New (to me) toy...gloat?

[Mike Cruz]

Not totally sure about it being a gloat, but I've been in the market for a stand alone mortiser for a while. I've gone to auctions and checked CL. At auction, machines in fair (at best) condition went for over well over $600. I couldn't justify that.

Well, found one on CL and picked it up today. $400. Not the best one around, but better than my benchtop. Guess what is on CL now...;)

[Bruce Page]

Western Maryland must be tool heaven. I never see the deals you do!
Congrats

[Doug Morgan]

Not totally sure about it being a gloat, but I've been in the market for a stand alone mortiser for a while. I've gone to auctions and checked CL. At auction, machines in fair (at best) condition went for over well over $600. I couldn't justify that.

Well, found one on CL and picked it up today. $400. Not the best one around, but better than my benchtop. Guess what is on CL now...;)

Congrats on your find...

[Mike Cruz]

I'll be on CL if she sees this thread!

[Jeff Monson]

Nice gloat Mike, it appears to be in super nice condition!!

[Carroll Courtney]

FOUL,FOUL thats (two) many gloats in one month.Heck thats less than 1/2 price and it looks new,so to me thats a gloat.Congrads----Carroll

[Mark Engel]

I'll be on CL if she sees this thread!

Does that Cruz come with all the tools and accessories? :)

[Dan Hintz]

I'll be on CL if she sees this thread!
Hmmm, I may be able to find some extra room in a corner of my shop for one of those... could come in handy when you need a third hand.

[Mike Cruz]

Dan, want a table top version of me? :D

Mark, I come with ALL the tools and accessories...but at CL prices...;)

Carroll, that made me laugh out loud...really. Foul, Foul... Hehe, that was better than a You Suck!

Jeff, it is in almost new condition. It came with 4 chisels, but I might be smart to get new ones.

Doug, thanks...it took me long enough. :o

Bruce, I check CL often...very often. And for the record, for anyone that knows this area (and for those that don't), I'm on the very eastern border of what is called Western MD. Literally the other side of the moutain would be Central MD. So, where I live, within an hour, I can be at the DC beltway, the Baltimore beltway, West Virginia, Virgina (all the way to Dulles Airport), and Pennsylvania, (and of course still well within MD :D). So, I have quite a large area to scan for CL. This item was actually in what would be considered Southern MD (at least the northern part of So MD). Luckily for me, I didn't have to drive the almost 2 hours to it. The guy selling it works right about an hour from me. Funny thing is that the contractor doing work on my house is going to go get his DC, jointer, and spindle sander this weekend. :)

Thanks, all, for your comments and kudos. I know it isn't a "cream" piece, but for the price, I'm tickled.

[Jeff Monson]

Mike, I guess I dont get your comments on it not being a huge score? I've never heard of Steelex, what area of quality do you consider it? Powermatic? Grizzley? Craftsman? Harbor Freight? If its a lower quality machine, wouldnt a set of higher quality chisels help.

[Joe Angrisani]

Jeff... I have a set of cheapo Steelex drill bits I got from Grizzly for $6.95 or something. They were my toss-about bits at the car shop. I laughed back when I first opened the box because they weren't even progressive in length (based on diameter). But they served us fine drilling aluminum/pot metal, steel and plastic.

That said, I'd guess Jet or Grizzly quality. Typical recent-decent Taiwanese stuff. Better than Harbor Freight's.

[Troy Turner]

Mike -

Nice score. Now you have to come up with a project for her using that so you don't have to put yourself on CL :D

Question though...what's the sander thing-a-ma-bob for on the left?

[Mike Cruz]

Good eye Troy... It is a homemade sander. Long story short, I had two extra motors: a 1.5 hp Leeson and a 3/4 hp (from a Ridgid BS). I put a 12" sanding disc on the 1.5 hp motor, and a drum on the 3/4 motor. Here are some better pics of it. I have since moved it to another spot in the shop and made some slight dust collection mods (basically rerouting the pipe behind the unit instead of infront of it.

[Mike Cruz]

Jeff, basically what I mean is that the unit isn't a Powermatic or other well regarded brand. Its fit and finish is okay, but not spectacular. WAY more of a machine than my Delta table top mortiser. Heck, double the hp... Jeff is pretty much right there with his description. I would put it about Grizzly. But better than HF. The other reason for it not being a HUGE score is that when the seller bought this machine, it was when Grizzly had them at an introductory price of $550. So, I didn't get it at a huge discount. The other side of the coin is that in pretty much any other brand, these things are over $1000 new. So, where to put the savings... original cost minus what I paid, or the closest thing on the market to what I paid? Bottom line is that I got a stand alone mortiser for $400. I'm happy with that. I would have loved a "better", more tried and true brand, but I didn't have the budget for that...

[David Nelson1]

Oh you had to ask that didn't cha LOL! Its one hell of a clap trap!:D

[David Nelson1]

I didn't see this yet. You suck, coming all the way down here picking my back yard and not even a whisper. I bet cha tip toed as well didn't cha. LOL If you have room for that new toy I bet ya got room for one more band saw on wheels huh? Nice purchase Mike I would like to have one as well, but mine bench model is doing ok for now. Oh by the way where did ya get it?

[Bruce Page]

Cool sander Mike but the dust collection under the drum scares the heck out of me. I have used a drum setup like that and had the work piece bounce off of it. You should add some U shaped edge protection around the sheet metal edge!
http://www.usplastic.com/catalog/item.aspx?sku=49024

[Mike Cruz]

Thanks, David. The guy lives in Lusby. But I didn't go down there to pick it up. He and I met at his work near Georgia Ave and the beltway...

Bruce, maybe I hadn't done it yet when I took these pics, but the edge of the sheet metal has multiple coats of Plastidip...in the appropriate RED color. ;) But I have another project that requires "safetifying" some sheet metal, and will check out your link. Thanks.

[David Nelson1]

Thanks, David. The guy lives in Lusby. But I didn't go down there to pick it up. He and I met at his work near Georgia Ave and the beltway...

Bruce, maybe I hadn't done it yet when I took these pics, but the edge of the sheet metal has multiple coats of Plastidip...in the appropriate RED color. ;) But I have another project that requires "safetifying" some sheet metal, and will check out your link. Thanks.


Oh yeah I did see a bunch of Lusby postings.

[Mike Cruz]

I've got some work being done on my house. My contractor is picking up all the other stuff the guy had, except for the planer. That "went" before my contractor could get a hold of the seller.

[Wayne Ashing]

Bought one when Grizzly clearanced them out. Compared to the HF bench top was a giant leap forward
Go to the Laguna website and look at its twin. Identical stops, table lock, handle pull and position. Looks
as if it is a rebranded tool. Used it on several projects and has performed very well.

[Mike Cruz]

Funny. Thought I was getting a bit of an "off" model with this, but it seems, from everyone's comments, that it is a pretty nice machine. I'm even happier now. :)

[Dan Hintz]

Funny. Thought I was getting a bit of an "off" model with this, but it seems, from everyone's comments, that it is a pretty nice machine. I'm even happier now. :)
So are you going to tell Leslie that you got a better deal on this one than you originally thought? :D

[Mike Cruz]

Trouble maker...