Jamil, how dare you suggest that some of us have strong biased opinions. Don’t you know our fragile egos cannot take truthful criticism well?
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Jamil, how dare you suggest that some of us have strong biased opinions. Don’t you know our fragile egos cannot take truthful criticism well?
Well, I suppose without opinion there's no point of discussion. We would just all be the same :)
[edit] Ignore this. I'm not going down this path
I own a mitre saw, it's main function is to collect dust in the shop as it sits under the lathe.:D
The only furniture related cutting it has done is cut rough stock to oversize length for further machining. All precision cutting is done on the format saw or band saw.
My mitre saw is handy when I need to cut boards for construction projects outside, however I don't have a use for one when making furniture. I now normally use a Sawzall for rough cutting to length if I don't use the table saw for that, the dust doesn't get blown all over the shop....Rod.
Thank you all for your responses. I have a Bosch 12" glide saw, and I was debating selling it, but I think I'll just keep it. I need storage space, and right now the saw lives under a wood storage rack where it would be hard to put anything else. It seems to be pretty accurate for stuff like long rails and the like and I have it set up so it will cut square along its 12" reach. I also don't anticipate having to move it much to actually cut miters or anything so hopefully it will stay put.
Whoa!Quote:
Originally Posted by Phillip Mitchell
I had to go look up "Omga." I'm now either intrigued or regretful to have learned about them. First machine I clicked on was their "double miter saw," which at over $42K is three-quarters the contract cost of my shop building. :eek:
Probably best I stick with my 8-1/2" Hitachi SCMS, which I've found indispensable over the years. If I stop framing house projects, little sheds, outdoor furniture, and garden appurtenances, I may evict it. That seems doubtful, though. It's become part of my work habits and practice, and I can hit a more accurate cut with it than by hand. It can also shave a slightly overlength workpiece much faster than setting up a shooting board with a hand plane.
When I first bought it used, 20+ years ago, I thought it was a little bit of magic. Still think so. It continues to earn its nickname, "The Buttersaw." With a high-count blade, it leaves a cleaner surface than my block plane, and Hitachi's slide bearings are (were...?) incredible. Solid accuracy, too -- for me, much more accurate with long workpieces than my x-cut sled.
Talent-wise, I'm not worthy to stand in a distant corner of the shadow of most of you. For my hackin' about, a SCMS is fundamentally useful.
It is a messy beast, though. In my new shop, it's going to park in the same functional place as in the old: near the roll-up door, with a fan blowing clouds of mulch out onto the driveway. :D
Jack, you can find them used in many cases. I'm really impressed with the one that Brian has in his shop. (smaller version that's perfect for what so many of us do)
Jack,
Omga makes a lot of different saws, some of them much more than what I would find useful. You can typically find nice condition used and simple Omga miter saws (not sliding) for around $1k and up and then that much or more again for a really nice and super accurate stop system. Not something I would say a hobbyist would typically find value in, but extremely useful and eventually profitable for a professional.
A lot of "hobbyists" and "folks making for a living" have a similar appreciation for quality, precise tools. There are many folks here in this very community where woodworking is a personal, non-paying, avocational pursuit who resemble that remark. :) It's true that a large percentage of the so-called hobbyist woodworking community choose more modest machines and "value" does play a role there, especially because of available budget, so they buy the best they can afford. But sometimes it's because they don't know that better options exist. I never heard of Omga until the brand came up in conversation a year or two ago here at SMC. After those enlightening conversations as well as seeing Brian's up close and personal, I can honestly say that if I felt I had a need for this kind of tool, I'd strongly consider finding one for my shop. (as previously mentioned, I rarely use a miter saw other than rough cutting lumber, so I'm not currently a candidate for an Omga...)Quote:
Originally Posted by Phillip Mitchell
I had a SCMS made by Delta that I was never happy with as it could be tuned for perfect 90º cuts but if moved to a different angle, all bets were off and one needed to retune it when it returned to 90º. Finally, I found a home for it where it would be used as a job site saw and I bought a replacement Dewalt. I have been extremely happy with the 12" Dewalt slider. I also have an extremely accurate miter sled for my tablesaw. I built it using the William Ng 5 cut method. Which one I use depends on the cut needed.
That's true, not even taking the posts here into consideration, I've seen "hobbyist" shops that, dollar wise in terms of tools, blow away many production shops I've seen. If you can do it, and want to more power to ya :)Quote:
Originally Posted by Jim Becker
Ultimately, how we equip our shops is as personal as how we work.
Jim,Quote:
Originally Posted by Jim Becker
Of course, I don’t mean to offend anyone; I was speaking more from a return on investment perspective comparing an Omga level saw with integrated dust collection and a nice, pro stop system to what most hobbyist would consider good enough (a construction grade miter saw with probably a less expensive, maybe shop-made stop system.)
Of course there are hobbyist who have more expensive shops than most pros, but in general, I think it’s safe to say that it would be a weightier decision for a hobbyist who is not producing woodwork for a living to justify the expense from an ROI point of view...though of course, the same could be said of any other tool in the shop that is purely for pleasure and recreation.
All I meant is that it’s likely more money than most folks who aren’t trying to maximize efficiency in order to make a living would consider spending to make accurate cross cuts.