SMC Weekend Accomplishments.....

[Dennis Peacock]

Well...another weekend has come and gone....and so have the storms and tornados around here... :-)

Just piddled around the house this weekend, done a lot of computer work this weekend as well as researching a good quality ROS to purchase since my PC333 that I bought 3 months ago as a Factory Reconditioned unit has been giving me problems since day one.......Needless to say...I'm DONE with PC333 sanders. I guess I could call PC and see what they have to say about it since it is "supposed" to have the same warranty as a new tool....1 year......

No real shop time this weekend.....just emptying the water buckets from inside the shop.....I've gotta stop those roof leaks one of these days.....shoot....all it takes is MONEY right? ;-)

Best of Weeks....

[Keith Outten]

Dennis,

Sorry about the problems with your Porter Cable 333 sander. I have 4 of them and they have been excellent sanders. Since the Proter Cable people don't have the time to join us here at SawMill Creek we don't have a representative of their company to help you with your problem. I will take this into consideration the next time I purchase new equipment for my shop.

To All,

Any time you return a tool of have a problem please make sure you post the details here at SawMiull Creek. In time our database will have a considerable amount of information that will assist you in making decisions when purchasing new tools and equipment. Additionally please post your comments concerning tools you recommend and the details to support your position. Please include the manufacturer name, make and model numbers in your posts.

Maybe we should create a "Tool Reviews" forum, what do you think?

[Bob Lasley]

Good Monday Morning,

Had to work at the "real job" Saturday morning, but still got a fair amount of shop time to continue work on the sleigh crib. All the pieces for the ends are milled except for the round cap and I am well into the sanding before assembly stage.

Dennis,

I don't know what to think about your PC333 problems as I have had one for about three years that has performed well. I would buy another one in a heartbeat. Maybe you need to change it's oil more often or use Slick 50 or something!;)

Bob

[Jim Becker]

I actually got done what I planned to get done...several more cabinet carcasses for our kitchen renovation. What was even better...all the parts cut directly from my cut-list derived from the plans actually fit together correctly! "May the Force be with me" for the rest of the cabinetry... :D

To Dennis...sorry to hear about your ROS problems. My current one, a PC333 recon, has been going for five years without any problems. The only maintenance I've done is to replace the pad twice which is normal maintenance for any H&L tool. I actually picked up a brand new PC333 on a closeout table at the Borg this weekend for $29. It's just missing the pad which I can easily replace. Such a deal...

[John Weber]

Keith,

I’m a little unsettled about your comments regarding a PC representative. Your tone seems like Porter Cable owes it to your web site to be an active participant. As did your comments about Delta and other manufacturers awhile back. Many companies have policies about employees surfing and representing the company on line. I’m sure there are plenty of individuals from all the major tool companies that surf the forums regularly. I’ve seen the guy form Grizzly here and at the Oak (a very pro Grizzly group). I think actively promoting a tool company because of participation is wrong. Didn’t we go through this a month or so ago with the personal web site issue. I don’t mean to be stepping on toes, it’s your show, but I would just be less entitled when asking for participation. There are a lot of other woodworking forums out there, if a major tool company choose a different forum to participate, I sure you would be upset. The policy that most manufacturers seem to follow is to let employees to as they like on there own time. No official endorsement or participation. Finally, I’m not sure how long you visited the Pond, but several Delta/Porter Cable people surfed regularly, never posting, but very often helping Ponders behind the scenes. So before tool companies write off Sawmill Creek, it might be best to lighten up on this issue.

John

[Ken Salisbury]

I managed to put a newly sharpened set of knives in both my jointer and my planer this weekend. What a difference sharp knives make.

Also bite the bullet for a new digital camera (Sony DSC-P71, 3.2 mega pixels) which consumed a lot of time trying to become familiar with all of the features -- too many for this old man to comprehend.

Planed some 8 ¼ walnut and a whole bunch of various boards left over from other projects (beech, oak, poplar, butternut, basswood, and walnut). Now I just need to make something out of it.

Also planed a sample of the ~430 bd/ft FAS walnut (35¢/ft -- subtle gloat) I got last September just to see how it looks - - "beautiful" -- not quite dry enough yet -- but it is getting there.

Also had 1 Bud Light Saturday :)

[keith zimmerman]

Saturday was a wash for me. LOML had a class all afternoon so I watched my kids all day.

On Sunday, I started mowing early and wound up quitting after my mower dropped one of the belts. Just ordered new ones and will install them later in the week.

I made a straight-edge jig for my circular saw in preparation for installing a plywood interior wall surface in my shop this week.

I also cut a 36" long, 18" diameter mulberry log and sealed it. Found it to be gorgeously spalted.

keithz

[Robert Goodwin]

No Woodwoking ( sigh ) but I actually got a bit of time to work on the Built in BBQ. That was one of those, I can do that better and cheeper. I just left out the faster part. With 2 small kids, this grill is going to take 4 months. Oh well, Too hot to work in the garage anyway ( 110 in the garage on Friday)

Rob

[Phil Phelps]

....What a wienie I am. Worked in the yard. Bought a Swing at Lowes for the better half. Put it together. Memories of Christmas Eve, bleech. More plants. Thought about golf. More yard work. Aint life grand?

I'm goin' to Ft. Worth Thursday and watch that girl play a real golf course.

[Keith Outten]

John,

I expect all good companies to provide support after a sale. Good customers deserve more than a cheap flyer for a manual and when they have problems they should not have to spend their valuable time working their way up through five levels of tech support to finally get to a manager that can make a decision.

Any manufacturer with any vision should know by now that a global network can provide them with an opportunity to communicate with their customers. They sure know how to use it for sales advertising and it didn't take them long to figue it out. The fact the the Quality Control Manager for Grizzly took his time to get involved here assisting one of our members impressed me and I'll bet that his efforts got more positive exposure than any other medium he could have selected....hence more possible sales for Grizzly and it was absolutely free.

If a woodworker can belong to more than one forum it seems to me a manufacturers rep could as well. Many of our members are professionals and their time is just as valuable yet they take the time to participate and contribute. Not one company owes me anything as the administrator of this forum, but as a woodworker and a consumer of their products they should be obligated to provide as much support for their product line as possible if they expect me to be a return customer. Remember that I own four PC 333 ROS's.

I'm not promoting any tool companies and SawMill Creek's sonsor is not in the woodworking or manufacturing business. We are not obliged to promote a sponsors tools or magazine subscriptions because we fear they will pull their advertising. Have you seen any buttons on any of the menus at SawMill Creek promoting anything? When you see the buttons and graphics you know who pays the bills and who sets the agenda. If Porter Cable was a sponsor of SawMill Creek it is unlikely that I would allow any negative comments concerning their equipment.

We built SawMill Creek for woodworkers. Not one advertisement, not one button or graphic and no pop-ups to hassle anyone. If the manufacturers want to write us off it would truly be their loss. Remember we aren't promoting their competitors products either.

I do appreciate your comments John, thanks for your input.

[Dennis Peacock]

I see and agree with your comments....I also agree with John as well.

The most frustrating thing to many of us is the lack of content in the usual owners manual. It is mostly an after thought (seemingly) and just something to put the Legal stuff in to cover their liability. I have written manuals that are a LOT better than any owners manual of any tool I have and I would even say that my very WORST manual ever written is far better that the manuals I have gotten from WW Tool Manufacturers....

</ramble>

[Ted Shrader]

Originally posted by Keith Outten
Any time you return a tool of have a problem please make sure you post the details here at SawMiull Creek. In time our database will have a considerable amount of information that will assist you in making decisions when purchasing new tools and equipment. Additionally please post your comments concerning tools you recommend and the details to support your position. Please include the manufacturer name, make and model numbers in your posts.<p>
Maybe we should create a "Tool Reviews" forum, what do you think?

Keith -

I think that would be good. Initial posts could start out here and then be archived there for easy reviewing. But that means more sysop intervention.

Ted

[Jim Baker]

The only sawdust I made this weekend was with the chainsaw. We spent a lot of time cleaning up storm damaged trees from the lawn and pasture.

I took our son to Effingham to see a World War II reenactment. It was quite interesting and very well done.

[Anthony Yakonick]

I had a successful craft show on Saturday despite the weather. the show was at an art center with a dedicated membership. The people did not come in droves but they did come to buy. I was the only woodturner there and also I was the only vendor with any wood. I think the best sale I had was to a pottery teacher at the art center, while it wasn't the biggest sale I'd like to think that the potters are copying me! One other thing tonight (Monday) I went to the Bucks Turners hoping to meet Jim Becker but he didn't make it, maybe next time Jim!

Anthony

[John Weber]

Keith,

I’m not sure whom you are referring to that uses flyers for manuals. I’ve always found Porter Cable and Delta manuals very good. I have some imported Powermatic equipment that has ok manuals. DeWalt and Milwaukee also generally have excellent manuals. They only comments I usually hear typically refer to the photo copied manuals of much of the imported machinery.

As for the QC guy from Grizzly, I’m glad he takes time to read the forums and participate. As I said before, I’m sure employees from every major tool company have visited Sawmill Creek. But if I’m a large manufacturer, I may or may not want people that represent my company participating. What if the janitor at Jet starts answering emails and promising fast replacement? What happens to Jet reputation then when he doesn’t deliever? I think participation is optional and may even be a positive, but I would certainly not penalize companies for choosing not to actively participate. Finally, as I said before, I know of many instances where tool companies lurking the forums helped customers with no fan fare or public comment. They just made things happen.

As for sponsorship, I have not seen any, but in your comments it appears that you talk up those companies participating and refer to those that don’t in a negative way.

Quote:

“Since the Proter Cable people don't have the time to join us here at SawMill Creek we don't have a representative of their company to help you with your problem. I will take this into consideration the next time I purchase new equipment for my shop.”

I don’t have a problem with thanking companies for participating, but penalizing them for not makes little sense. At most tool companies customer service is a toll free call away. One representative I know gets 150 emails a day. In general I think all companies do a good job trying to satisfy the customer. Rarely do we hear a really screw up purchase experience. And then we only get one side of the story. I have to believe if given a chance most companies will do the right thing.

I do not think any manufacture would want to write off the 1000 potential and existing customers that belong to Sawmill Creek, however I believe critizing them for not actively participating will drive them away. This in turn will hurt the members since the folks helping behind the scenes will be gone.

Finally as for the PC ROS, I know PC has a liberal return policy as do many of the Porter Cable resellers. If the particular unit has a problem, I’m sure they would be glad to take care of it for Dennis. I have a DeWalt ROS, but have used the PC’s and they seem like good units. Obliviously, you must like them since you have 4. I’m sure they will take care of Dennis if given the opportunity.

On a side note about Porter Cable. I have a 4x24 belts sander I purchase several years ago. After about 6 months I noticed it didn’t collect dust very well. At a wood show I spoke to the PC rep. He said to take it to a service center and they would exchange it. As it turns out it was a type 6, and they made an improvement in the type 7 that had just come out. Did they have to exchange my sander no – it worked as designed and described. The new type 7 just worked a whole lot better, so instead of being somewhat dissatisfied with the tool, I became a bigger fan of Porter Cable and ended up with a tool well capable of doing the job.

I think we made just have to agree to disagree on this issue.

John

[Jim Becker]

Originally posted by Anthony Yakonick
One other thing tonight (Monday) I went to the Bucks Turners hoping to meet Jim Becker but he didn't make it, maybe next time Jim!

My sincere apologies, Anthony...I got tied up with a bunch of work things at the end of the day (the real job sometimes gets in the way of more important things...like woodworking) and began making dinner for SWMBO. Halfway through eating dinner (7:45p) I realized that it was BWT meeting night. I'll be there next month as I don't want to miss Jean-Francois Escoulen's presentation. (Baring any unforeseen business travel which I copiously try to avoid for the third Monday of the month!)