A couple things........

[Ken Fitzgerald]

Today I got the chance to seriously use a couple tools I purchased in the last 10 months.

First, at Jim O'Dell's recommendation, I purchased a couple Infinity saw blades. Today I was ripping oak and friends.....that 10" Glueline Rip blade is incredible! I always rip over size and then plane to finished thickness/width. Literally, I had to feel with my fingers which side need to be planed as I could not determine which side had been sawn and which side had be jointed by just looking at it. I think in the future I may just rip to finished width and glue it up. I am impressed!

I got to put my G0490X jointer to some serious work. I am impressed. It held the adjustments, dust collection worked well and the finished product was straight, smooth and perpendicular to it's side. I save a lot of money by buying S2S instead of S4S red oak. The jointer will pay for itself.

[David Nelson1]

Nice jointer Ken. That's the one I would have gotten if I was buying new. The extra 1" in fence height will be a plus as well as the extra HP.

[Stephen Olson]

For me, there are two moments of joy in tool ownership: The day I buy the tool, and the day I actually get around to using it! I keep a list of tools that I want (but don't currently need) in my phone, and whenever I'm out and about I will watch for tools on my list to go on sale.

[Karl Card]

That is great.... speaking of jointers..... I bought an 8 inch jointer with a 66 inch bed and that was over a year ago and well I even wired it and have the plug on it and you know I still have not turned it one yet... I must be messed up somewhere...lol

[Greg Peterson]

There is a satisfaction and joy I get, and hope never goes away, when I go out to my recently finished 'shop'. I have to take a moment and look around, take a quick inventory of the many wonderful tools I have and the space I created in which to use these tools. It's come a long way since that first time I fired up the old, rusted out craftsman CS to cut some masonite for the LOML. Absolutely prehistoric.

Congrats Ken. I hope the satisfaction and joy of using your hard earned tools is only outshined by the wonderful pieces you produce.

[Lewis Ehrhardt]

Ken, I'm curious b/c I'm about to build some cabinets, could you give us some price comparisoms on the savings of buying S2S versus S4S? Thanks Lewis

[Ken Fitzgerald]

Lewis,

Hardwoods are expensive in Idaho. We don't grow a lot of them and thus they are trucked in...so we pay shipping. IIRC.....I will check later today but IIRC it was $5.80 a bad ft for 4/4 red oak S4S and $2.70 for S2S. I paid $11 a bd/ft for S4S cherry 2 years ago.

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[David Nelson1]

I paid $11 a bd/ft for S4S cherry 2 years ago.:eek: Unreal!

[scott vroom]

Not sure if this fits into the conversation but I've been buying S2S1E maple at a 20 cent premium over rough. I have a jointer and a planner but what I'm really liking (and willing to pay the 20 cents for) is the one straightlined ripped edge. I never have to mess with straightlining crooked or kinked boards.

[Ken Fitzgerald]

It's not unreal....it's supply.....demand......and shipping......... They have the supply..... they demand a good price.....I can pick and choose (high grade though at this place I've never seen trash wood) and in return I pay a premium price. and.....it probably came from a mill in the eastern part of the US.....so there is shipping involved.

The supply is limited. I travel 30 miles to this supplier. Any other hardwood supplier is 110-130 miles away. One supplier with a good supply and more reasonable prices is 130 miles away and sell by appointment only.

[Ken Fitzgerald]

I'm sorry...my memory was off........... the Cherry was only $9.80 / bd.ft.

[David Nelson1]

Still a lot Ken

[Paul McGaha]

I'm very lucky here as the local hardwood suppliers are pretty good and there are a couple of outstanding ones in Pennsylvania.

I tend to use Groff and Groff Lumber from PA when I can. Great people, good wood, sharp pricing. Nice drive up there and its located near some beautiful Amish farming communites.

I try to go to up there at least once a year.

PHM

[David Nelson1]

Thats not to bad of a run up there Paul.

[Ken Fitzgerald]

Back to my original theme.....I just came in from the shop where I mortised the stiles for the face frame on an oak entertainment center I'm building. It (the mortiser) was a pleasure to use. I bought this after receiving recommendations here. At Rod Sheridan's recommendation, I looked at the GI moritiser. Though it was a little more expensive than the others I was looking at, the better holddown mechanism and the ability to tilt it sold me on it. I have only used it a few times but everytime I do, I am very satisfied.

7 years ago I joined the Creek to get recommendations for a standalone woodworking shop I was going to build. I built that shop and since have been in the process of finishing and outfitting it. I can honestly say my shop and tools are better as a result of the recommendations I have recieved here at the Creek. Often you have to keep a somewhat open mind and consider the other opinons and then make a decision for yourself.

I am also blessed in that I can afford to not necessarily choose the cheapest tools and frankly I can't afford the most expensive but....I can afford to consider alternatives. Thus my shop has Grizzly, Delta, Mini-Max, PM, General International, Jet, Ridgid, Oneida. There is quite a clash of colors.....

I might have been done if the crazy turners hadn't shoved me into the Vortex. I am afraid once I finish this project, I will jump back into the turning world as I have some new tools and some ideas.

[Rod Sheridan]

Ken, glad you're happy with your GI mortiser, I've owned the non tilt model for a decade now and it has been great.

I also learn a lot here on the forum, it's a great place, due to the members willingness to help.

My shop is also a bunch of colours, dark grey with Diann's Rockwell lathe, galvanised for my Oneida cyclone, grey/red for my Hammer stuff, green for my GI, and my Craftsman drill press is grey.

As for turning, I had to make a decision to stop, as it truly is a black hole, I wasn't getting any furniture built!

Regards, Rod.

[Don Bullock]

Today I got the chance to seriously use a couple tools I purchased in the last 10 months.

First, at Jim O'Dell's recommendation, I purchased a couple Infinity saw blades. ... I am impressed!

I got to put my G0490X jointer to some serious work. ...

First of all, congratulations Ken. I understand the wait to use your machines. Due to moving and other "must do" projects some of mine have sat idle for at least two years.

I'll have to check into the Infinity saw blades. If Jim o'Dell recommended them and you like them as well they are certainly worth a try.

I have the G0490 jointer and love it. Unfortunately they didn't have the X option when I bought mine.

[Jim O'Dell]

Glad the Ripper did well for you. I've got mine here, but haven't used it yet. Remember, if the blades aren't already on sale, SMC members get 10% off, and there is free shipping if over either 100 or 130 dollars, can't remember the specifics. And I'll eventually get the G0490 jointer too. I've been sold on it since it came out. Just haven't decided to start saving money for it yet. Scott Spencer has stated for a while that the Infinity blades were very good. That was good enough recommendation for me. I've got 3 Infinity blades, and 10 router bits now, only 1 blade and 3 of the bits have actually chewed into wood so far. But that will change with the computer desk build. Jim.

[Jim Summers]

Is this the infinity blade: 010-024
ya'll are talking about?

It is listed for $51.90, and you say I can get 10% off of that?

Thanks

[Jim O'Dell]

Yes, just put SMC discount in the comment section. It won't show in the checkout, but will be applied before billing. When I bought mine, there was free shipping over 39.95 and my total was under 60.00, so the 10% didn't apply. But he has applied it before when I was over the 100.00 that qualified for the normal free shipping. You can always email him to get clarification before ordering. He responds very promptly to emails. Jim.

[Ken Fitzgerald]

Jim.............Yes...it's the 010-024. I just messed up a piece of the face frame and had to rip another one. Same problem....I had to feel which side had been jointed and which had been ripped. I am impressed.