Thread: Carba-Tec Shopping Spree

G'day Bennie,

Firts up sorry to read about losing a lot of your gear to the floods.

On the 10HB, I'd add an extra wing to it, I got one by default. All t/saws, except panel saws, in my opinion the table top is way too small. An extra wing really adds a bit more real estate.

For more info check my thread out:

http://www6.cyanide.com.au/~woodwork...ht=home+honest

I long had a 6" jointer before I was finally able to get the C/T 15" thicknesser CTJ-381. Without the jointer I would've been lost. A jointer and thicknesser is a great combination. Of the two I'd have a jointer first.

Ben, by all means go and have a look at Carbatec to see a few of their saws - then buy a Jet!

Ben,

1st question
TSC-10HB is a very good saw for its price tag. A lot of members here can confirm that. I would prefer a JET saw but it costs a bit more. The supersaw without the sliding table doesn't cost much more.

2nd question
I will not buy a jointer without buying a thicknesser. I will not buy a thicknesser without buying a jointer.

Ben, I have just gone through the tablesaw selection process so I know what you are going through!

On the question of TSC10HB vs Jet Supersaw, there is an interesting thread here, where on forum member who owns a Jet Supersaw compares the power
of the Supersaw motor to Collingwood footballers.

There is also a poll thread on the same subject here.

There is lots of useful info on tablesaws, including the TSC10HB and Jet Supersaw, on this forum. Just do a search on those and you will find lots to read

Thanks for the replies everyone. The flood waters took away alot of possessions, but more importantly everyone is safe and sound - possessions can be replaced, people can not.

I didn't want to open the old Jet vs Carba-Tec debate so I won't enter into which one is better. Let's just work off the TSC-10HB.

Waldo - thanks for the tip on the extra wing. I am used to working on a small surface, coming from the Triton which also had a wobble in it to keep things even more interesting. My shed is quite small so perhaps the extra wing may take up too much real estate. Is the extra wing diffiult to addon at a later date?

Wongo - As for the jointer without a thicknesser, do you reckon it's possible to progressively work around the stock to get a dimensioned workpiece. I understand that it's much simpler to whack it through a thicknesser once you've jointed one face, but I guess I'm asking can you spend more time at the jointer and get the same result?

Perhaps my original question should have been what single tool is the most useful for dressing rough stock?

Ben

Originally Posted by Benniee

My shed is quite small so perhaps the extra wing may take up too much real estate. Is the extra wing diffiult to addon at a later date?Ben

G'day Benniee,

No, the extra wing only fills out to the length of the rails.

Originally Posted by Benniee

Wongo - As for the jointer without a thicknesser, do you reckon it's possible to progressively work around the stock to get a dimensioned workpiece. I understand that it's much simpler to whack it through a thicknesser once you've jointed one face, but I guess I'm asking can you spend more time at the jointer and get the same result?

No.

A jointer will give you 1 flat face. A thicknesser will give you the other face flat and 2 faces are perfectly parallel.

Use a jointer on both faces will give you 2 flat faces but they are not necessary parallel. If they were then it was by luck.

Originally Posted by Benniee

I guess I'm asking can you spend more time at the jointer and get the same result?

Yes - but it will take a lot more time and effort.

I've been there and done that, and now also own a thicknesser. It is much easier with both, but if you can only get one now, go with the jointer but budget for a thicknesser later.

Ben, I don't know whether C/T Sydney has the same sale, but in Melbourne they are selling 15" thicknessers for $995 and $1395 respectively. I think the 8" jointers were $995 as well, but didn't really write down the prices of those as I already have a 10" jointer.

I agree with Wongo, you need both to do the job.

Yes you can use a jointer without a thicknesser. I use mine often.

The thicknesser is really only mandatory if you want to reduce the board thickness. Say you have 19mm and you want to make it 15mm. You can't do that with a tablesaw. You could do it with the jointer, but it would be a bit dodgy.

For rip cuts, you joint one side, rip to slightly over size then joint the other.

Yes I would say that of the two a jointer would be the first choice. I bought both mine at the same time but I used a straight bit in my router table with a split fence to joint long before I had either.

Use a jointer on both faces will give you 2 flat faces but they are not necessary parallel. If they were then it was by luck.

Mr Wong, how do you think they did it before thicknessers were invented? With a hand plane!!

OK tell us how to plane 2 surfaces perfectly parallel with a jointer. We were talking about a powered jointer, not a hand plane Mr C.

At the end of the day, anything we do with machines can be done with hand tools and I'm sure quite successfully by those who have the skills and the patience. It is just that it takes a lot of time to develop those skills, but it must be very satisfying.

When you look at furniture from several centuries ago, it is amazing what those craftsmen could do with limited tools. After all this was before LN

A jointer is used to get one surface flat (joint a face first), then to get the edge square to the face. Then the thicknesser is used to dimension the piece to the right thickness and width, while keeping the opposite face and opposite edge parallel and square.

You can use a jointer to flatten and square all four sides of a piece of timber. This works quite well and isn't difficult to do. But, where a thicknesser is incredibly handy is in making multiple pieces of timber the same thickness and width, which is much harder to do on a jointer.

I reckon that a thicknesser is next to useless without a jointer because a thicknesser doesn't get surfaces square and flat unless the opposite surface is already square and flat, it merely makes them parallel to each other (and thinner!). But a jointer is not useless without a thicknesser, so if I could only afford one I'd buy the jointer first. But, my ambition is to buy both at the same time, because I reckon I'll use the both in tandem. Joint a face and an edge, then size. If I do end up getting a jointer first my handplanes will get more of a workout....

Good luck with your purchases - you're going to have a ball!

Edit - Mr Wongo, you can get two surfaces parallel on a jointer. I've done it. You joint a face, then joint the edge square to the face, then joint the second face square to the edge. If both faces are square to the edge then the two faces must (and I mean mathematically MUST) be parallel. Then you can joint the second edge square as well and end up with a square flat board. You can even dimension the piece with a jointer, but Silent is quite right, it is dodgy and painful to do! But I've done it....