Ever buy something you thought was over priced - until you used it? (Bench Cookies)

[Rich Engelhardt]

I used my Rockler Bench Cookies for the first time yesterday.

The things work great!

I felt a bit guilty about spending money on something that a scrap of 2x4 could do, but, I used them to hold an 18" x 25" oak glue up I had to route a round over on & they worked a lot better than I thought they would.

I'm 100% sold on these things. They are at the top of my list of things to mention I'd like to have for Christmas from the grandkids.

[Bill Huber]

I will agree on that, I have some of them and as you say just did not think much of them when they were given to me. Now after using them I really like them and use them all the time.

I even went out and bought the painting cones for them which are much better then using the triangles that slide all over the place.

[Bruce Wrenn]

In 1996, at American Woodworker Show in Philly, I bought my first Kreg jig just before leaving for airport. All the way home, my wife reminded me that she thought it was over priced. After doing several jobs using jig, which would have been almost impossible, she no longer thinks it's over priced. As I earn my living with my tools, none of my tools have cost me, even duplicates. My FIL once said I was the only guy he had ever seen that had saw for each end of the board. I reminded him how much time ($$$$) I saved each day not having to walk to other end of board to get saw. I have routers dedicated to just one bit, or jig.

[Harvey Pascoe]

I just bought a Lie Neilson block plane, the smallest one. Was amazed at how well it works and that in just a few days has become my most used tool by far. I thought $105 was a bit much for this little tyke when there seemed like a lot of nice ones in the $40 range but someone twisted my arm and called me a fool not to get it, so I did. Well, he turned out to be right and good thing too, or I would have broken his arm!

[Rick Potter]

Hey Bill,

I haven't tried it myself, but I wonder if setting those triangles on a router pad would help?

Rick Potter

[Gary Pennington]

+1 on the LN block plane. It's the most used tool in my shop as well and was the tool used to fit all the strips on 2 cedar strip kayaks. It was a Christmas present from my wife ( with a little prep work by me). If you don't have the belt holster (or whatever they call it) do yourself a favor and pick one up, your plane will always be at your fingertips.

Gary

[Bruce Darrow]

+ 1 on the Bench Cookies. I never would have bought them, but was given 8 of 'em for Christmas. They're great!

Also +1 on a high end block plane. Mine is a LV low angle. I have 2 replacement irons at different bevel angles, and in combination with those, there ain't nothing appropriate for a block plane that it won't do - flawlessly! I also ended up springing for the add-on tote and knob, which I'm less enthusiastic about, but I've heard others say they're really glad they went that way, so maybe it's just a matter of running into the right chunk of wood for them to prove their value.

[Leo Graywacz]

I bought the Kreg Foreman at a cost of $800. When you look inside of it you would be amazed at how simple it is. It has made my life much easier.

The other tool I bought was for finishing. I bought a AAA pump spray unit. It was a 10:14 Kremlin with the AirMix gun. I got it to spray a large cherry kitchen. I make 3-5 kitchens a year. Usually I have to spray everything flat, then assemble, then mask and then spray the outside. I use to use a HVLP gravity gun and that was slow.

Now with the Kremlin, as long as it is a clear or stain job, I can just assemble the cabinets and then spray them. On the cherry kitchen it saved me a full weeks worth of time, so it paid for itself in one job. The price of the Kremlin is around $1800.00

[Steve Griffin]

Those bench cookies look handy.

But the painting cones???

Here's the home brew version, which I use to finish every door I have built the last decade:

1)Cut a piece of 3/4" ply, 2.5" square.
2)Drill a 1/8" hole in about the middle
3)Screw in a 1.5" or 2" screw.


You need three to support each door/drawer face getting stained or finished.

I'd be happy to provide pictures, 3 view drawings and a Utube tutorial to make them easier.;)

-Steve