New PM 209 Falling apart! What now??

[Nathan Conner]

So, about 5 months ago, I bought this 20" planer from a local tool distributor after trying out the Jet J/P combo, which didn't impress me a whole lot. It was "used"...sort of. It was being consigned by a guy who was tired of fighting with the shipping co and Powermatic to get cosmetic repair work done, as the base had been banged up a bit during initial shipping.

There was also one 3/16" long hairline crack in the casting of the head. It was at one of the posts, but had been professionally repaired by the shop "to Powermatic's standards" with a 1/4" steel plate bolted into newly tapped holes to about 1" to either side of the crack, which was visible through the paint.

I got a good deal on the planer (like $300 off or something), so I didn't have too much issue with the cosmetic stuff. So the base had some scratches and a dent on it - I didn't care. And the crack looked ok to me. AND...the salesman (owner, maybe?) said these exact words to me, "We will treat this warranty like a new planer warranty, because it hasn't seen any use, and we've been through it."

It was a holy nightmare to get into my shop - it took over 24 hours by myself in the cold February rain with the tractor, 4x4, come-along, ramps, boards, ropes, pulleys and chains, but I got it in there. I did say a bad word, once. (*cough*)

So. It's in the shop, I used it a few times on some Alder. It started to get awfully "rattle-y" in the base of the unit. Sounded like something had come loose and was grinding/rattling/vibrating around in the base unit. I called the place I bought it from, and after a short talk with the repair guy (its funny, they didn't seem excited to do any warranty work, regardless of what the salesman had told me. He said, "But it's used, how could we warranty it?"), I took off the base cover and found two bolts and various nuts, washers and bolts laying on the concrete under the motor. I replaced them all and cranked them all down tight - just motor retaining bolts. I fired it up and it ran quietly. All is good.

I ran about 20 more bf of Alder through it last week, and realized that the outfeed roller is no longer turning, or has come out of adjustment badly, because I have to pull (HARD) to get the wood out the outfeed side once it's passed under the knives. Always with snipe and burn marks. (*sigh*)

A couple of days ago, I had a friend over, and fired it up so he could hear the howl of a well tuned, well-built machine. Ha! What we heard was that noise again, this time, it was REALLY loud. Rattling, screeching, crashing around. Just horrible. I turned it off and pulled the plate again. Nothing visibly wrong, so I took off the motor cover that hides the cooling fins/end of the shaft. Guess what I found!?

The cooling fin piece is now a little mangled ball of aluminum with a huge hole in it. It's obviously come off the shaft and it's what's been crashing and banging around inside the motor cover. The fins are all bent over sideways, and the 5/8" shaft-hole is about 2" and oblong with bent metal everywhere.

While I was at it, unfortunately, I noticed that small crack in the casting in the top has now turned into NINE cracks over about a 6" span all along the side, both under and around that plate modification. Crap!

I'm not impressed with the ~$2,300 planer that's in the shop. It's not running right, looks like the head was cast badly from all the cracks (the paint is cracking right along with it & you can see them), the motor bolts have fallen off twice now, regardless of how tightly I put them on, and the outfeed isn't working. Aside from ALL of that, when you start it it has always started with a "BANG!" and then settles out. It did this at the dealer, too. They said it was normal for this size of machine. I listened to another 209, sounds NOTHING like mine. It's quiet, no vibration, no startup noise.

So. It comes to this. What does anyone recommend? This planer has been turned on and RUNNING FOR LESS THAN TWO HOURS. I haven't talked to the dealer again, so I'll approach them today. I don't want to go in making demands, but something happened to this planer other than "shipping damage". (I had to wrestle it a lot getting it into the shop, but it was NEVER damaged or even dinged. A little light surface rust on the tops before I got steel wool and WD-40 all over it. It still looks "as new".) I hate to go in making demands, but I'd like either this one repaired back to "new" condition or another planer. Is there a safety issue with these head casting cracks? Are the vibrations of the machine just tearing the head apart? I'd hate for that to happen while it's on and have to duck shrapnel and blades!

Heck, I'd even take a smaller planer that worked well at this point. I should have gotten that warranty in writing, and I didn't. I should have listened to everyone who said I didn't need such a big planer, and I didn't. Long list of shouldas.

The other kicker I should mention is that I will NOT move this planer again. EVER. If they want to come out and replace it with a smaller/new planer or have Powermatic come out and do repair work, that's fine with me. I will never lift this planer again. Did I mention that I don't plan on moving it myself? :)

Any recommendations from you guys? Similar experiences? Is this something Powermatic should step in on? Was this thing rolled off of a truck at 75 MPH? Is it a lemon? Is it safe? Will it ever run correctly? How far should I push, and what do you feel the Machinery company should be responsible for? How would you approach the company/salesman?

Thanks for the advice, sorry it's so long.

[JohnT Fitzgerald]

Well, first of all - good luck. A lot is riding on your dealer's willingness to "treat you right".

I'm not sure $300 off on a used planer that has cracks and a steel plate is "treating you right", but that's just IMO. One suggestion - if they are an "authorized" PM dealer......call PM and ask to speak to someone about that. I find it hard to believe that drilling holes and adding a steel plate can be done at a dealer "to [PM] standards". I'd use PM's leverage on the dealer to get your situation straightened out.

[Frank Snyder]

I would deal with PM directly. That cast iron head should have been replaced, not "repaired". The 209 has a 5 year warranty, so why the cracked piece wasn't replaced in the first place is beyond me. I would not use it in the mean time for fear of doing further damage to the machine or yourself.

Go give PM a call and explain everything to them.

Frank

[Frank Drew]

Nathan

IMO, you absolutely positively should not have to eat this lemon, and I probably wouldn't accept any "repairs" on this particular machine. You were sold a machine not fit for its intended use.

If the dealer tries to play hardball, do you have any friends who are lawyers who'd be willing to write an appropriate letter on their legal letterhead?

[Paul Johnstone]

Thanks for the advice, sorry it's so long.

I would've demanded my money back, and I stilll would. Tell them that you were sold something that was supposedly fixed 100% and only had cosmetic damage, but had a lot of problems.

I would have zero confidence that they'd ever be able to get this machine working right. Afterall, it looks like they screwed it up the first time they tried.

If they refuse to give you your money back, try to negotiate for credit towards a new planer. Yes, you might have to pay the extra $300, but at least you will have a working machine..

[David Freed]

I think you are out of luck. You let a fast talking salesman sell you a used and damaged machine at almost full price. It is "used" because someone else bought it first. Whether they ever turned it on or not doesn't matter. There is no way PM would authorize a "patch" like you described, so the warranty is probably voided, if it was even transferable to start with. The salesman will just tell PM that it was an "as is" sale, and they are both off the hook because you have nothing in writing stating otherwise. If by some miracle PM would be willing to work with you, you are saying you won't take the planer back for them to make it right, and they aren't going to do it for you. With the damage that it has now, it is going to take lots of time and money to install the new cast parts, with no guarantee that it will be right when you are done. Welding will warp it, and a steel plate screwed into a cast part does not fix anything, and usually causes more damage. If you keep using it, the cast iron will break. It could just stall the machine or it could be a hand grenade (you won't have time to duck). I wish you luck, but I am afraid this is going to be a very expensive lesson about buying equipment.

[Nathan Conner]

They said, "As far as Powermatic is concerned, there is no warranty on this machine."

Because it was damaged/used/repaired/owned by someone else, the warranty is void.

How incredibly disappointing. The good news is that you can't buy the cast head. It isn't sold as an individual repair part, and the machine needs to be replaced. End of story.

So, I need to discuss this with the machinery company I bought it from, and the fast talking salesman. Crap, guys, I think I just may be out of luck on getting cooperation from these guys. Time to talk to an attorney.

[JohnT Fitzgerald]

They said, "As far as Powermatic is concerned, there is no warranty on this machine."

But PM might put some pressure on them if you can convince them the dealer acted in bad faith - ESPECIALLY with the 'repair job' they did...

[Scott Coffelt]

Sorry about your porr experience, good luck. I hate to say you may have just learned a very expensive lesson. I am no lawyer, but unless you got something in writing it is his word against yours at this point. No one will win that battle, well they will cause the burden of proof is in your hands.

As for the bolts, try some lock tight that should keep them in. As for the other stuff, sounds like a dangerous situation. You might go back to Powermatic and see if there is anything they can do to allow you to order the cracked components. I would think there would be some liability there for them to at least sell you something to fix it, if not, you may be stuck with parting out to minimize your losses.

My guess is this thing was tipped over in shipment or something else to start with, not sure that was powermatics fault.... though not what you want to hear. Probably needed to be addressed with the original shippers of the unit.

Once again, good luck with your issue.

[JohnT Fitzgerald]

I would run with the liability issue. We had an issue years ago where the wife got rear ended, and the insurance company did not want to pay for a new trailer hitch because they claimed the old one could be "repaired" (heated and hammered back into shape). When we demanded that they sign a letter stating that they would cover us for any and all issues arising from a failure of the "repaired" hitch.

If you can get PM to agree that their "bolt and plate" repair is NOT safe, then you might have some leverage....

[Tom Hargrove]

According to the Powermatic website, their warranty "covers only the initial purchaser of the product," who in this case was probably the person who was consigning the unit at the dealer. However, this warranty limitation may not be effective in the State of Washington, especially if you bought the planer for personal use. If the warranty disclaimer holds, I think your best course of action is against he dealer. The paperwork you got with the planer is going to be your friend or your enemy, depending upon the warranty(ies)that the dealer provided, or the warranty(ies) that were disclaimed. Some warranties are implied, and some are express, so just because the paperwork doesn't have a warranty on it doesn't mean that no warranties apply.

I won't and am not giving you any legal advice regarding your rights under Washington law, and I hate to tell people to go see an attorney, (even though I am an attorney) but my best advice is to speak to an attorney. Washington is a consumer oriented state, and I would not let this go. Many lawyers will discuss the case with you for no charge, at least over the phone. This is the kind of case I would like to have if I was representing the buyer.

[David Cramer]

Nathan

Many will laugh at the following and say that "you can't do that", but I did and I'd do it again.

After getting burned "more than once" from a salesperson who lied about what they told me, I always bring a little recorder along with me. When I've gone back, I've usually been told that he/she would never say that, so I am **** out of luck. That changed about 2 years ago and I've caught 2 people in major lies.

I recently had a problem with a defective item at a Home Center and sensed I would be told lies, and I was correct.

I recorded an area manager telling me over the phone that it was fine and he'd return the item for a store credit or take it off my credit card, whichever way I chose. Then when I went in the next day, he changed his mind and was a real jerk. He verbally challenged me and told me to go ahead and call the district manager, he could care less and that they aren't going to do anything for me. I worked in a home center before and have never treated anyone like I was being treated or even had personally witnessed anything like this area manager. He denied saying what he had said on the phone and then I said "oh really, I taped ya". The color in his face slowly drained away and he said whatever.

He just changed his mind and I was suppose to walk back to my vehicle and drive a long way back home for an item that I did not break. It was defective and he admitted it, but he now didn't want to do anything. All I wanted was the same item or a store credit, I shop there all the time.

To make a long story short, after calling the Store Manager and Corporate, they changed their mind. Corporate verified that I have never had a problem with any of their stores or even returned anything without a receipt. I was not looking for a free lunch. I was given a full refund and was given an apology by the store manager in writing. In addition, believe it not, I was given a very nice gift card:) for my troubles.

To the attorney's out there who say its illegal because you didn't make the guy aware that he was being taped, I :)respectfully:) respond by saying that I didn't care then and don't care now, I wasn't going to court.

I told the truth, the salesperson lied and he knew it. I've done that twice now with success. You get lied to by a deceiving salesperson and you have no leg to stand on. I drove a long way to that store, 3 times in all, back and forth, and without the recording, I wouldn't have had a chance.

The funny thing is that I never had to play it and probably wouldn't have done so anyways. Obviously, the area manager fessed up to the store manager who must have taken the person aside and said tell me the truth, which this person must have.

Take what you want from this advice, and use it or not, it's up to you. For me, I tell the truth and will continue to do so. I am not trying to highjack your post Nathan and if I've done so, I aplogize. A moderator can remove this if they choose, no biggie. I only posted this because someone posted a response saying that it's his word against yours at this point. That person was correct, but not for this cowboy.

Good luck with your tool and I hope it all works out for the best.

David


p.s. No, I don't do this all the time or walk around with a recorder all the time. Only in certain situations where there is really something at stake and when it's justified. Not to scam or make trouble, that's not me. I just got tired of being lied to and losing way to much money to items I could no longer because they were defective or bad when I got them. Heck, I could use that money for gas:D.

[Nathan Conner]

You know what, David? That's not crazy at all, but it hadn't occurred to me. In fact, my iPhone is a recording device. I'll record the conversation I have with the machinery co today and let you guys know what it picks up...

Could be interesting.

[Keith Outten]

Nathan,

I believe your case is sound because the repair that was done is probably unsafe. The company who sold you the machine commissioned the repair so they are responsible if anyone is hurt due to a failure. I doubt that they want to suffer the financial burden from a law suit should the machine fail and anyone was hurt.

Take some pictures of the repair, send them to Powermatic and their parent company. They say they aren't responsible but it is their machine and their image will be damaged if the machine should fail. I think that you should also seek legal advice, possibly a simple phone call from an attorney might shake the store owner up enough that he may reconsider their position. Contact your state attorney's office you may find some support there or they may be able to steer you in the right direction.

Send copies of any and all documentation to the store manager or owner, he may eventually cave in if he thinks that you won't ever give up.

Call me, I can make a couple of phone calls for you that may help, there is a lot of clout here at The Creek.

.

.

[Steven Wilson]

Nathan, start an action with the BBB. At the very least that will start a paper trail. Next, consider small claims court. I'm not sure what the limits are in your state, in Minnesota it's $7500 which covers most things one would buy with disposable income. Before you forget sit down and construct a time line of events and what was said by whom. Continue to persue things with Powermatic. Try to find when was the machine sold and any history of claims/repairs on this machine. Also, show them pictures of the repair and get them to state in writting that a repair like that would never have been authorized. Emphasize to Powermatic that it would be in their best interest to condemn the repair now instead of being involved in an injury lawsuit when the planer self destructs. Contact your State's Attorney Generals office - time to get things started.

As for moving the machine, you'll have to suck it up and be prepared to properly pack and make the machine ready for moving. You'll probably be on the hook for local transport. Unless Powermatic agree's to remanufacture this machine I would not accept a repair.

["Gary Brewer"]

Nathan: Take lots and lots of pictures, log everything you do on a pad of paper, who you talk to, date and time and what transpired. If you paid by charge card protest your payment. Return the planer to the dealer. He lied to you. I don't believe what you described is an "authorized" repair. Even if it is it doesn't work. If the dealer is an authorized powermatic dealer they can exert some pressure. I would transport it back to the dealer and deposit it inside their store. It is not worth anything the way it is now. Take pictures of the event returning it to the dealer and have two or more witnesses with you ( not relatives). Ask for an employee to sign a statement acknowledging receipt of the machine( they probably won't do that ) but maybe a worker might do it without thinking if you're do it low keyed. Then start a small claims court procedure immediately. It takes a while and is good leverage. I like the earlier poster's suggestion to record conversations. I was told by a lawyer a while ago that in New York State that you can record converstations between you and someone else legally. I don't know about your state. I don't think that has changed but I am not sure. It is too bad this has to happen in our society. Good Luck!
Gary

[Ben Cadotte]

It sounds like the unit had shipping damage. And the original purchaser returned it to the store because of it. The store then in turn performed an illegal repair. I would check if they are an official repair facility for the planer. Like mentioned above. Sit down and write down everything. Anytime you remember something, write it down. Sometimes its hard to bring everything back in one sitting. Make copies of the paperwork you have.

But before you file legal papers. Go to the store and talk to the owner! Court will toss it right away if you did not at least attempt communications with them. And make sure you keep a record of all your communications, or attempts at communicating with them.

If they refuse you a new unit or refund. Then follow through with court. I don't know about where you live but small claims is not that much. But be prepared if you do go to court!! If you look like your unprepared or shooting from the hip, you will loose. The more professional you appear the better your chances. Especially if it turns into a he said she said affair.

Good luck. Sorry for your troubles.

One note: If the store is not cooperative. Ask the store for the previous owners contact information. They will probably refuse to give it to you. Ask them to call the person from the store. If they refuse them again. Tell them you are going to run an add in the local paper asking for the person to contact you! If they balk, you can subpoena their sales records. You will have to pay a fee for this. And a court officer to deliver it (another fee). I am betting that if they know your serious about contacting the previous owner, they will start changing their story. And may be a little more helpfull!

[Jacob Reverb]

You know what, David? That's not crazy at all, but it hadn't occurred to me. In fact, my iPhone is a recording device. I'll record the conversation I have with the machinery co today and let you guys know what it picks up...

Unfortunately, Washington is one of the 12 states that require all parties to a conversation to give consent to be recorded. (See http://www.rcfp.org/taping/)

However, in this situation, I would be tempted to take David's stance and if the judge cries foul, say "I don't care! I was ripped off!"

[Nathan Conner]

The other kicker I should mention is that I will NOT move this planer again. EVER. If they want to come out and replace it with a smaller/new planer or have Powermatic come out and do repair work, that's fine with me. I will never lift this planer again. Did I mention that I don't plan on moving it myself? :)


Well, well, well. They pulled through. After a chat with the owner and the recording device surreptitiously held in my pocket, they reiterated everything they said. It was covered by a full warranty, no issues there, and they would "take care of me."

What they've agreed to with no hesitation is to give me my money back. I had paid $1500 for it, so they'll give me my money back, and were so cheerful about it, no questions, I have few issues spending money there again.

So, turns out this may all be for naught. They were simply great. They apologized for the inconvenience of my having to get the thing BACK to them, but agreed that it sounds like it was more damaged than they realized, and would take it back without hesitation.

Anyhow, thanks for all the great advice. I read it all carefully and was calm and collected and prepared to do battle when I walked in. They immediately brought the owner into it, he agreed to everything that had been said, and offered me all my money. So, turned out (aside from the fact that I now have to decide what to get AND have to decide how to get it back to them) pretty good - better than I'd hoped for in the whole scheme of things.

Thanks TONS for all of your advice, guys. It was exactly what I needed.

Anyone have any recommendations for a SMALLER planer? :) I was tempted to have another look at that Jet J/P combo to free up more room in the shop...

[Gary Herrmann]

Glad everything got worked out, Nathan.

For a different planer, I've been very pleased by my General 480, but they're expensive if you buy them new.

[Chris Padilla]

You now need some advice in hopes of beating that 24 hours it took you to lug that boat anchor (because that is what it is now) into your shop!!

I'm glad the local shop came through for you. There are good people and good business folk out there...give them a chance.

[Ray Scheller]

Don't let this sour you on the Powermatic 209 as I have one and it r runs great. Just suck it up and buy it new.

[Eduard Nemirovsky]

Nathan, it is a good that everything worked out.
I have Jet J/P combo for a 5-6 month now and really like it. Well built machine without any trouble.

[Craig McCormick]

I have had good luck in small claims court.

Craig

[JohnT Fitzgerald]

I'd be careful about taping recordings - ESPECIALLY if it's on a phone. Secretly taping phone calls is called wiretapping, and as I understand it, it's a federal offense. In general, taping a conversation without the other party's consent illegal.

There was a case here last year where a motorist recorded the conversation when he was pulled over by a state trooper. although there was 'relevance' to what was recorded, the individual was still found guilty of violating the 'consent' law.

[Curt Harms]

Well, well, well. They pulled through. <snip>
Anyone have any recommendations for a SMALLER planer? :) I was tempted to have another look at that Jet J/P combo to free up more room in the shop...

I'm glad they came through for You. Having less faith in my fellow man than I should:rolleyes: I wonder if they became aware of this thread and decided that "doing the right thing" was indeed the right thing. The Jet J/P is not a bad machine. I've had one for quite a while but haven't used it much. No noticeable snipe in planing mode, the aluminum fence seems to work fine, and face jointing stock up to 6' seems fine. Longer than 6' it might be nice to have extended supports. The only problem I had was with dust/chip collection. Flipping the hood with vacuum on it keeps my deflector door from changing positions. Jet sent me a new hood thinking the original was defective. It wasn't but simply removing suction when switching from jointing or planing or reaching into the hood (power OFF) and flipping the door fixed that problem and dust/chip collection is fine.

[JohnT Fitzgerald]

That's great news - I'm glad it worked out for you.

fwiw, I'd help you move it and I work for beer :) but I don't "commute" to WA....

[Chris Barnett]

Hope you get it resolved to your satisfaction and post here. I spent a large sum for a new PM planer based on recommendations on this site...PM had a 5 year warranty and I still had issues with a new BS from Griz. Hope they are not wrong.......but this site being more reputable than most....this still is the internet so buyer beware :rolleyes:.

[Scott Coffelt]

Awesome, sometimes folks will surprise you and do the right thing. The fact they did, I think you at least owe them them a chance for your business. Even though they did you worng early, they pulled through in the end.

Last year I ordered 30 windows from HD with a price tag over $10k, along with the additional $3k plus in supplies to install them. I had numerous issues, between them screwing up my order and the manufactures poor shipping materials I had issues with half of them. I spent way too much time jacking around, in the end they made it right by getting me the correct items and making sure I had some discounts. They did try and get me to take less than what I felt was right, but in the end they came to a point I was happy.

I continue to shop there, now if I was not taken care of in the end I would have left. I've had other instances where stores have had the opportunity to do the right thing, the ones that have still get my business the ones that didn't, don't. In most cases they have either made it up in my business or lost far more than what it would have cost them to make me happy.

[John Lucas]

Small claims court. It's maximum is only 1500 here and I had a suit that should have been 4300...but I settled for the 1500 just to be done with the nonsense. It was over a landlord not returning my deposit to me. In court after presently my case and plea for the 1500, the landlord made up fib after fib...none substantiated. I listened calmly as he and daughter tried to get the 1500 max lowered to $600.
As the judge asked me if I had any response to their claims, I presented tit for tat in a very calm and collected voice and with all the pics I needed to support my side. I then quoted to statutes of the state law regarding holding back fees and the landord made his first real mistake. He said "Your honor we do not have Mr Lucases papers so cant possibly respond at this time. I objected saying that they were in the published statutes and should be well known by all landlords other than a "slum landlord." The landlord objected to my use of the term. I said "If the shoe fits,..." The judge quieted the court and then said, Mr Lucas do you have anything more. I suggested that the landlord is pretending to have no legal understanding of the statute and yet he had 21 rental properties and has had them for years. " The landlord said "Mr Lucas deserves an A for looking up the statutes your honor but we are just landlords and not schooled on law." I said "Your honor, for the record, he is an attorny and his daughter graduated from a law school but didnt complate the bar."
The very pretty judge said is that true Mr. P. He said, I cant imagine where he gets his facts, your honor" She looked at me and said in most serious voice, "Yes Mr Lucas, where did you get this idea/" I said "Your honor, this is a pamphlet developed by him to announce his Inventors Patent Course. On the back he claims being an attorny with many years of patent law." She got the pamphlet and read with interest and he admitted such a promotion but that..." he didnt get a chance to finish. She said to me, Mr L, I wish this were in a higher court. We cant do justice to this case. But $1500 for Mr Lucas and it will be due here at the end of this court, which is another hour or two. Mr P said, that it was unfair, but that it could be pressented by close of day tomorrow. She said "So be it, but until that cash is presented, your daughter will stay with us as a "law clerk in training." He paid cash in 5 minutes. He had it on him the whole time.

[Nathan Conner]

What they've agreed to with no hesitation is to give me my money back. I had paid $1500 for it, so they'll give me my money back, and were so cheerful about it, no questions, I have few issues spending money there again.


In fact, I got more of the story when I was there returning the old planer (which was easy with the help of dry weather and the engine hoist) and picking up the new Jet.

They put the damaged 209 in the back along with the pile of parts I brought back and several gathered around to look. They were all astounded at the head and they wouldn't have used it, either. One guy clued me in a bit: Apparently it had fallen over in the truck SEVERAL TIMES. I don't know if the driver righted it (that's one HEAVY piece) or what. That explains the head damage. That and the drilling/tapping job seems to have stressed out the casting even more. Although, a 950 lb top-heavy machine falling over isn't mostly likely a good thing.

Anyhow, I don't know what's going to end up happening to it, but they were really, really great about it; gave me a full refund and a thoughtful apology. Then, the best part: they forked a new Jet J/P combo onto the truck. After a few minutes with it in the store, I could see it was fine. I think I was being a bit picky my first go round with it 6 months ago.

After getting it home, on the mobile base, and fired up, I was ecstatic. It's simple to run, seems to have plenty of power, and as long as you don't take quite so big a bite, planes like a dream. It's quieter, easier to maneuver, and has LESS snipe by far than that big 209 did. That may be setup, as the 209 had a bigger planer table than this one's jointer table, even, but I was really impressed, and I've come out of the whole mess happy.

Thanks again for the advice, guys. Back to making sawdust!