# Lidl Alert!



## MJP (26 Oct 2017)

Couple of nice things due in Lidl from Sunday:

1) Powerfix Profi Japanese saw, £7.99 - I bought these last time round and I've given them a hammering. They are excellent, like razors and far sharper, and stay sharper, than the Irwin pull saw that I bought around the same time. I'll be getting another set for reserve.
https://www.lidl.co.uk/en/Non-Food-Offe ... cleId=7502

2) Powerfix Profi Chisel Set £7.99 - these are the ones praised by Paul Sellers I believe, so I'll be getting a set just to see. 
https://www.lidl.co.uk/en/Non-Food-Offe ... cleId=7501

Martin.


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## Tasky (26 Oct 2017)

MJP":2nf723ir said:


> these are the ones praised by Paul Sellers I believe, so I'll be getting a set just to see.


Nope. 
He praised the Aldi WorkZone ones.... which may well be the same basic thing, given that they're the same price... but the Aldi ones are going for about £20 on eBay now, tagged with "As recommended by Paul Sellers"!!! :roll:


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## MJP (26 Oct 2017)

Hi Tasky - yes, I know they were the Aldi ones but I'd bet that they are the same ones in fact. 
- they look very similar anyway!

As for opportunists on ebay - good luck to them, nothing wrong with free enterprise.

Martin.


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## Phil Pascoe (26 Oct 2017)

They're not the same, but very similar. The Aldi ones have ash handles, the last Lidl ones had hornbeam ones. There's no difference between them in practice.


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## ED65 (26 Oct 2017)

I love the pull saws, I'm very very pleased with mine also. 

The Lidl chisels are not exact clones of the Aldi ones, or at least haven't always been. The Aldi ones have remained very consistent over the years but the Lidl ones, in addition to variations in the handles, have had much more obvious grinder texture at certain points in the past. So it's worth checking for this if that sort of thing bothers you.


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## thetyreman (26 Oct 2017)

is the pull saw crosscut? It looks ideal for flush cutting draw bore pins e.t.c, might have to get one, also could you change the handle in theory to a wooden one?


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## ED65 (26 Oct 2017)

Yes they're crosscut saws. The blades are separate as you can see so I don't see any reason you couldn't mound the blades permanently into wooden handles if you don't like the original.


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## skipdiver (26 Oct 2017)

You can't flush cut with them.


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## Rorschach (27 Oct 2017)

skipdiver":240gc2b3 said:


> You can't flush cut with them.



Really? I don't have any trouble flush cutting with mine.


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## skipdiver (27 Oct 2017)

Rorschach":5xh0sv68 said:


> skipdiver":5xh0sv68 said:
> 
> 
> > You can't flush cut with them.
> ...



I don't use mine much but i'm sure they have a set on the teeth, meaning they would leave marks on the surrounding area if used to flush cut?


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## Rorschach (27 Oct 2017)

Just checked mine and being a japanse style tooth there is no set on them. I did a quick test rubbing it over a flat surface, if you are not careful then yes it can cause a tiny bit of scratching from the blade flexing but nothing major and totally avoidable with care. After flush cutting I would always sand anyway so not an issue.


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## skipdiver (27 Oct 2017)

I stand corrected. Just assumed they were not flush cutting and as they say, you should never assume anything.


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## custard (27 Oct 2017)

Rorschach":1rswgdvo said:


> Just checked mine and being a japanse style tooth there is no set on them. I did a quick test rubbing it over a flat surface, if you are not careful then yes it can cause a tiny bit of scratching from the blade flexing but nothing major and totally avoidable with care. After flush cutting I would always sand anyway so not an issue.



Japanese saws generally do have set, maybe less than western saws but it's there. If they didn't they'd jam in the kerf.

A proper flush cutting saw also has set, but only on one side, it's indicated on the saw plate which side should be visible, i.e. which side has the set.

https://www.google.co.uk/shopping/produ ... I0QAvD_BwE


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## JohnPW (27 Oct 2017)

I've just had a look on mine, bought some time ago, there is a tiny amount of set, just noticeable if you run your fingers over the teeth. Maybe about 0.2mm, definitely less than half a mil.


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## custard (27 Oct 2017)

Flush cut saw and fine toothed Japanese saw, both pull cut.







Cutting off a dowel, tight to the workpiece, with the flush cut,






Acceptable result,






Cutting off a dowel, tight to the workpiece, with the Japanese saw. Note, I cut from the other side so the spine was off the workpiece.






Unacceptable mess,






In fairness most times when I'm flushing something off, like wedged through tenons or a peg, I'll follow one of two courses. I'll either aim to leave it a few thou proud because that's how antiques always look when the stile has fractionally shrunk over the years but the long grain tenon or peg has not, it just adds a tactile something to the piece. Alternatively I'll _trim_ it close, but finally _flush_ it down with a chisel in order to get that glassy end grain surface that you never get from a saw no matter how fine. In both cases I'd probably use a western saw, just because that's what's normally close to hand on the workbench. It's no big deal, any style of saw works fine if you plan ahead.

Tyreman, if you're flushing off pegged tenons on furniture I suggest you get a piece of thin card with a small hole cut out, drop that over the peg and then cut off the peg. That way you've got an insurance policy that you won't scratch the surface of your furniture, which would take ages to sand out. When you've had a bit more practise lose the card, but initially you don't want to mess up your work when you're in the home straight.


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## Eric The Viking (28 Oct 2017)

You can flush cut with the Lidl saws, just about. I am really pleased with mine, and it does all the "nasty" things, meaning the times when I don't want to risk damage to an expensive Japanese blade.

The saw has a very slight set to it, as Custard says. A sliver of greaseproof paper underneath is enough, although I guess you could go all posh and use sellotape on the saw plate itself. That might be too much though.

I have an asymmetric dowel cutting-off saw from Crown Tools, which is the bee's knees for that sort of thing. Being a leftie though, the set is on the "wrong" side, and it kept catching me out embarrassingly. In order not to be seen as a total twerp, I just made a very subtle flat on the bead decoration of the handle, on the no-set side of the blade. I know it's there, but to everyone else it just looks like a bit of tidied-up damage. 

It has tiny teeth, but I find I can sharpen them sufficiently with a needle file, as long as I remember to flatten the no-set side on a stone afterwards. It doesn't cut as fast as the Lidl jobbies, but it's far less likely to do damage. I suppose you could stone the Lidl blades too, although it would probably need a good, fine diamond plate as they are hardened. 

Overall, those Lidl ones are jolly handy things to have around.

BTW, for years I have numbered any "disposable" handsaws with marker pen on the handles. That way I don't waste a new one on rough chipboard with metal inclusions! If I get a second Lidl saw I'll probably scratch something on the blades.


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## bourbon (28 Oct 2017)

I'll have to have a look at those.( wallet takes a bashing again)


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## MikeG. (28 Oct 2017)

Eric The Viking":j6oa421p said:


> ......... for years I have numbered any "disposable" handsaws with marker pen on the handles. That way I don't waste a new one on rough chipboard with metal inclusions! If I get a second Lidl saw I'll probably scratch something on the blades.



By the time they get to "lllll" I'm cutting bricks or nails with them.


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## Tasky (30 Oct 2017)

MJP":2mf5icl4 said:


> Hi Tasky - yes, I know they were the Aldi ones but I'd bet that they are the same ones in fact.
> - they look very similar anyway!


Actually, they're not the same..... However: Paul Sellers did indeed praise these - He's actually got two vids on chisel sharpening, one with the Aldi ones and one with this Powerfix Profi brand... and he proves they can be properly sharpened into service. 

To that end, I bought a set. 
There's a new Lidl just opened up in Reading.... right next door to the new Aldi, ha ha!!!


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## fezman (30 Oct 2017)

well.... against my better judgement I went for the chisels and Japanese saw. 

The japanese saw is (IMO) very flimsy, and will probably be used for no more than pruning in the garden. 

The chisels however seem to be a bargain. I've only had time to sharpen the 24mm one so far. It had a hollow back, spent 15 mins doing the back and bevel as per Paul Sellars approach. Used 3 ultex dimond stones #300, #1000, #1200, then some #2500 lapping film, then stropped. The result is a very very sharp chisel. I do like the feel and balance of these, so i may end up back at lidl tomorrow for another set to keep in reserve.


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## MattRoberts (31 Oct 2017)

fezman":axpvwyt9 said:


> well.... against my better judgement I went for the chisels and Japanese saw.
> 
> The japanese saw is (IMO) very flimsy, and will probably be used for no more than pruning in the garden.



How flimsy is flimsy? Japanese saws are supposed to be very flexible as they give a very thin kerf. As they cut on the pull stroke, they don't need to be as thick as western saws which cut on the push stroke.


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## ED65 (31 Oct 2017)

fezman":1c8sz6rz said:


> ...spent 15 mins doing the back and bevel as per Paul Sellars approach.


Not intended to ignite the debate on flattening but I would still recommend you aim for this to take less time. I've prepped the back of many a rusty old chisel, with lots of pitting and a rounded edge, in well under 15 minutes. 

On a new blade the least time it has taken me to get the back flat enough for work was about five seconds, or however long 10 strokes back and forth takes.


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## memzey (31 Oct 2017)

More to the point a hollow back (face or non-bevelled side) is quite handy. Remember you only need it to be even across right at the cutting edge and a slight hollow makes this easier.


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## Graham Orm (31 Oct 2017)

Bought the little drill press to make an MFT drilling jig. Watch this space.


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## pollys13 (31 Oct 2017)

A proper flush cutting saw also has set, but only on one side, it's indicated on the saw plate which side should be visible, i.e. which side has the set. Uum, interesting, thanks, Custard, think I'm going to need to be getting one.


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## fezman (31 Oct 2017)

MattRoberts":klo9r05j said:


> fezman":klo9r05j said:
> 
> 
> > well.... against my better judgement I went for the chisels and Japanese saw.
> ...



It could be me / my technique, but i was worried that the blade was going to snap when pushing. Pulling was a breeze and it seems very sharp. Plastic handle feels poor too.


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## fezman (31 Oct 2017)

ED65":280gg1k7 said:


> fezman":280gg1k7 said:
> 
> 
> > ...spent 15 mins doing the back and bevel as per Paul Sellars approach.
> ...



Hi Ed65 - it wasn't a race.... - i guesstimated 15 minutes and was taking my time. One of the reasons for buying this set was to sharpen them without a honing guide, so i could practice without damaging more expensive chisels. Moving towards getting faster i.e. not having to set the honing guide on the chisel. 

I did the other 3 this morning and spent 5-20 minutes on each. One took a bit more work than the others to get all the edge flattened, but other than that they have sharpened like a dream.


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## Graham Orm (3 Nov 2017)

ED65":1dxl47r7 said:


> fezman":1dxl47r7 said:
> 
> 
> > ...spent 15 mins doing the back and bevel as per Paul Sellars approach.
> ...



Not wishing to continue the debate that you didn't wish to start ;-) You can flatten a back quickly, obviously it all depends on it's state when you get to it, but it also should be polished to the same degree as the secondary bevel on the front. Pointless just flattening it if you ask me.


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## ED65 (4 Nov 2017)

Graham Orm":16fh642d said:


> [a back] should be polished to the same degree as the secondary bevel on the front. Pointless just flattening it if you ask me.


Agreed. Obviously a certain someone doesn't but bevel and back should be taken to the same level, whatever that is.


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## Benchwayze (24 Aug 2018)

It's just habit for me to leave a tiny amount of waste, which I can flush down with the flat of a sharp chisel; using a slicing cut. Providing the chisel is held flat, not problem.

John


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## Bodgers (26 Aug 2018)

I had the Lidl saw. It was ok. I bought the Shogun flush cut from Workshop Heaven. £12 I think. Lots better. Sharper and doesn't scratch the surface as much.


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## Jim S (5 Sep 2018)

They had a tablesaw in the other day too. Typical as I'd just bought one!


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