Thread: How Accurate???

G'day Vonrek - You say you have a passion for woodworking, yet you're shopping at Bunnies. That's very much like using P/board on a fork lift for a bench. Strewth....

I have one piece of Triton equipment. Super Jaws. The greatest little invention for years. However when I had Central Victorian School of Woodcrafts we occasionally used to run Triton days, using Tritons best demonstrator. It was always his view that the Triton was only as good as the saw you used in it. Put in a Black and Decker and you get a B&D job. At home he used a top of the line Festo but was told to use another saw for demo's because it made the Triton work better than the average person could afford.

Another thing that came across pretty strong was the need to spend a bit of time fine tuning the whole thing. If this was done accurately then you had a pretty good work centre that was also pretty versatile.

Moral of the story: The better the saw the more accurate the work.

Trouble is that the Triton and the best saw could set you back almost as much as a reasonably good saw bench, which in theory should work and stay more accurate than a Triton. But not nesecerily.

Hope this helps a bit.

Cheers - Neil

Thanks Neil, but hey, hands off my Bunnies!!! Nothing like getting into the new guy as soon as he posts.

FYI was only at Bunnies trying to select the right colour boronia for the back garden with my wife. After 30 minutes i discreetly wandered off to drool over Triton, Hitachi and friends (not that i'm being defensive).

Cheers anyway
Looking forward to becoming a regular visitor and contributor.

Strewth...... That's my line of defence. The missus made me do it. Geez. Hehehehehehe

Vonrek, sorry to be coming into this a bit late, but I thought that my two-pennorth may cast some light in one or another direction.

I have one of the oldest Mk 3 workbenches known to the good people at Triton. I have a 9-1/4" Makita hanging under it, in one of the new model saw chassis and with a height adjuster - fitting the latter was how I found that my table was too early to have been considered in the design criteria, as I had to cut away some of the chassis to allow clearance for the movement of the adjuster. With these considerations I feel that my table does everything that I ask of it.

You need to consider your circumstances - I have no room for a permanent workshop, and have to work under my carport. All of my equipment is stored in a small garden shed at one side of the carport. Everything must therefore be portable - not only that, but be capable of being moved and used by someone not in very good physical condition. The Triton range is to my limited knowledge the only equipment that covers these needs.

Having said this, the workbench (and I include the 2000) is only pressed metal, and subject to a degree of flexing that plays havoc with fine settings. However, if you measure, check, and recheck all of your settings every time you move the gear, (or even before you start cutting your next piece of wood) there is no reason why you can't achieve excellent results. I make picture frames out of both commercial mouldings and mouldings that I make myself from recycled timbers. I use just about the full range of Triton gear - I have a planer attachment and a sliding extension table for the workbench to help in cutting the wood down to size, and I have a new model router table to make the mouldings (I lust after the new Triton Router, but my big Hitachi is still working too well to justify a change).

Provided that I take care with all the settings and work slowly and carefully, I can produce frames that are the equal of any produced by much more expensive equipment. I have an 80 tooth negative rake Koyo blade that I fit to the Makita before cutting mitres, and it cuts as cleanly as a commercial framing guillotine - even better, as I can cut hardwoods than will ruin a guillotine blade.

I don't deny that I may be able to do as well, easier, with dedicated up-market machinery - but until my Lotto numbers come up so that I can move house and build a permanent workshop, my Triton equipment will do the job for me.

Ok OK,


Can your work bench do this?


A piece of MDF across the forks allows:

infinite height adjustment from ground level to 6 metres to save back aches.

being able to work outside on fine days.

tilt back 10 degrees to spray undersides of shelves.

a solid surface to clamp things on.

moving finished items without putting paw marks on them.

stores against the wall when not in use occupying 32mm of space.

can be moved where you want it in a sometimes very crowded workshop.

Now to be serious: I have an excellent bench that was made 30 yrs ago from GENUINE Tas oak fitted with bench hooks and woodworking vises.

------------------
Ian () Robertson
"We do good turns every day"

P.S. The triton is as accurate as YOU make it, however no saw will give you a cut that does not need further finishing procedures that you are asking for i.e.cutting timber for a wooden plane.

[This message has been edited by (edited 06 March 2002).]

Did I read it right?? A 6 metre bench height to save back ache??

Wow, you must be one tall woodie!!! Must be hard finding clothes to fit .

Reminds of a true story i once heard. While in Australia, Joel Garner (a 7 foot West Indian cricketer) was asked by a young lady whether he was built all in proportion, his face kept dead straight, Mr Garner replied (in your best west indian accent) "no man, if I was built in proportion I would be 8 feet tall"

Thanks for all the great replies though. I really like the sound of a Triton centre and will be working towards buying one as soon as possible (I'll start with the Triton precision saw first). Nothing out there can match it for versatility and as a woodie who loves to build jigs and solve problems the idea of the Triton with its idiosyncracies appeals to me.

One reply which got me thinking mentioned the festo (now festool??) saw being able to make the Triton look better than it actually is. What is it exactly about the saw that can do this? According to my latest update from Timbecon, the bigger festool comes with only a 190mm TCT blade but has all the electronic widgets. What makes the festool better than the Triton?

Thanks agian for the replies and advice

Tim


PS whats happened to Baz aka B Sumpter??

Festool=Precision, simple as that.
Once you have had a little weep after parting with the $$$$, and there will be a few to part with, it's hard to find anyhting to compare. It's even better than Ozito

But Ozito throw in a torch or a stubby holder when you buy one of their tools.

Can't do much else with one of those fancy festool systainers can you. Although with some ice, a few coldies... an eskie!!

8 replies so far (most of them my own)

Only a few more and I'll get a flaming folder.

Just wanted to thank you for the mention and to help support your flamming folder award.

Hope this helps,

Barry G. - S. U. M. P. T. E. R.
Proud Tritoneer

[This message has been edited by barrysumpter (edited 24 March 2002).]

The big issue with the triton is not how accurate it is or what it will do but how long it will take you to do it and how much trouble it will take to achieve the desired result.
The other issue is cost.
If you want a saw bench by the tome you buy the bench, stsnd, extension bench wheel cits and other accessories, then a a good saw to the package youn could have purchase a real but modest saw bench with rise & fall & tilt, fitted with dust extraction and a proper blade guard system. futher more it will have an induction motor which is much much quieter.
Don't get me wrong a triton make great products and they have real applications but the triton bench is not the correct product for the professional or serious amateur wood worker.
Look at the tools you own if you are a porter cable, festo, metabo sort off guy a triton bench is not for you. If you are an ozito, gmc, consumer poer tool sort of guy a triton is probably a great product for you.

Flaming Folder yett????

Thanks for the straight advice Soundman.

I think you've answered my question very nicely.

On the one hand I do not have any time pressures with the woodworking that i do but on the other I've learnt the hard way that fiddling for too long to get an accurate result leads to frustration which can lead to poor work and danger.

What i really want is a tablesaw that is simple, accurate and will allow me to accurately dimension and size work pieces and cut simple joint parts like tenons. I'm not too worried about dimensioning sheet stock or cutting box joints etc.

From the research I've done and answers that i have received it seems that for the approx $780 (based on Wrk Centre 2000, Triton 235mm saw and height winder kit) the Triton will probably fulfill my needs better than a comparable (price) table saw or bandsaw. Plus the ability to upgrade at a later date to include a sliding table extension etc.

Thanks again to all who answered

Cheers

Tim

Very interesting comments about Triton and other products,I am sorry to report that out of 16 Triton products that I purchased 14 of them were faulty. I am on my fourth workcentre second saw and router.I think the design of Triton is fine but the quality control leaves a lot to be desired.I have written to Triton twice and had no responce.The retailers have been very good in exchanging faulty products and the local reps have helped.I have wasted vast amounts of time and as mentioned elsewhere it woud have been wiser to spend more in the first instance and accept it as an investment.

Thanks for the reply. Unfortunately not the most encouraging experience, hope you're set up now and happily working wood.

In what sense were the products faulty? I think all potentail Triton owners would love to learn from your experience and get an idea of what to look out for when buying Triton gear so as not to have the same traumas as you've gone through.

In the sense of spending more and viewing it as an investment, would you suggest bypassing the orange stuff altogether and going for purpose built (cast iron) gear?

Thanks again for your reply

Cheers Tim