Welcome to a new week, everyone. I am not sure if I have hand planed quite so many pieces in a single week for a project series as I did this week. I admit that this to some seems a waste of my time when I could use power equipment (if I had it and …
A couple of Things Read More »
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You can change the tooth size of any saw to suit the work you intend to use them for or in my case here, remove them and start over after high levels of misuse, abuse or neglect. Looking at these teeth makes you wonder how things can go so badly wrong. This one has to …
Retoothing any Saw Read More »
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Disclosure: I have no relationship with Laguna and I purchased this product with my own money that I earned by mowing lawns and shoveling snow.
If you spend enough time around bandsaws you’ll quickly notice a theme: most of them have really bad fences. The budget-friendly saws often come with a cheap aluminum fence and a flimsy locking mechanism. Perhaps worse yet, premium bandsaws often come with fences that are nothing more than a chunk of cast iron and offer little in the way of functionality. But it’s hard to blame these companies since I don’t think my use-case represents the majority. That said, there are companies out there such as Laguna and Powermatic that are now including quality fences with their tools and that’s awesome to see. Not every company has gotten on board, however, and if you want to do precision work at your bandsaw it might be worth looking into an after-market fence system such as the Laguna DriftMaster.
I had the DriftMaster on my first “big boy” bandsaw I purchased in 2005-ish. The saw was a MiniMax MM16 and it was one of those that came with the cast iron slab fence. I was getting into cutting my own veneer at the time and the DriftMaster was the only fence on the market that offered an adjustment mechanism that would allow for precise fence movements, which can really speed up the veneer-cutting process. The fence also featured easy drift adjustments, as the name implies. If you aren’t familiar, “drift” is what we call it when a bandsaw blade doesn’t cut straight. If you calibrate the angle of the fence to match the angle of the blade, you can usually get nice straight cuts. Just as an FYI, there are many in the woodworking community that now feel bandsaw drift is something that can be adjusted out with proper calibration. See our video with Alex Snodgrass to see how it’s done. Fast forward about 15 years and I now find myself yearning for the creature comforts of a nice long 2-position fence, precise micro-adjustment, and drift adjustment should I ever need it. I recently purchased a sweet Italian-made SCM 440P bandsaw, and unfortunately it came with one of those chonky cast iron slabs. For the price of this saw, it really should come with a tiny jovial shop assistant that can move the fence for you, but I digress.
I found the installation of the DriftMaster Fence System to be a little frustrating. The manual is largely inadequate, featuring minimal explanations and grainy black and white images that look like prints of photocopies of the original scanned Polaroids. OK, maybe it wasn’t that bad but it’s 2022 and the technology to construct a better manual is accessible to any company that cares enough to utilize it. Speaking of technology, most of us are walking around with 4K video cameras in our pockets. Is it too much to ask for a quick installation video?!
After a little Google-fu, I found an old blog post showing the installation on a MiniMax saw. While not all of the info was relevant to my installation, I did find the pictures and explanations helpful.
Calibration was also a little tricky as it’s a very hit or miss process. The adjustments are made by tapping on various parts of the fence and it feels impossible to determine the downstream effects of those adjustments. For instance, you can tap on the front bracket to help square the fence to the table near the blade. But you quickly notice that this also affects the height of the fence and it’s now rubbing on the table on the near side while rising up on the far side. Then you also notice that while you made it square near the blade, it’s now out of square when you push the fence away from the blade. So you adjust the rear bracket and the the whole debacle repeats. It’s finicky to say the least and if you’re a perfectionist when it comes to tool calibration, I think you’ll find this thing pretty frustrating. But if you take your time and embrace the trial and error methodology, you’ll eventually get there.
Absolutely! In spite of my gripes with installation and calibration, the fence performs as well as I remember. I was slicing off consistent strips of veneer in no time and have since used it for not only veneer, but cutting small parts and busting through big resaws. The ability to accurately dial in the fence position transforms the bandsaw from a rough cutting tool into a precision powerhouse, at least in my opinion. Overall, I’m happy I made the upgrade.
OK let’s get real for a second. This fence is NOT a necessity. I haven’t had one for over 15 years and my work hasn’t suffered in the slightest. So don’t let my praise of this fence fool you into thinking this is purchase of necessity. It’s a luxury. This fence is all about incremental increases in accuracy, efficiency, precision, and fun. Because yes, I sometimes purchase things because I believe they’ll make my time in the shop even more fun than it already is. As is often the case with my reviews, I can’t tell you if this purchase is worth it for you. I can only say that the product works as advertised and once you slog through the installation and calibration, you’ll probably be happy with the end result.
The post A Sweet Bandsaw Upgrade | Laguna DriftMaster Review appeared first on The Wood Whisperer.
I think this is worth a visit. Some people suggest to others that Paul Sellers hates machines, never uses them and is a skilled craftsman who insists on using only traditional methods. It’s not true, none of it. I am skilled though, and it is my skill that equips me to do things other woodworkers …
On Fastenings and Fixings Read More »
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I think often of how we want a one plane fits all woodworking plane to do all tasks and as a long-term advocate for the very basic, unchanged Stanley #4 without retrofitting a new plane iron of thicker value or harder steel, some might think my thoughts to be different. I use about four or …
Planes I True My Wood With Read More »
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I read a recent comment from a former student friend I came to know named Scott. Scott wrote to thank me for my input in his life by changing the direction his path was taking to go more for creative working with hand tools and away from power machines. Well, of course, it’s humbling! Our …
I read Woodworking Differently Read More »
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This video was sponsored by the fine folks at Get Back Inc.
Dining tables have gotten boring. I’ve built quite a few tables over the years and the formula is always the same: a table with four legs and some chairs around it. I think it’s time for the dining table to receive a solid upgrade and wouldn’t it be nice if the “chairs” were actually part of the structure? Today I’m going to show you How to Build the Best Alternative to a Traditional Dining Table using a Swing-Out Seat Table Hardware Kit from Get Back Inc.
This is a great DIY woodworking project for anyone looking to make their own custom-built kitchen/dining table or even an outdoor picnic/patio table. It’s the perfect project for weekend warriors and advanced craftsman alike because this kit includes all of the hardware you’ll need, plus an easy-to-use, step-by-step guide. So If you want to create a great looking, durable, and versatile table for all your friends and family to enjoy, this is it! My family and I have been using our table for over 6 months and every time we have friends over, conversation always turns to the the Get Back Swing-Out Seat Table. The seats are comfortable, sturdy and when not in use they tuck away giving the table a surprisingly small footprint given the impressive scale of the hardware.
Best of all, IT WILL last a lifetime, with 100% Satisfaction Guarantee. Check it out at GetBackInc.com.
The post How to Build the Best Alternative to a Traditional Dining Table appeared first on The Wood Whisperer.