I just got a new toy and it is awesome!
(http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3157/2890247499_997a5b6d1b.jpg)
Anyone who hasn't used an impact driver doesn't know what they are missing. This girl has a LI-Ion batter so it is light as hell too. My favorite feature is that you can click the side of the battery and there is an indicator for the battery life. It also comes with a 15min charger!
Latley I have been obsessed with wood working tools. My new boss has almost every Festool imaginable and I drool every time I see them. The TS-55 is probably one of the best tools I have ever used. Its like a portable table saw.
I think my next big purchase is going to be some nice chisels. I am having trouble deciding between western or Japanese chisels. I really like the Lie-Nielsen bevel edge socket chisels (like stanley 750) or some Matsumura blue steel... anyone have either?
Impact drivers are nice, if rather limited in their application. Good for driving screws without chewing up the head. I have a DeWalt 18v impact driver, and a 1/2" impact gun that'll remove lugnuts.
The tool that I really love is my DeWalt 36v circular saw. I had the 18v (It was part of a set) and I hated it. No power, sucked battery charge like a $20 hooker, used a 6 1/2" blade, etc.
The 36v works just like my Porter Cable 110v, but without the cord. Uses a 7 1/4" blade, I can rip 2x4s lengthwise, and a battery charge will last the whole day most of the time.
For chisels, I like my Marples set. Good quality steel, composite handles, and won't cost me my paycheck to replace. I also have a wet sharpener that puts a shaving edge on a chisel in very little time. I think a good set of sharpening stones is a more important purchase than a high dollar set of chisels. If you have good stones, you'll keep your chisels sharper, and they'll work better for you.
Quote from: Bun-bun on September 26, 2008, 04:33:55 PM
For chisels, I like my Marples set. Good quality steel, composite handles, and won't cost me my paycheck to replace. I also have a wet sharpener that puts a shaving edge on a chisel in very little time. I think a good set of sharpening stones is a more important purchase than a high dollar set of chisels. If you have good stones, you'll keep your chisels sharper, and they'll work better for you.
I am using DMT "stones" right now and they are pretty good. Real wet stones just seem like a lot of work. I have always had the impression that better chisels means less time sharpening and I would rather be using them than sharpening them. Is your wet sharpener like the Tormek wet sharpener?
I used some Japanese chisels for the first time yesterday and they were pretty nice. Apparently they are supposed to stay sharper longer because they are made with two types of metal in the tip.
All chisels need sharpening, at least a touch up, every day that they are used. I have a set of japanese water stones, three of them, in 225, 1000, and 6000 grit, that I keep in my workvan. At the end of the day, I put an edge on any of the chisels and planes that got used that day. The Marples are english, and the steel is very good, Sheffield, I think. I think there's a lot more to a chisel than just the sharpness. Any good quality chisel should keep it's edge thru a days work, but I think that balance, and feel in the hand are as important as a good edge. The blade should be long enough that you can get a good grip on it for fine work, and the handle should be heavy enough to balance the blade, especially on wider chisels.
I have no first hand knowledge of the Japanese chisels you describe, do you have a manufacturers name?
Yes, I have the Tormek sharpening system. It gets used when I chip a blade. Most of the time, a few passes over the 1000, followed by the 6000 are all that's needed for the next days work.
Quote from: Bun-bun on September 26, 2008, 08:02:51 PM
I have no first hand knowledge of the Japanese chisels you describe, do you have a manufacturers name?
http://www.japanwoodworker.com/product.asp?s=JapanWoodworker&pf_id=01%2E301%2E013&dept_id=13626
They are a little $$$ but as I said before, my new boss likes his toys.
What kind of work do you do?
For the past 8 years I've owned Renovation Specialties, we do residential renovation to existing structures, specializing in older homes. I've been a carpenter for 23 years.
Those are some beautiful chisels. I think that if I spent that kind of money on a set of chisels, I'd be afraid to use them.
I like the quote "his wife helps him with the heavy sledge" [laugh]
Try these: www.woodcraft.com/family.aspx?FamilyID=294
It's a set of 8 for about twice the price of one Matsumura chisel.
I've hed mine for about 10 years now.