Granted, this was comparing vs aeration stones (fish tank method), but it seems perfectly adequate without the need to pull out the drill and sanitize yet another tool.The most rapid method of oxygenating the water was achieved by the rocking/shaking method, in which over 90% saturation was achieved in less than 5 minutes of aeration
Yeah... we've used Harbor Freight tools at work (though obviously a cabinet shop puts a lot more wear and tear on a tool than someone hanging curtains and towel racks)... won't do that again. They started failing in a matter of weeks. The reason I was looking for a cordless is that, while there are certainly plenty of outlets in this house, our furniture placement makes getting to the ones that would allow me to reach above the main windows less than ideal.For buying your first round of power tools I'll second buying corded tools. Black and Decker is pretty good brand. They are cheap and reliable like me.
But, for my next cordless drill I will look at buying Milwaukee. I have owned DeWalt in the past, the first drill lasted nearly 10 years with 3 weeks of heavy use drilling through heavy gauge steel. Then the one I bought to replace it died within a year with out doing any heavy use.
If you go the really cheap route and buy from one of those Chinese import places like Harbor Freight, test the tool before you leave the store.
I want to clarify that when I bought it, I then used it to floor about 800sq feet of attic with 3/4" plywood sitting on top of 2x4's on edge (to allow for air/wiring), ringed with more 2x4's (to keep things from sliding off the edge into the surrounding insulation), and to re-do my entire 200sq ft workroom floor first with 1/2" plywood atop new 2x10" studs and then 3/4" plywood on top of that to repair all the preexisting water damage from the utility room next door, and all of it was done with screws (not nails) since I was going to be doing audio work and didn't want the floor to squeak. The first 5-6 months of that drill's existence were pure Hell, and it didn't even seem to notice. Its life now is one of relative luxury hanging the occasional picture, installing shelf braces, etc.I only use it now about once every couple of months
Make sure you bring your awesome mustache with you. Don't want to be look out of place.On this topic, I am going to this:
I only have the ubiquitous nerdy-goatee-mustache combo. I have met Roy Underhill previously and he signed my book: "May the grain be with you!"Make sure you bring your awesome mustache with you. Don't want to be look out of place.
--Patrick
I would hold off on a table saw, as they're expensive and you can get most hardware places to rip the width board you need. A router set will run you a couple hundred bucks and isn't crazy useful unless you're planning on making stuff like furniture, signs, and designs. For household needs, you absolutely want a drill, circular saw, miter saw, hammer-drill, jigsaw, and reciprocating saw in that order. I highly recommend building your own workbench, as it's customizable to any space you got and a great experience.I will also eventually need to add a router and circular saw and/or table saw to the mix. I don't (currently) do a lot of woodworking, but would like to get into it for hobby purposes now and for home building later so that I don't have to try to either buy a house that's perfect, or hire someone to make minor repairs.
...it's a bit like forging your own ironworking tools.I highly recommend building your own workbench, as it's customizable to any space you got and a great experience.
...it's a bit like forging your own ironworking tools.
--Patrick
back when I was making wooden tinwhistles, I was able to make due with a $100-ish Riyobi table saw from home depot. Certainly a light-weight tool, but perfectly adequate for my purposes. And I used it to help build my own workbenches, using these plans:I'm a DeWalt/Makita man, myself. I do not agree with Steiny, however, as I find my cordless drill to be infinitely more useful around the house than my corded one. Ain't no problem a good 18V cordless can't tackle. Keyword: Good. Don't go cheap on a drill. It's probably your most important tool next to a circular saw. Two batteries and you're set.
I would hold off on a table saw, as they're expensive and you can get most hardware places to rip the width board you need. A router set will run you a couple hundred bucks and isn't crazy useful unless you're planning on making stuff like furniture, signs, and designs. For household needs, you absolutely want a drill, circular saw, miter saw, hammer-drill, jigsaw, and reciprocating saw in that order. I highly recommend building your own workbench, as it's customizable to any space you got and a great experience.
If you can't do a workbench just yet, buy a piece of plywood or MDF that you can place on your table or on sawhorses. It stores easily, and protects whatever table you use it on pretty well. Remember that a workbench is meant to be used - don't be afraid to screw things to it, or drill or cut it in the process of completing your project - it's another tool, not a fine piece of furniture.For household needs, you absolutely want a drill, circular saw, miter saw, hammer-drill, jigsaw, and reciprocating saw in that order. I highly recommend building your own workbench, as it's customizable to any space you got and a great experience.
When I was laying all the laminate flooring, my workbench was an oil-filled radiator.a workbench is meant to be used - don't be afraid to screw things to it, or drill or cut it in the process of completing your project
I don't disagree on any particular point. I just wanted to point out that table saws don't have to be terribly expensive--and for my purposes it was more handy to own one of those than a circular saw. Just try ripping 4x4x12 pieces of exotic hardwood into 1x1x12 pieces with a circular sawI, too, have a $100 table saw, and it's fine for a lot of work, but it's a tool I'd buy long after a circular saw, which can do nearly everything the average DIY person would need a rotating blade saw for. I'd even recommend a circular saw before a miter/chop saw.
I never thought I'd have a place to talk about what I learned while I worked for my parents' business!I've never enjoyed posting in a thread as much as I have in this one. :tearsofjoy:
I think @stienman is talking about his table saw not cutting through 4" stock, not the chop saw/miter saw.@stienman - I called my dad because this didn't sound right to me. My dad's saying his DeWalt 10" chop saw goes through a 4 x 4 easily. First, are you sure it's not a metric blade? If it's a 250mm blade it will be about 1/8" - 3/16" smaller than a full 10" blade. I used to see that a lot. He also said to make sure your blade is going all the way to the top. If there is sawdust or something blocking the blade from coming up it will cut short. Then he said to make sure to check the washer/collar size to make sure it isn't too big. That will make your cut more shallow, too.[DOUBLEPOST=1421183932,1421183736][/DOUBLEPOST]
I never thought I'd have a place to talk about what I learned while I worked for my parents' business!
I don't disagree on any particular point. I just wanted to point out that table saws don't have to be terribly expensive--and for my purposes it was more handy to own one of those than a circular saw. Just try ripping 4x4x12 pieces of exotic hardwood into 1x1x12 pieces with a circular saw
Build this workbench:
Starts about the 55 sec mark.
Just kidding, it's a bit overkill and too top heavy, but it sure looks nice.
I've never enjoyed posting in a thread as much as I have in this one. :tearsofjoy:
I, too, have a $100 table saw, and it's fine for a lot of work, but it's a tool I'd buy long after a circular saw, which can do nearly everything the average DIY person would need a rotating blade saw for. I'd even recommend a circular saw before a miter/chop saw. Of course I now have an extraordinarily nice table saw, which I find wonderful for many of my recent projects, so this isn't meant to put down table saws in general, just to suggest that you needn't collect tools for the sake of having the best tool for the job - sometimes a job can be done well enough for your needs with a cheaper, smaller tool you already have.
Mathias is pretty much spot on here, though I think we could all argue about the last three items priority. I suggest simply saving money, and as you need a tool for a specific project and have it budgeted, get it. No need to buy tools speculatively. I don't have a hammer drill, though there's been several times in the past year I could have used
I'm putting this on the wall in my office. It's the perfect metaphor for why programming projects go past their estimated release date.