I pulled the trigger 3 times

[Leon]

I was inquiring a few weeks ago about router lifts and so on.... I
have gone from a new lift to replacing everything.

Hopefully a happy medium. My Bench Dog router cabinet/table is
sagging. But then it is about 21 years old. The top is Melamine over
MDF. It sags about .016". If I am going to get a fancy new router
lift I do not want it to be computerized by a sagging table top.

I narrowed it down to the JessEm Mast R Lift or the Incra Mast R Lift.
Rockler has some nice versions including a special sized Incra Mast R
Lift that would fit my Bench Dog but the sag nixed that thought.

I kicked all kinds of combinations and al the while I noticed that
prices were still going up. I think Jack mentioned that Amazon is not
always the least expensive and this is the case with these tools.

My local Woodcraft is having a 15% of sale for 3 days at the end of the
month and what I was going to buy would be included.

Sooo I have decided to go with a phenolyc table top and go the regular
9.25" x 11.75". JessEm makes that top and sells it for $275.00, Amazon
is also in that price range but JessEm charges a hefty premium for
shipping, $30 +. Then I noticed that they had some of those tops that
they are calling factory seconds. These have misaligned mounting screw
holes on the bottom but have been corrected in house. They originally
came from a supplier with the holes in the wrong place. Anyway, I
ordered that one for $100+ shipping. IIRC JessEm has identified the
correct holes to use for their accessories.

Now which version lift do I get? My original thought was to get the
lift and use my Bosch 1617 EVS in it and then remount my Triton big
router when I need to spin panel raising bits. But that would mean
removing the router lift and dropping that Triton back in and probably
re-leveling. AND I would also have to get a new router table plate to
mount the Triton on to as the current plate is too small.

FWIW the manufacturers have better pricing on all of this "right now".

I got an e-mail from Incra welcoming into the "club" and that came with
a one time 10% off everything in my cart offer, including routers.

Well that changed everything again...

So I pulled the trigger again for the Incra Mast R Lift and the
Milwaukee HD 5625 router that they offer with the lift.

Amazon, Incra Mast R Lift $499.95
Incra, Incra Mast R Lift $419.95
Incra - 10% = $377.95 +s/h

Amazon, Milwaukee router $422.00+
Most any where else, $399.00
Incra, Milwaukee router $379.95
Incra -10% = $341.95 + s/h

No more switching routers to spin a big bit.

[k...@notreal.com]

On Thu, 11 Aug 2022 12:49:40 -0500, Leon <lcb11211@swbelldotnet>
wrote:

I've had a JessEm Mast-R-Lift and top, with a PC7518 motor in it for a
long time, probably close to 10 years. I also have an old Route-R-Lift
that has the X-Acta name on it.

I also have the Mast-R-Fence II and Mast-R-Slide. I bought them at a
woodworking show as they were breaking down, so got them for cheap.
Evidently they didn't want to take them home. It's blue rather then
JessEm red so I think it may have been rebadged as a Kreg but I never
had the packaging so don't know. I think I paid $200 for both.

"Right Now". If I want any tools, I'm trying to buy them "right now".
This stuff is going outta sight!

I want to buy an oscillating spindle sander. I don't think I'll use
one all that often. Jet seems to be just OK but sold for gold. The
Laguna is the same price, including a stand. I haven't seen one in
the wild, though. The Rikon, looks a lot "cheaper" but it isn't. HF
has an Bauer spindle and edge sander for 1/3rd the price. Like I said,
I probably won't use it much. I may be surprised though.

[Leon]

I have the Jet bench top oscillating spindle sander. It is realy too
tall for a bench top, too short for the floor. So I have a stand that
about 18" tall that it sits on. Works well for inside curves. I have
a 12" Delta disk sander that I use quite a bit for outside curves and
what every needs to be blunted, like domino's before I realized the
MultiMaster could cut the exposed, tenons after glue up.
Jet's OS Sander was always expensive, $401.00 in 2005. $700 now at Amazon.

You may look at the Ridgid OS sander that is also like a belt sander on
its side. IIRC it has been around a while and I see them being used on
YouTube video's.


OR take your pick.

https://www.amazon.com/s?k=rigid+oscillating+spindle+sander&gclid=CjwKCAjw0dKXBhBPEiwA2bmObekShQj0ynHlkcGrqh56wT7Y3ayBfDc9pw2gFpH-9vu6G1imOeucqBoC1EkQAvD_BwE&hvadid=177801091360&hvdev=c&hvlocphy=9027731&hvnetw=g&hvqmt=e&hvrand=12999217262257523022&hvtargid=kwd-23088053476&hydadcr=1670_9901586&tag=googhydr-20&ref=pd_sl_ad1jojxyy_e

[Bob Davis]

I have made many tool choices "because Leon had that one". Finally, you made a choice "because Bob had that one". That's not really true, but I am going to think so. :-)

Bob

[Leon]

Bob I made my choice because of you and your videos. I think of it as
the nuclear option. Pull out all stops and get what I desire vs. what
I need. ;~)

[Bob Davis]

I must admit most of my purchases are nuclear option purchases, which I later rationalize to be "what I need". A local friend designs, builds, and sells complex 3-D wooden puzzles. She requires absolute precision in her projects, so she has two complete router tables. She can get one cut setup and not have to touch it for mass production. Now that's nuclear.

I just bought a gopro camera for my bike tours. You might be seeing more sophisticated shop videos in the future. :-)

[Ed Pawlowski]

On 8/16/2022 11:38 AM, Leon wrote:

>
> Bob I made my choice because of you and your videos.   I think of it as
> the nuclear option.   Pull out all stops and get what I desire vs. what
> I need.  ;~)

Makes perfect sense. I always thought "life is too short for cheap
booze".

[k...@notreal.com]

How about cheap women?

I guess there isn't any point in making it even shorter.

[Leon]

Cool! I almost bought a goPro when my dad was still living with us.
I thought he might like to see all the paths and trails that My wife and
I take when riding around in various parks and bayous in this area.

[Leon]

+10