# SIP tools



## kityuser (10 Mar 2003)

has anyone had any experience of "SIP" tools @ www.sip-group.com ?

they had a chop saw for 50 pounds and a dovetail jig (the say as the yellow axminster one) with 3 templates for 35 pounds *grinz*


the stuff they sell looks good enough quality, just wondered if anyone has bourght stuff from them before

they have a special on at the moment, take a look at 
http://www.sip-group.com/Promotion%20PD ... orking.pdf


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## Anonymous (10 Mar 2003)

I've got a 2HP SIP compressor that I'm quite happy with. I din't know they did woodworking stuff too - looks good value as well


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## Bone (10 Mar 2003)

I have a SIP biscuit joiner that I bought 4-5 years ago. I have subsequently lost the instructions for it. When I recently wanted to find out how to change the blade, (not an obvious thing to acheive) I emailed the Support address as SIP, and have still yet to receive a reply. This was about a month ago now. At the Ally Pally show I aproached the SIP stand and asked them there about there cusotmer service and why I had not received a response. I got the impression the email was not used much, just an address to go on the paperwork. 

No one on the stand could say how to change the blade, although they had the joiner there on the stand, and the lad who answers technical "Hotline"
calls was there, and he didn't have a clue either. I was told to call their office in the week so someone could try and find out for me.

I am not knocking the tools per se, the joiner does a good enough job for me, and looks remarkably ( :wink: ) like the Axminster white one, but I would think long and hard about any future purchases of SIP branded product following my efforts at getting support. SIP appear to be just another, buy em cheap ship em out dealer.

Just my tuppence worth.

Bone


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## Anonymous (10 Mar 2003)

many thanx for the comments, i will take "heed" although i was only thinking of buying thier dovetail jig

HOPEFULLY there is`nt must to go wrong with it


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## kityuser (10 Mar 2003)

guest???? i think not, twas me!


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## GrahamC (10 Mar 2003)

I have used a lot of SIP engineering tools, welders and compressors and such like.

Their kit is OK, very mainstream, a bit like bosch but nowt wrong with that.

My only concern is if they bring out wood working toys but they don't sell very well, how good will their after sales support be?


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## Anonymous (11 Mar 2003)

I rang them the other week about the dovetail jig. They were extremely helpful. Apparently they only had 100 of the jigs because they didn't think they'd sell. Guess what? They sold straight away!

I've put in an order for one as it seemed to have a few more bits than the axminster. Hopefully it will turn up some time next week.

Dave


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## kityuser (11 Mar 2003)

gr8 somebody else who wants one!!!


i ordered mine today, it does`nt come with the cutter (an extra 8 quid :  ) but it does come with 3 templates!!! 


keep me posted what you think when you get yours!


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## sawdustalley (11 Mar 2003)

I have the perform and i'm very pleased with it. Shame I didn't get the SIP one - got the cataglogue with 'The woodworker mag' about 3 days after it came.

Have yet to use it on a project...might think about doing a guide or review for My site if anyone is interested.


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## Anonymous (13 Mar 2003)

Got the SIP one through yesterday. Had a quick look at it last night. Was quite impressed by the weight of the whole thing. Didn't feel like one of those things which would fall apart after 5 minutes.

The end stops are different from the axminster and at first glance seem a little better due to the larger size.

Now I've just got to get a cutter and do some joints. Does anybody know if Trend do a cutter which will work with it (if so I can get one tomorrow night)?

The axminster manual is much much better than the SIP one and well worth downloading (even if you do have their guide in the last Review).

Dave


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## kityuser (13 Mar 2003)

dave>

I ordered the same jig yesterday, the cutter for the jig is 8pounds from sip.

I did`nt order direct, but i could give you the contact details of the shop where i made the order if you have problems sourcing a bit.

let me know when you`ve used the jig, I`m really interested to here what you think as I have no experience in dovetail jigs at all!


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## Anonymous (14 Mar 2003)

I too am interested in a dovetail jig. I only have a 1/4" router - can this be used with these jigs? Do I need a specific cutter/attachment for my router or do I just use the bit from my router bits box?

Cheers

MiNK


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## kityuser (14 Mar 2003)

you can use your 1/4 '' router, the only special requirment is a dovetail cutter which is bearing guided or a guide collar to fit on the underneath of you router depending on the type of jig you go for.

the SIP jig requires a bearing guided dovetail cutter


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## Anonymous (16 Mar 2003)

I have just purchased a sip dovetail jig. It is well made but the instructions are extremely poor. The slots in the 7/16 template are 11 mm wide and before I have a go I need to find a guide bush and cutter.
The Trend Guide bush is 10mm and I dont Know if this is correct for the 11 mm Slots. I wouls appreciate any assistance in the use of this dovetail jig :roll:


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## kityuser (16 Mar 2003)

SIP should be able to supply you with the correct cutter, i ordered my jig from them (thru a supplier) and also ordered the cutter at the same time (8 pound plus vat) did you get the 3 different templates with your dovetail jg?


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## sawdustalley (16 Mar 2003)

You can also get a compatible quarter inch bit from azminster powr tools. The perform range.

Have a look at www.axminster.co.uk


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## Anonymous (17 Mar 2003)

Right, I had another look at the jig this weekend (even though I didn't have a cutter). I was looking for a number of problems in particular.

The first thing I was looking for was any movement of the template from side to side when there is no wood clamped in place. There was a little but I'll have to see how this affects being able to do a batch of joints.

The second thing was being able to clamp the two pieces of wood so they butt up against each other perfectly. This brought up one major problem with the jig. The top of the jig is not flat! So, I started jamming pieces of wood here, there and everywhere to try and compensate for the bulge. At last I worked out a place where I can attach a piece of wood which will allow me to easily clamp the pieces of wood at perfect right angles to each other.

Now I'm just looking forward to getting my cutter (on order from axminster) and making my first dovetail joints.

Let me know if your jigs have the same problems?

Dave


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## Anonymous (17 Mar 2003)

To stevenprigg

Thanks for your reply I will contact SIP. I did get three templates a 
7/16 1/2 and a 9/16 but as i said the instructions are diabolical. I am also going to contact Tend. I purchased my jig from Downtown Garden Centre just off the ai Grantham by-pass. oxbyjohn


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## Anonymous (19 Mar 2003)

Damn!.... I'm always a skat behind when there's an interesting thread!

I was looking for a Cross-cut mitre saw, and spotted a good review of the SIP one, so ordered one: The saw seems to be a decent bit of kit so far, having followed the manual's recommendation to fettle the blade angle stops etc..... Cuts straight and true, and makes a 90 degree mitre: Slides smooooth too!

Back to the point..... I couldn't believe the price of the Dovetail jig, so ordered one of them as well: THE "MANUAL" REALLY IS ****** AWFUL.
Did I read right.... Does it need a bearing-guided cutter? I'm going in to Kernow Fixings on Friday to see about guide bushes etc. and it would be handy to know.

Pete

[Edited by Charley - Please keep posts clean]


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## kityuser (20 Mar 2003)

you do indeed need bearing guided cutter, trend sell them as do axminster (about 10 quid).

I got my jig yesterday but the shop where i ordered it sent me the wrong bit (after telling them 3 times that i need a bearing guided one :twisted: )

Hopefully the bit that I ordered yesterday from axminster will come today then I`ll be able to have a go.

I noticed in a few catalogues that this style of jig is advertised as only being able to do "half-blind" dove tails. By reading the axminster literature it would seem that its possible to do full dovetails as well (by mounting both boards on the front of the jig [offset]).

fingers crossed i may be able to have a go tonight !


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## gidon (20 Mar 2003)

If Pete is about - can you tell me some more about the SIP Sliding Mitre saw. Where did you see the review - do you have a link - what did it say? What's the build quality like? Is it more like a Makita or a Power Devil? You get the drift.
Many thanks - I'm quite tempted myself for that reduced price.
Cheers
Gidon


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## Anonymous (20 Mar 2003)

Evening Gidon

The review was in the Woodworker (Feb) and summarised thus:

"It's hard to criticise this saw. It provides performance at a great price. With careful us, it should give years of good service".

I can't 'zackly remember what the Power Devil is like, but recall the one I saw had plenty of play where it's not wanted, and didn't slide too smoothly.

The NuTool was better, but still didn't slide too well, and I've made a point of not going within 10' of the DeWalt kit, as 'Er indoors says I can't have one!

The SIP saw is all metal, barring the lower blade guard and the very flimsy release lever for same, which allows the saw to descend; and the whole thing just feels rather nice and chunky.

It has a very effective blade brake.... I don't know if that's common on the cheaper saws?

www.sip-group.com but there's not much info here.

One thing; all the advertising and the manual quotes a max. depth of cut of 64mm, but it goes much deeper than that - over 80mm, I think.

Cheers, Pete


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## gidon (21 Mar 2003)

Hi Pete
Thanks for that. Sounds good. And not a bad price.
I wish decent woodworking tools were cheaper though.
I have a power devil router which is ok - I've been meaning to upgrade for a while but it does the job. But I bought a power devil cicular saw a while back which was awful - the blade wobbled as you cut. Swapped it for a dewalt one - which is just lovely (if I manage to lift it up from the floor!) 
Cheers
Gidon


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