerly worked for a fairly large company that sold woodworking tools and equipment. At one point, we were #1 in the nation for selling Delta machinery. Anyways, I started in sales and worked my way through various areas of the company... ending up in R&D/Product Development... a fancy term that meant I had a ton of jobs. I'm a machinist... worked in the machine shop doing tool and die work, as well as production work on CNC's and a myriad of other jobs. Guess I'm including all this to say that I can read a dial caliper or micrometer... lol.

The Owner/President of our company was instrumental in getting Freud (an Italian company that manufactures premium quality cutters) introduced into the North American market. In the early days, we were the exclusive distributors. At that time, I had a Contractor style table saw and was doing a lot of woodworking... primarily, remodeling my house in Utah on my days off, but working my day job in Wyoming. (hmmm... I think I'm seeing a trend here... lol) One weekend while I was working in Utah, my saw blade went to total **** so I started searching for one locally. I'd always heard Forrest was good... bought one, took it home... not so much. Went and bought an Amana... same deal. The next time I was at work, I bought a Freud... and (almost) refuse to use anything else. Hands down, Freud makes the best cutters on the market.

After a few years of exclusively selling Freud cutters, the owner decided he wanted to private label saw blades (we already had our own line of router bits and shaper cutters). He talked to Freud (who had massively grown by this time) and they weren't really interested. Looking around, he stumbled upon a German manufacturer who sent us samples. So, for several weeks, I evaluated saw blades. Mics, indicators, our surface plate, mount to an arbor to check run out... I measured and checked absolutely everything I could think of. I tested several brands of blades, using Freud as the "control group". My testing revealed what I already knew... there are a lot of mediocre blades on the market... and, Freud (not surprisingly) tested the best. What did surprise me though, was that the German blades tested virtually as well as the Freuds... at about 1/2 the price. After all the testing, I installed all the blades (one at a time... lol) on our shop saw and cut a ton of wood... same results. So, a deal was struck and we private labeled those blades for a number of years. I can't remember why but, for some reason, that company stopped selling us their blades and the testing started again. The blades we picked up in round two were good, but nowhere near the quality of the first two.

All that to say... as of now, a full thickness Freud blade is the best money can buy. I say full thickness (approx .125") because, at one time, I drank the thin kerf "kool-aid".. Bought a Freud and installed it on my UniSaw... and hated it. Much too flexible. In fact, I'm fighting the thin kerf issue with a Diablo on my Skill Saw right now. I realized I was having deflection issues on certain cuts... finally realized what the issue is. I need to find a full thickness blade for that saw. As long as I'm only doing cross cuts (on 2x lumber) the Diablo is good (and inexpensive) but, for the things I've been doing lately, no bueno.

Anyways, for the better part of 20 years now, the only blade I'll run on my table saw is a Freud, 50 tooth combination blade (in 10"). I've run the plain steel ones, teflon coated, and now this one is chrome plated. I don't notice that the coatings make a lot of difference... the plain steel one is great! I haven't bought a new Freud blade since I left the company (I still have a few stocked up) but I'm sure they're readily available pretty much anywhere... on the interwebs.

Sorry to be so long winded on this but, I felt a detailed explanation might be in order. HTH...




...D

Sent from my SM-N960U using The Garage Journal mobile app

 

[ODIS]

^^^^ Thank you for this information. Find it very informative and useful. Never realized that the thin blades (which is all that I use) will flex and of course now, can see why some of my cuts in black walnut were less than desired.

Thanks again.

 

[bdbecker]

...Interesting you asked for info concerning good saw blades. I've been planning to post this info on my own thread but, since you asked, I'll post it here as well...

Great info... thank you!

Thanks everyone else for the suggestions. That's good to know that Frued/Diablo are popular because they're good blades, not just because they're good at marketing. Researching saw blades was like a flashback to when I was researching deck treatments - so much contradictory information and a lot of the "reviews" stink of bias towards whatever brand spends the most on advertising with that particular magazine or website.

-----

While I should have been mowing the yard last night, I chose to instead to clean up the saw a bit. After vacuuming all the old sawdust, I decided to take a stab at cleaning up the cast iron top on the saw. When I got it, it had some dark brown staining on it that I originally thought was surface rust, but ended up being wood stain/varnish.

Before (some of that is PB Blaster that I applied):
View media item 105628
I tried letting the top soak in PB Blaster for a few days to see if it would soften up whatever was on there, but no luck. What ended up working really well was engine de-greaser and a maroon Scotch Brite pad. It took a bit of work to get it all cleaned up because I didn't want to use a more aggressive abrasive, but the end result was worth the effort.

View media item 105629
Its still got a few scrapes and wear marks, but it is as close to new as I can get it. Overall, I'm very pleased with how well it cleaned up.

 

[fourbyford]

Nice job on the clean-up! In the pic, the top is looking like new!

You previously mentioned the blade had a bit of a wobble...

I'm wondering if the "stop" was ever activated? When that happens, I know you have to replace the "brake cartridge" ... can't remember if it affects the blade as well? Maybe the PO just got into some sort of a bind/kick back situation that damaged the blade? At any rate, probably worth just scrapping that one and buying new.

...D

 

[nicholam77]

I'd always heard Forrest was good... bought one, took it home... not so much. Went and bought an Amana... same deal.

Just out of curiosity, what was bad about the Forrest and Amana? I happen to use Freud as well but have also heard good things about those other brands.

Btw really interesting stuff. I sort of went with Freud arbitrarily based on reviews but it's always nice to get an inside perspective!

View media item 105629
Its still got a few scrapes and wear marks, but it is as close to new as I can get it. Overall, I'm very pleased with how well it cleaned up.

Saw is looking great!

I have the Freud 50T full-kerf combo blade. One thing that bugs me about it is it's supposed to have flat top rakers but they are not perfectly flat. Flat is nice if you are doing half-laps, grooves, or splined miters. But if you want just one blade and to set it and forget it, it's a great option. Personally I like having multiple blades. The Freud 50T is the do-it-all or if I'm feeling lazy to swap it out, but I also have a Sears 60T crosscut blade that cuts really nice, and also cuts plywood with minimal tear out. Slightly better than the Freud with plywood. If I'm cutting nice plywood for a real project, I use this. Since my contractor saw is underpowered I also have a 24T thin-kerf rip blade. It's the Freud Glue-Line Rip. I hear what fourbyford is saying about thin blades and deflection, but my little saw just can't handle ripping something like hard maple, full kerf, without burning and struggling. This rip blade makes a world of difference and excellent finish on the cuts. I've not had problems with it. Then as a 4th blade, I keep around the DeWalt combo blade that came with the saw. It's pretty beat up at this point but I use this if I ever need to cut some crappy wood or material that I don't want yucking up the nicer blades.

 

[fourbyford]

As far as the "also ran" blades... they just didn't cut well. It almost seemed like they were dull... right out of the package. It's been my experience, with the Freud blades, I get cuts with crisp edges that are smooth as silk. The other blades just didn't produce as nice a cut. And, it seemed like they required more effort to push the wood through.

Sometimes, when I might be doing a final "sizing" on a workpiece, I might end up with a "drop" that's so thin you can almost read text through it. Usually, the drop is smooth and uniform. My buddy (who also has a UniSaw) once asked me how in the heck I did that... My first question to him was... What blade are you using? Instant convert! ...lol

You're right about the various Freud blades. I do have a couple of their rip blades and they do work well. And, I've used a couple of their finer toothed blades... for crosscut, melamine, etc. If I'm going to be doing a LOT of a certain process where a specialized blade would work better, I'll change blades. Usually, in my shop, I'm doing so many different things, i install the 50t combo and just run with it.

Don't know if anyone does much grooving or dado work? If so, the Freud Super Dado set is worth the price of admission.

I definitely understand that there is a time and place for a thin kerf blade. I have a Contractor saw at my place in Idaho that I run with a full kerf blade. There are times when it struggles trying to power through some cuts. Guess I've been spoiled over the years with the Uni... plenty of power. If I take my time with the contractor saw, it gets the job done... I just have to be careful of the feed rates.

...D

 

[bdbecker]

Nice job on the clean-up! In the pic, the top is looking like new!

You previously mentioned the blade had a bit of a wobble...

I'm wondering if the "stop" was ever activated? When that happens, I know you have to replace the "brake cartridge" ... can't remember if it affects the blade as well? Maybe the PO just got into some sort of a bind/kick back situation that damaged the blade? At any rate, probably worth just scrapping that one and buying new.

...D

From what I've seen, if the stop is activated, the blade it toast as well. I can't imagine someone putting it back into service after that, but stranger things have happened I suppose.

For the life of me, I cannot find my dial indicator to find out for sure. I had it in the house when I was shimming/leveling the bed on my 3D printer, but I can't seem to find it anywhere. Its just a cheap Harbor Freight one, so more of an annoyance than anything else. I'm sure it'll turn up someday. In the meantime, I guess I'll get another one.

(Woah... so this is how you end up with doubles of tools... I get it now.)

-----

...I have the Freud 50T full-kerf combo blade. One thing that bugs me about it is it's supposed to have flat top rakers but they are not perfectly flat. Flat is nice if you are doing half-laps, grooves, or splined miters. But if you want just one blade and to set it and forget it, it's a great option. Personally I like having multiple blades...

That's the blade I'm leaning towards right now. I figure it'll be a good base to build the collection off of over time. One thing is for sure, I've definitely learned way more than I ever thought I'd need to know about saw blades over the last week.

 

[nicholam77]

That's the blade I'm leaning towards right now. I figure it'll be a good base to build the collection off of over time. One thing is for sure, I've definitely learned way more than I ever thought I'd need to know about saw blades over the last week.

For sure, I think the 50T combo is an excellent place to start. In fact you might find it's good enough for everything if you don't do some specific tasks (like cutting melamine). I'm sure your new SawStop can handle the full kerf.

 

[Jeff Ivers]

That saw is looking nice!

 

[mybigwarwagon]

From what I've seen, if the stop is activated, the blade it toast as well. I can't imagine someone putting it back into service after that, but stranger things have happened I suppose.

For the life of me, I cannot find my dial indicator to find out for sure. I had it in the house when I was shimming/leveling the bed on my 3D printer, but I can't seem to find it anywhere. Its just a cheap Harbor Freight one, so more of an annoyance than anything else. I'm sure it'll turn up someday. In the meantime, I guess I'll get another one.

(Woah... so this is how you end up with doubles of tools... I get it now.)

Just start it up and stick your finger over there...

 

[bdbecker]

That saw is looking nice!

Thanks Jeff!

-----

Just start it up and stick your finger over there...

Calibration is past due on my indicator finger - I need to get it re-certified before I'd trust the results. My leveling eye and torque arm are current, so at least I've got that going for me.

 

[GeddyT]

I was using HF calipers and a Grizzly indicator as well until my calipers crapped out. In shopping for a replacement, I was shocked to find that you can get Mitutoyo gear for a fairly reasonable price. Less than $100 gets you a quality Japanese indicator, but you just have to be careful to avoid fakes if buying from somewhere like eBay or Amazon.

I'm sure my indicator finger is even more off spec than yours, so I can't vouch for any difference in accuracy between the Mitutoyo indicator/caliper and the Pittsburgh from HF, but the difference in quality in-hand (weight, metal vs. plastic, smoothness of travel, etc.) is night and day. Calipers in particular.

After reading some Amazon reviews that scared me off due to counterfeits, I ended up at MSI Viking. They're a licensed distributor, and it just so happens their prices tend to beat Amazon's anyway.

Also, agree on the nice work with getting that saw looking good! Definitely encroaching on "you ****" territory.

 

[bdbecker]

I was using HF calipers and a Grizzly indicator as well until my calipers crapped out. In shopping for a replacement, I was shocked to find that you can get Mitutoyo gear for a fairly reasonable price. Less than $100 gets you a quality Japanese indicator, but you just have to be careful to avoid fakes if buying from somewhere like eBay or Amazon...

Well I'll be dipped! (to quote VGG)

I stopped by HF last night and got a replacement, but I had no idea they'd gotten so affordable. Thanks for that website as well.

I've used nice stuff for years in my professional life and do agree that there is no comparison between Mitutoyo and the no-name junk. Someday if (when) I get into machining, good gauges will be at the top of the list.

There is something to be said about having a cheap, bang around digital caliper that you don't have to care too much about. Useful for checking hole sizes and hardware, but not necessarily something that you'd trust when it really mattered.

 

[mybigwarwagon]

Well I'll be dipped! (to quote VGG)

Just scroll on over and get your measurilater 9000 for all you measurilizing needs.

 

[bdbecker]

Update: The hood now has a new home.

Clearing out some stuff... I've had this posted for about a week on FB but no bites - any of you guys interested in an Jackson EQC auto-darkening weld hood? It's an older model but has seen very little use and is in near-new condition. The lens is not as nice as some of the newer hoods on the market, but its still better than a lot of the cheap hoods. It came as a package deal with my Millermatic, but since I already had a hood, its been collecting dust on the shelf.

To be clear - its not for sale, I'm just looking to give it to someone who can use it. What's the catch? You have to pay it forward by finding an unused tool in your shop and giving it away to someone who needs it. Simple as that. Send me a PM if you are interested, if there are several people who want it I'll do a 'draw a name out of the hat' type thing.

View media item 105666
View media item 105667

 

[bdbecker]

Well, Saturday was uneventful, in a good way. I'd taken a few days to mentally prepare myself for a big issue to pop up when I checked the runout on the table saw, only to find that it is .0020-.0025", which from what I can tell, is totally normal. I did a couple of test cuts just to be sure it looked and felt normal, and other than the blade being a little dull, it seemed to cut very well. No complaints about it not being bent - just must have just been an optical illusion. So instead spending the day dealing with an issue that didn't exist, I dug into addressing the last of the known issues on the saw to get her ready for service.

The first thing was replacing the power cord. The factory cord had a couple of spots that were wrapped in electrical tape. Being in a school shop class, I would have been surprised if it hadn't been damaged somehow. I took the opportunity to replace the ~10' long SJT 14ga cord with a 25' long SOOW 12ga cord which will allow me to put the saw anywhere in my garage and still be able to plug it into an outlet without needing an extension cord. Using SOOW was definitely overkill, but oddly enough, basically the same price as using a SJT (or similar jacket) extension cord. Upping the size to 12ga for the longer cord keeps the voltage drop over the length to within a half a volt of the shorter 14ga cord.

One tip for working with SOOW cord I learned from a maintenance electrician years ago - if you can, let the cord sit outside for a few days so it can air out before you have to work with it. It makes all the difference in the world. For those who don't know, the cord smells like Harbor Freight. The next time you're at a home store, go give the spools of SOOW a sniff and you'll know exactly what I mean.

View media item 105692
The next item on the list was tracking down a jam nut on the height adjustment wheel. It normally comes with knob so you can lock the wheel in place. I found a place online that sells them for $2, but the shipping is $9. I'll have to either keep searching to find an alternative source with cheaper shipping, or just **** it up and buy one. Might pick up a few other parts while I'm at it (new belt, replacement brake cartridges, etc) to help absorb some of that shipping cost. In hindsight, I'll probably swap the nut over to the angle adjustment wheel since I probably won't use that as much.

View media item 105693
One thing that makes it really hard to get rid of stuff is that I was able to find two things in my hardware stash that kept me from having to go to the store. One being that metric nylock nut for the hand wheel, and the other being a perfect size plastic p-clamp for my new, larger power cord (factory on the right, new one on the left). At least hardware doesn't take up that much space and is easily organized.

View media item 105694
The next thing was getting the support leg mounted. I know its not that easy to see in the pic, but the leg got ripped out of the table at some point. A few new screws and we're back in business.

View media item 105695
That's pretty much it for major work that needed to be done to the saw. Just waiting for a few packages to show up for the finishing touches. One that includes some fittings to tie the shop vac to the dust collector port, another being a zero clearance insert from Infinity Tools.

https://www.infinitytools.com/sawstop-zero-clearance-throat-plate-with-two-inserts-4760

I know a lot of guys will make their own inserts, but as I was watching some videos where guys were making their own for their SawStop saws, I quickly realized that it was a way more intense project than I was willing to tackle due to the relatively complex design SawStop uses compared to other model saws. The initial price might seem a little steep for the Infinity Tools option, but when you take into account that SawStop charges $50 each for theirs, its pretty easy to justify the initial expense because of the cheaper inserts.

With the mild weather we had over the weekend, Buster joined me for his first QST session. He watched intently as I worked on the saw and really thought it was funny as I was asking his opinion on how we should rig up the dust collection. I think I've got another future shop buddy in the making. I did the same thing with Stinker when she was little and to this day she likes to sit in my shop chair and chat with me while I work, or work on her own projects.

View media item 105696

 

[fourbyford]

Nice work on the saw!

The pic of your shop buddy is priceless... he'll be making saw dust with you before you know!


...D

 

[nicholam77]

That's a nice design on the zero clearance insert. I made my own, spent way too much time getting it to fit, and am not 100% happy with it. Sometimes it's just worth it to buy. And if you ever do get more than one thickness blade you'll end up wanting a ZCI for each blade haha... the Infinity Tools replaceable insert option looks smart.

Good looking shop buddy. Regrettably I haven't had my daughter in the garage during projects too much, mostly because it's dirty and sometimes loud, but she definitely is interested in the tools. I'm hoping to make her some sort of workbench she can play with in the future.

That crack in your floor looks to be about on par with mine

 

[bdbecker]

Nice work on the saw!

The pic of your shop buddy is priceless... he'll be making saw dust with you before you know!

No joke, time is going by way too fast with him. Both kids for that matter. Buster is already rolling and on the edge of scooting/crawling. Stinker is a full blown little person at the ripe old age of (nearly) five and is asking some pretty intense questions about the world and life. Just last night she was asking how the sunrise and sunset works. She seemed satisfied with my flashlight and ball demonstration.

-----

That's a nice design on the zero clearance insert. I made my own, spent way too much time getting it to fit, and am not 100% happy with it. Sometimes it's just worth it to buy. And if you ever do get more than one thickness blade you'll end up wanting a ZCI for each blade haha... the Infinity Tools replaceable insert option looks smart...

That was exactly what I was worried about. Sure, if it was a simple oval shape, I'd totally just knock out a batch and have them on hand. But its not that simple with this saw. I'll happily spend the $3.50 for a new insert if I need a new setup.

...Regrettably I haven't had my daughter in the garage during projects too much, mostly because it's dirty and sometimes loud, but she definitely is interested in the tools. I'm hoping to make her some sort of workbench she can play with in the future...

It'll come with time. The main thing I try to do is not force it. If she's interested in something I'm working on, I'll include her. If she just wants to play in the yard while I'm working in the shop, that's cool too. Usually its a mix of both on any given day - she'll pop in for a few minutes to hammer some nails in her board or ask me about what I'm doing, and then back to riding her bicycle.

...That crack in your floor looks to be about on par with mine

Its a serious crack, but it doesn't bug me as much as the south half of the slab being out of level. I'm considering calling around again and seeing if I can get some quotes for mudjacking.

I'm rolling around the idea of turning the south half of the garage into a dedicated woodworking area and would really like to have a level surface to work with. I think I'd like to build a project table that would serve double duty as an outfeed table for the saw. Everything would be on casters so I could keep my space flexible - having halfway level floors would be important.