Episode 57 - Router Sleds, Air Cleaners, Which Domino, & MUCH More!

Support us on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/woodshoplife
Guy
1) I am looking at getting a Festool domino machine. I was wondering which one you all use the most? They are a lot of money and I want to get both, but only one is in the budget currently. I am currently building a big green egg cart similar to Mark Spagnolo and he used both in his build. I mostly will be building small tables and small cabinets and am thinking of getting the 500 but was wondering what you all think. Thank you. David
2) Hey, Fellas!  I wanted to get your advice on something.  I inherited a Delta DC380 15" planer that has a newer brushless motor on it and straight knives for a cutter head. It's a beast, but it's a big piece of equipment for my shop which is just the size of a one-car-garage.  I'm thinking about selling it and "downgrading" to a DeWalt DW735 with a helical head.  Am I crazy?  What might I end up sacrificing if I go with the DeWalt after working with the Delta for a few years now?  My biggest concerns with keeping the Delta is potential upcoming maintenance (it's an older machine), overall size, and lack of storage in the industrial rolling base. -Joel
 
Sean
1) Hi fellas. You answered my question a while back on dining chair design re: lower stretchers. That was very helpful. Thanks.
I've prototyped a chair (I can email through a picture if that would help), and am now on to batching out the set in white oak. While I was doing the prototype, I pattern routed the back legs and found that I was getting a fair amount of tear out due to grain direction. So, I invested in a compression flush trim bit thinking that this would solve my problems. I'm finding that it isn't the magic solution that I thought it'd be. I'm still facing issues with the bit chewing into grain that would ordinarily be in the wrong direction.
A little background information: I don't have a router table. I'm doing this handheld, taking light passes, and I've got the speed slowed way down on the router. I'm using a 2.25 hp router, which should be able to handle this kind of thing.
Am I missing something? Do I need a router table for this to work? Should I reject technology altogether and live in the forest?
2) I listen to 2 podcasts. Yours is by far the better. Professional and informative while being personable.
I inherited a 12/4 100” x 18” Norwegian pine slab from my 93 year old mentor Bert.  Having been stored under his saw these past 30 years he wanted to see it used.  Grow locally here in SE Minnesota, I estimated it was a sapling in about 1870 making it 2nd growth.
It quickly became apparent neither 40 grit on a 4” hand drum sander nor No. 5 jack plane would work well, so I built an 8 foot x 2-1/2 foot router sled.  Using my Bosch 1617 and a Whiteside 6220 planing bit I eliminated the twist and the bandsaw marks then ROS to 80/150/220, amber shellac and wiping varnish made using Minwax. Final thickness was 3”. You can find pics at @wilsoncellulosics.
While acceptable for a fireplace lintel the resulting quality was good but not furniture grade. Have either you all or your colleagues done slab planing?  I am open to tackling another slab sometime when the opportunity arises. Are third party slab planers worth the considerable cost (meaning furniture-grade results)?  If so recommendations to consider? Bob Peterson
 
Huy
1) Hello gentlemen. This question is for all three of you. I have a 2hp Shop Fox table saw and wanted to add on to it by upgrading the fence and possibly building things into the wings. Have some trouble deciding on what fence when I realized this is a trend for me making these types of improvements everywhere. So.....What are the best third party upgrades you’ve made to tools in your shop (excluding the obvious things like the Super Incra Miter Sled 9000). Maybe a two answer format - best made shop improvement vs. best purchased improvement. What the thing you added that made life so much better. Thank you boys, keep up the great work. Joey - Winter Wolf Woodworking
2) Hi guys, love the podcast! I’ve got a question about a ceiling mounted air filters. I have a small (200ish sqft) shop in the basement. I was looking at something like the RIKON 62-400 since it’s a small area. However if I step up to the 62-100, which is 2.5x the price, I can get carbon filters for it, it’s not an option on the smaller unit. My question is: With my shop being in the house is it worth being able to get carbon filters to help get rid of some of the fumes from finishes, or is the bigger unit just overkill in such a small shop? Im not spraying conversion varnish or anything like that, usually it’s wipe on finish on small boxes and things, if that makes a difference. Also the HVAC is in the corner of the shop, and the basement outside my shop door is a finished living area, which is why I want to put in air filtration. Thanks! Matt
 
WoodWhisperer flattening workbench: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qtkBZHLJyD0