Brad Ridgway
05-26-2009, 12:48 PM
Well i finally got around to final cutting some birch panels down to size on the Exactor i previously was gloating about here... Some observations:
1) Loved it, but there is flex in whole assembly. Bearings are tight up against the rails. But i can grab the rails at the ends ad push side to side with moderate force.
This maybe not to bad if cut the panel standing in the middle / behind the table and my cuts were pretty spot on square in those cases...
However, if you're using it for dadoes as i later did, you must put the force further to the right (of the table / fence) and there is some give here. I did 4 dadoes. Three were close to perfect (< 1/32) the other was out about 3/16 on the exit side of the cut. Maybe i did something wrong, but i don't thing so...
2) I have the big unit and to cut 4x8 sheets you have to have the fence on the back. However: the miter gauge angles are imprinted only for when face is in the front. More importantly, you couldn't really 45 miter cut a decent sized panel with the fence in the back anyway as the fence is not in front of the blade. No biggie.
3) Im still worried about those hexkey screws holding the legs together. Something in my head tells me they'll slip when i'm in the middle of a cut one day...
In short for $56 used, one of my best tool purchases yet. btw - i didn't remove the left wing from the PM66. If the extra vibration has any impact on quality of cut, i don't notice it. It takes up a heckofalotof room in my small shop :)
And now my question:
I saw a post once upon a time about the cheap plastic tighteners on these units. Someone recommended replacing with something from Rockeler, but i can't find the post and am not sure where to search on Rockler's site... Anyone remember?
thx
-brad
1) Loved it, but there is flex in whole assembly. Bearings are tight up against the rails. But i can grab the rails at the ends ad push side to side with moderate force.
This maybe not to bad if cut the panel standing in the middle / behind the table and my cuts were pretty spot on square in those cases...
However, if you're using it for dadoes as i later did, you must put the force further to the right (of the table / fence) and there is some give here. I did 4 dadoes. Three were close to perfect (< 1/32) the other was out about 3/16 on the exit side of the cut. Maybe i did something wrong, but i don't thing so...
2) I have the big unit and to cut 4x8 sheets you have to have the fence on the back. However: the miter gauge angles are imprinted only for when face is in the front. More importantly, you couldn't really 45 miter cut a decent sized panel with the fence in the back anyway as the fence is not in front of the blade. No biggie.
3) Im still worried about those hexkey screws holding the legs together. Something in my head tells me they'll slip when i'm in the middle of a cut one day...
In short for $56 used, one of my best tool purchases yet. btw - i didn't remove the left wing from the PM66. If the extra vibration has any impact on quality of cut, i don't notice it. It takes up a heckofalotof room in my small shop :)
And now my question:
I saw a post once upon a time about the cheap plastic tighteners on these units. Someone recommended replacing with something from Rockeler, but i can't find the post and am not sure where to search on Rockler's site... Anyone remember?
thx
-brad