Thread: Display cabinet WIP

Originally Posted by FenceFurniture

Without wishing to hijack (a word that terrifies brandy anyway) .....AlexS, I'm sure you love the N4400, so why is it better than others please? I know it carries the usual Hammer semi-premium price, and there are clearly reasons for that.

Regards, Brett

I had the opportunity to try one out for a day before I bought. I liked the overall quality. It ran without vibration, cut parallel with the fence and the finish quality was high. I liked the guide bearing system and the solid feel of everything.
When I bought it, there was no fiddling around aligning wheels (although I've heard that some people have had to), and I haven't had to make any major adjustments in the 4 years I've had it.

Yes, OK, all good reasons. What do you think of the fence, and would an aftermarket fence (say Kreg) be an improvement, or a waste of money?

Originally Posted by FenceFurniture

Yes, OK, all good reasons. What do you think of the fence, and would an aftermarket fence (say Kreg) be an improvement, or a waste of money?

If I may be allowed to comment....I probably wouldn't bother with an aftermarket one, the OEM fence is strong and sturdy, fairly tall and I think can be laid over 90° for thin sections, however the Kreg would give a few extra options for stops or such to be attached to the fence, my two cents..

Pete

Originally Posted by pjt

If I may be allowed to comment....I probably wouldn't bother with an aftermarket one, the OEM fence is strong and sturdy, fairly tall and I think can be laid over 90° for thin sections, however the Kreg would give a few extra options for stops or such to be attached to the fence, my two cents..

Pete

I like Kreg jigs but I don't find it extremely necessary. Maybe one of the most interesting options it has is the micro adjustment possibility. Usually I solve this problem with a simple caliper and I set the correct distance easily.

That said, anything we have in our shop that speeds up the workflow is always well accepted

I was taking a look at the compatibility chart on Kreg site here and seems that Hammer is not included in the list.

Luca, does that mean you also have the N4400? BTW, that chart was last updated in August 2007, and in reality probably only reflects that brands that are popular in the US. If it came to the crunch, a simple email to Kreg would sort it out. There's also the possibility that Kreg views the N4400 fence as good enough to not bother "competing" with.

I've found that with the N4400, despite what the Kreg video says, you can cut without drift. I leave the fence set square to the front of the table, & check that it's cutting square when I change blades - set it so it's running on the crown of the wheel, and tweak slightly if necessary to run it square. Tweaking is rarely necessary unless the blade's on the way out. If it was necessary to adjust the fence angle it would be easy to do.
The fence is robust and sits perpendicular to the table. It slides freely on the bar, which I keep lubricated with a thin film spray (lanoline). For fine adjustments, such as cutting box joints, just a light tap does the job.
My only criticism of the fence is that one of the bolts that holds the fence to its clamp goes into a hole that isn't spotfaced, so that when you tighten it, you have to apply a lot of torque so that the washer bends, to get a solid grip.

Brett, I don't have the N4400. I have a Socomec, an european brand that works pretty well. I was taking a closer look at the fence on Kreg's website and I stumbled upon that list but I didn't notice that it was updated at 2007. Anyway, as you said, an email could sort it out.

AlexS, nice to know that the N4400 doesn't need any drift angle to cut, I woudln't have imagined that. If I had to buy a bandsaw now, I'd certainly go for the N4400!

Luca, better put an ad in the for sale section here:
"For Sale: near new Socomec Band Saw. Pick up only."

Yes, yes, but then I'd have something to explain to my wife

Oh yes, and I imagine an irate Italian SWMBO must be a fearsome sight!

Originally Posted by AlexS

I've found that with the N4400, despite what the Kreg video says, you can cut without drift. I leave the fence set square to the front of the table, & check that it's cutting square when I change blades - set it so it's running on the crown of the wheel, and tweak slightly if necessary to run it square. Tweaking is rarely necessary unless the blade's on the way out. If it was necessary to adjust the fence angle it would be easy to do.
The fence is robust and sits perpendicular to the table. It slides freely on the bar, which I keep lubricated with a thin film spray (lanoline). For fine adjustments, such as cutting box joints, just a light tap does the job.
My only criticism of the fence is that one of the bolts that holds the fence to its clamp goes into a hole that isn't spotfaced, so that when you tighten it, you have to apply a lot of torque so that the washer bends, to get a solid grip.

I'm with Alex re cutting without drift, I have only ever set my fence paralell to the blade, when I get either a wider or narrower cut piece I know my blade has gone off and needs resharpening or replacing.

Pete

Finally I found some time to complete my cabinet. I spent many hours in taking care of details but I'm now happy with it. Here are some pictures.

I like it, well done.