David Walser
09-24-2008, 7:13 PM
I came across a new tool the other day, the Jointmaker Pro (See the links, below), and thought it might be a great addition to a segmented turner's shop. I'd like to solicit the group's thoughts on the topic.
The Jointmaker Pro is not a power tool. It is a cross between a table saw and a Japanese handsaw. Your work is held onto a sliding table and pushed across the blade of a Japanese handsaw. The handsaw is held stationary in a cradle. The cradle allows you to control the tilt of the blade (right or left) and the height of the blade. This allows you to control the depth of the cut and to make accurate miter cuts. The sliding table has an adjustable fence along the back edge of the table. This allows you to make miter cuts or, in combination with the tilt of the blade, compound miter cuts. The saw has a cross cut capacity of only 6" and a depth of cut of 1.5", so it's not designed for large pieces of wood.
Why do I think it might be a good tool for segmented turners? Here are a few of my thoughts:
The tool makes it easy and safe to cut small pieces of wood precisely. One of the things segmented turners must deal with is how to hold and cut small pieces of wood without getting their fingers too close to the blade and without having the cut-off get thrown against the wall by the spinning blade. That's not (as big) a problem with the Jointmaker Pro.
The tool cuts cleanly, so cleanly sanding might not be necessary. Few saws cut as cleanly as a Japanese handsaw. The finish off the saw might be clean enough to glue up without sanding. At a minimum, power sanding (and the risk of changing the length and angle of a piece) should be kept to a minimum.
No noise and far less mess. This thing's quiet. You could use it in the next room and no one would know you're there. In addition, the amount of sawdust produced by a Japanese handsaw, with a kerf of only 0.021", is a lot less than that produced by table saw or power miter saw. Now dust protection necessary.
Those, to me, appear to be the advantages. The downside? This puppy's expensive! Your thoughts would be appreciated.
Here's a link: http://www.bridgecitytools.com/Products/What%27s+New/Jointmaker+Pro
Here's a video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3ruwZdaPjbs
All the standard disclaimers apply: I've no financial interest in the company or the product. At this point, I'm not even a customer -- satisfied or otherwise -- at this point.
The Jointmaker Pro is not a power tool. It is a cross between a table saw and a Japanese handsaw. Your work is held onto a sliding table and pushed across the blade of a Japanese handsaw. The handsaw is held stationary in a cradle. The cradle allows you to control the tilt of the blade (right or left) and the height of the blade. This allows you to control the depth of the cut and to make accurate miter cuts. The sliding table has an adjustable fence along the back edge of the table. This allows you to make miter cuts or, in combination with the tilt of the blade, compound miter cuts. The saw has a cross cut capacity of only 6" and a depth of cut of 1.5", so it's not designed for large pieces of wood.
Why do I think it might be a good tool for segmented turners? Here are a few of my thoughts:
The tool makes it easy and safe to cut small pieces of wood precisely. One of the things segmented turners must deal with is how to hold and cut small pieces of wood without getting their fingers too close to the blade and without having the cut-off get thrown against the wall by the spinning blade. That's not (as big) a problem with the Jointmaker Pro.
The tool cuts cleanly, so cleanly sanding might not be necessary. Few saws cut as cleanly as a Japanese handsaw. The finish off the saw might be clean enough to glue up without sanding. At a minimum, power sanding (and the risk of changing the length and angle of a piece) should be kept to a minimum.
No noise and far less mess. This thing's quiet. You could use it in the next room and no one would know you're there. In addition, the amount of sawdust produced by a Japanese handsaw, with a kerf of only 0.021", is a lot less than that produced by table saw or power miter saw. Now dust protection necessary.
Those, to me, appear to be the advantages. The downside? This puppy's expensive! Your thoughts would be appreciated.
Here's a link: http://www.bridgecitytools.com/Products/What%27s+New/Jointmaker+Pro
Here's a video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3ruwZdaPjbs
All the standard disclaimers apply: I've no financial interest in the company or the product. At this point, I'm not even a customer -- satisfied or otherwise -- at this point.