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Guys,
I am getting ready to go all out and pick up some tools for restoration. I want a scroll saw/band saw, bench grinder and belt sander. I am looking at harbor freight as they seem to have good prices. The only problem is harbor freight isn't really close to me so I will have to drive. Is there a comparable alternative at a larger chain for any of these that comes recommended? (home depot, lowes, ect? ) Any input would be appreciated.
Thanks
Luke
Harbor Freight is usually the lowest. That is because the tools that the have are not usually name brand tools. I have heard good things, i have heard bad things. If you want to do it on the cheep and do it now, then Harbor Freight is the place for you. You will get better quality from, say Sears Craftsman or Dewalt, but i have heard that the tools from Harbor do a pretty good job. Home Depot next to me has Ryobi scroll saws, drill presses and sanders for like $119. I use a Ryobi screw gun every day. I also have their flashlight that is 18 v like my drill. I dropped that sucker from the roof of a 2 story building and only had to change the bulb.
You can get something done fast, right or cheap. Pick two.
I use old tools from craigslist or the such. I can usually get quality at a good price, but not everything is available all of the time. I'd check there first.
I have wasted a lot of $ on going "cheap", only later to wish that I had ponied up an extra $20 for a better brand. Like Prosneek said, some are good and some aren't. If you have a major chain store like Lowes, Home Depot, Sears close to home, you should at least consider them when you add the cost of fuel or shipping into the mix.
A sander and grinder a pretty generic and universal. They spin a stone or spin a belt. The stone and belts are what make the big difference. The saw however, is another story. I have looked at HF before and picked up my dust collector there but things like drill presses, bandsaws, etc.... are pretty much junk. Small motors, rough build, hard to work on and set up properly. Some are just outright silly like a drill press with a 2 inch throw.
You could hit the big box shops like Lowes but again, it is not the best quality but better than HF and if all you are going to do is cut little stuff they will work. If you want to resaw blocks of wood to make your own slabs for scales, cut bone, horn etc or possibly work into larger projects, spend the money up front and get good gear that will last a life. Craig's list is a good place to look, find a local Rockler or WoodCraft and take a look at what they have.
If you are patient you can get good quality very cheap from craigslist.Quote:
Originally Posted by deighaingeal
Harbor Freight tools are cheap because they are, well, cheap. I went through two cheap (~$90) 4x36" sanders in a year (the motors blew up) before I gave up and bought a quality machine (a KMG). The motors and bearings in cheap machinery simply aren't designed to last very long at all.
If I were you, and I had a tight budget, I'd go with the method of "right and cheap", you don't need "fast" yet. There are only a couple pieces of equipment that will really improve the quality of work over using just hand tools. The first thing that comes to mind is a solid drill press. Shaping and sanding can be done by very accurately hand, poking holes in something is another matter. Get a good benchtop drill press and spend the rest on sandpaper and files/rasps.
The equipment I use most for my handle/blade work is a tablesaw, a drill press, a 2x72 grinder, and a spindle sander. The rest of the work is done by hand. I could do without the tablesaw by hand sawing or buying pre-cut scales. I could do without the 2x72 (with the exception of hollow grinding) by hand sanding/filing. I could do without the spindle sander by using a coping saw, rasp and sandpaper. I couldn't do my work without a drill press. Think carefully about how you're actually going to use your equipment. For example, I can't think of any use for a bench grinder aside from buffing (which is scary and can be done by hand).
Phillip
p.s. Harbor Freight is great for little things like cheapo clamps, beater drill bits, and scribes.
I had a cheap scrollsaw from HF, the part of the table around the blade was made of cheap plastic and would flex when working on small pieces, making scale work virtually impossible. The blade holder on it broke and had to be replaced. I finally broke down and bought a new one. For about $15 more than the HF one I got a much better quality saw at Home Depot. It's a Ryobi, not top of the line by any stretch of the imagination, but still far better than the one I had from Harbor Freight.
I am SO confused. I cant even figure out where to invest. I have roughly 250. I want to do blade restoration, and make scales. I had a harbor freight setup (bench grinder, scroll saw, belt sander) all for 240.00 but now after reading several threads im not so sure. I dont know if I should start with a basic hand coping saw and invest in the other 2. Totally lost. Each thread seems to contradict. Somebody tell me what to buy...LOL. Harbor freight? Ryobi? I know this thread has been done but there is usually no definitive answer
Okay... this probably isn't what you want to hear, but in the end it will help you a ton...
You cannot adequately tool yourself to do full restorations with $250. My advice would be:
Buy a the nicest edge sander $200 can buy, whether it is a belt or spindle is your preference.... something with a flat face, and at least one wheel you can use for inside curves.
Use the remaining $50 to buy a nice medium-cut rasp ("carpenter's file") and a coping saw. Buy your wood pre-thicknessed, use the coping saw to cut it in to blanks and rough shape, then use the belt sander to shape (and make wedges) and do all the profiling of the blade with your rasp.
Although I have a whole, huge woodshop at my disposal the only difference between this and what I do is I have a 14" bandsaw instead of a coping saw. The difference? The amount of time.
what about blade polishing, so far I do by hand
I think a lot of the confusion comes from the fact that we all approach the same problem (razor restoration) with different tools and techniques. Try to mentally go through the steps of what you want to do, and think of how you want to accomplish it.
If I were restoring a razor with the equipment you mentioned, I would only use the belt sander (and even that just speed up the process). Razor handle material is very thin and the shape is simple, so a hand saw is almost faster than setting up the scroll saw. I could then clean up the profile on the belt sander, drill, and finish up by hand. The blade is just a lot of sanding. Make a sanding block of the right radius and go to town with the sandpaper. You can even get a mirror polish if you use 3M finishing paper (up to 8k).
Keep in mind that this is just how I'd do it. Your techniques are all up to you.
Phillip
so the belt sander is the #1 tool? I think I have at minimal eliminated the saw option (buying hand coping saw). That leaves me 250 to spend either on A. A great belt sander or 1/2 on sander 1/2 on bench grinder. Any recommendations?
Well, what do you plan on using the bench grinder for? I'm not sure where that fits in to the razor restoration picture.
Ben has some good advice here. I'd take a belt or spindle sander any day over a bench grinder. I think that for making scales, an oscillating spindle sander is the most pleasant to use. I still use my $200 spindle sander to profile scales instead of using my $2000 KMG. And really, you don't even need the coping saw if you have a spindle sander and some coarse drums. It takes seconds to turn a rectangle into the shape of scale on the spindles.Quote:
Originally Posted by BKratchmer
I'm curious how people make scales without a drill press. It could be just that I'm horrible at hand-drilling, but I couldn't make a scale without mine.
Phillip
I have a combination belt sander/bench grinder, you can pull the grinding wheel off and throw a buffing wheel on. Its my most used piece of equipment.
Baldy, love the boys setup!!!!! He can do just like dad's doing...
$250 is not going to get you very far. A good bandsaw will get you around $1,000. My table saw is around $4K but I do a lot of other wood working, not just scales. You can get a good spindle sander for around $250. If you are patient, you can pick up some nice stuff second hand but you would want to purchase local. Shipping a 400 pound tool across a couple of states is quite expensive. It is really a matter of what your future intentions are. If you plan on this being the gateway to wood working, get better gear. If you are only going to polish a dozen blades and make a couple dozen sets of scales a year, then some middle of the road kit will do just fine.
First item purchased today off craigslist delta saw. 2 years old for$50
http://i179.photobucket.com/albums/w...e/a8959311.jpg
Came with 25 new blades
I've got the same one as well as their bandsaw...
any feedback on your experience?
Feedback on the tools or my experience on restoring razors? Delta makes a good tool. These shopmaster tools are middle of the road and should provide you many years of use as a hobbiest/weekend shop worker. As far as my experience, just look at some of the threads that I have started. I'm no pro, but I manage.
Picked up a sander and a drill press as well off craigslist....both delta $50 each
http://i179.photobucket.com/albums/w...e/7de8e8a3.jpg
all that is left is the bench grinder. I am using this stuff exclusively for scale making and blade polishing
I think you're off to a great start! Those are great tools to start off with. I have purchased many tools from craigslist even a few of my lathes and as long as you know what to look for you'll do fine. I've even purchase a 3/4 horse baldor buffer for $75 about two years ago.
Man, looks like you are set to get started. Great finds, now it's time to put them to work!
I am so ready to get going......I have finished two blades so far, only 20 or so to go...LOL
Where's the link to the pics of the ones that you restored already?Quote:
Originally Posted by eculuke
Here is my belt sander craigslist find...all cleaned up with a new set of shoes....
http://i179.photobucket.com/albums/w...e/08838ebb.jpg
+1 on that the harbor freight is cheap and cheapQuote:
Originally Posted by shooter74743
Latest addition from craiglist (50.00). Needs a good cleaning
http://i179.photobucket.com/albums/w...e/6d765798.jpg