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That’s it! I used to have a world-class collection of bits of wood 100mm too short! Not much matches the satisfaction of a car full of junk to the recycling centre.

+1 for the Ryobi. I bought one a few months ago, and am still impressed.

As Trevanion says, cleaning both parts of the taper is key. Clean with dry rag, then again with a clean rag with meths or isopropanol, don’t stop until the rag comes away completely clean. Then press the chuck in in the usual way. I had exactly the same problem. I thought the taper was...

Thanks Peter - the thread on the FOG link you gave was very enlightening.

A question of no consequence, really, just my idle curiosity. Why is the pitch of the holes on the MFT and clones 96mm? Why not 100mm? Thanks Geoff

I have both a pair of the Axminster lever rail clamps and their (cheaper) Quick Action rail clamps. The lever clamps are much more robust, and, as Dr Al says, the lever action is very nice, once you get the hang of using them. The quick action clamps are easier to use, and I find myself...

Yes, I use something very similar. The plug-in bits are rated at 3000W, so even my dual-motor Camvac extractor is OK. Also use another socket to control a (2kW) heater. Three sockets + remote cost me about £10 about 10 years ago.

Yes, I’ve had mixed experiences with Rutland. Most of their stuff is OK - no prizes, but it does the job, and the price is sensible - but I have had some things from them that are absolute cr*p. I’ve chosen to put those down to experience! Dust hose adaptors - the bane of my life. I’ve now...

Yes, I agree with NDR’s comments re some of the design stupidities in the Rutland lift. If I remember correctly (it’s a while since I assembled the lift), the mesh in the gears can be adjusted by slackening the grub screw holding the bevel gear on to the control shaft. They’re pretty crude...

I’d be surprised if there were significant differences in the speed controller between Rutland, AUK, and other similar (identical) looking brands. The presence of a cable gland on the remote-controlled AUK in place of the speed control knob is a bit of a giveaway! Only real way to tell is to...

I too bought the motor/lift combination fro Rutland when it was on offer for less tha £300. The motor looks similar to the AUK one, but I can’t comment on the relative quality of bearings etc. If I remember correctly the rated power is 2kW; it has always seemed powerful enough for my needs...

I doubt it, particularly in the case of the 24mm bit, which is Bosch branded and marked “Made in Austria”. I don’t know where Axminster source their Axcaliber bits, but their range is pretty much all metric, apart from some key points, eg 1/2”. At the risk of provoking a reaction, for me, the...

I measured one earlier. A 14mm hinge expanded by 0.4mm by really tightening the clamping screw, but realistically by 0.3mm. The other point is that the clamping screw expands the bottom of the hinge barrel, and is intended simply to retain the hinge in the hole - for stability, the top needs...

Yes, the Zysa hinges I mentioned are a case in point. They are cylindrical concealed hinges that fit into a hole bored in each element - door and frame, for instance. The body of the hinge has a knurled finish, and is retained in the hole by expanding the body by means of a pointed grub screw...

Except, of course, when you're fitting a metal or plastic part that needs an exact fit.

The 14mm one in a drill press. The 24mm straight out of the box.

Good point, Bob. I have used 2 different calipers, but I’ve also just ordered a 20mm gauge block because I can see the need to calibrate the vernier. However, the reason I started measuring the bits was that I used the 14mm one to fit some Hafele Zysa hinges, specified as needing a 14mm hole...

I wonder if others have observed that (some) Forstner bits cut measurably undersize. I have 2 definite instances - a 14mm Axcaliber bit that cuts 13.6mm diam, and a newly-purchased Bosch 24mm bit (which I think is probably made by Fisch) that measures 23.6mm. Neither bit has been re-sharpened...