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For some people, phobia is probably the right word. For me personally, it definitely isn't. If I had the patience and inclination to learn hand techniques, and I thought I'd get something out of it, then I would. But it doesn't. The main reason I use machines is because I prefer them - I like...

I'm a career engineer although sadly a desk-based one, and woodworking for me is a hobby rather than a business. I completely understand that a lot of people take great pleasure in hand craft techniques, and enjoy the peace and purity that an absence of power tools brings to them as well as the...

Make yourself a fractionating base plate for your router. It looks like a square base, but each side has a slightly different offset to the spindle centreline - by using different sides with 2 passes, you can widen a groove/dado without having to buy lots of odd-sized bits or move your guide...

Bill Hylton's "Router Magic" contains detailed plans for a duplicator. Even if you don't want those plans, I'd recommend it wholeheartedly as a great book for all sorts of great tips and jig ideas.

I couldn't agree more! Personally I find hand techniques tedious, slow, difficult to learn and very hit and miss - one joint will fit great, the next will have some sort of defect that needs further work to rectify. Some people love learning hand techniques and the skill of the craft that goes...

I'd recommend trying a carbide centre-cutting endmill if that's suitable - they are available much cheaper than the spiral fluted router bits. You can also get them with more flutes (up to 4), which makes the bit stiffer. Only thing to bear in mind is that the shank size will be the bit...

That video looks like a lot of hard work to me, takes an age - much quicker with a router/spindle moulder and a sliding table. If you want to use hand techniques and have all day to do it then fine - but the correct machine is undeniably quicker and easier.

I suspect it's to do with fire risk as much as anything - if the building is detached then any issues are much less likely to be a risk to habitable spaces. It seems daft to me in a way though - surely in areas where you use high powered tools, where it gets cold and the risk of damp is greater...

Depends if the garage is detached. See Part P, page 8, footnote f: "Detached garages and sheds are not special locations. Work within them is notifiable only if it involves new outdoor wiring".

In response to your question about static pressure, this is what pressure drop the extractor can generate - the higher the static pressure, the better the performance will be as more resistance is added to the network. If you want to understand the physics of it, spend a few minutes reading...

The general consensus is that most of these portable machines do a reasonable job of both planing and thicknessing, but there are drawbacks. They are fitted with brush motors and are extremely loud compared to induction motors fitted on the heavier machines, so your neighbours probably won't...

Thanks for all your responses. Like Eric, I like to play about and make sure that my machines are set up to the best of my ability, as getting them tuned up can only ever improve results. I have no illusions that I will be planing to the same accuracy of the straightedge over the same length...

Having recently bought a planer thicknesser, and looking to build my own router table in the near future, I'd like to get myself a reference edge to check for table flatness with a feeler gauge. The default recommendation for straightedges is an aluminium spirit level, but how accurate are these...

I bought my TS250-RS just under a year ago. In terms of accuracy like most tools (other than really cheap stuff) you get out what you're willing to put in with set-up - if you spend a bit of time fiddling with getting tables level and fences square it's as good as most. I like my saw and for the...

The Jet is a much more compact saw, and the sliding table stroke is 600mm compared with the Axminster which is 1220mm. I would recommend the Axminster, but you might find the compact size of the Jet a more important feature than the greater cross-cut capacity.

Several benefits spring to mind. Length - most saw tables are over 800mm in length and not as wide, so by having the router on the side wing you have more length for infeed and outfeed (unless you have a very long outfeed extension on your saw to fit the router into!). Also your shop will be set...

I'm after a set of ear defenders with electronic low-noise pickup, and was looking at Axminster's ones for £25. In B&Q last night I saw the Ryobi Tek4 system, and in the range they have an equivalent product running off the 4V rechargeable Tek4 battery. Fent comfortable when I tried them on, and...

You can get a sliding table for the SIP 01332, I think the Axminster AW10BSB2's sliding table fits it as well - might want to check that out though. Bear in mind with the Kity 419, Scheppach TS2000 and Axminster TS200 that these are 8" diameter bladed saws, so your depth of cut will be about...

As has already been suggested, the problem is that induction motors draw very high transient currents on starting, and falls as the motor gains speed. A type B breaker will trip between with an instantaneous current about 3-5 times the stated value, for a type C this figure is 5-10 times. I...

Since I last posted on this thread, I have made a couple of minor modifications to the saw. Firstly, I have levelled out the throat plate a bit. The throat plate is 5mm aluminium and when tightened up all the way on its three screws it sits noticeably below the cast table. Part of the problem...