Comments on: What’s New in the August Issue

By: Chris Marshall

Chris Marshall — Thu, 08 Jul 2010 14:43:09 +0000

Regardless of torque output, or how you determine that measure, the Shop Fox mortiser was not underpowered for my mortising test with an average sized (3/8″) chisel in a range of test woods. The final measure, in my opinion, is how well the machine works for cutting mortises, and it did a fine job. I mention in the article that the Shop Fox didn’t have the same degree of detailed fit and finish as other machines, but I think that’s a fair tradeoff here for its value pricing. I would expect a mortiser that sells for twice the price to have a higher degree of fit and finish quality, and that is definitely the case with the Powermatic. In the end, “value” depends on what each of us determines to be most important. Here, I think a tool that for most woodworkers won’t get the same daily workout as say, a table saw, is especially appealing if you can buy it for a budget price and still cut all the average mortises our projects require. To that end, the Shop Fox met my expectations, which is why it won our “Best Bet” award.

By: Russell Bookout

Russell Bookout — Thu, 08 Jul 2010 11:00:32 +0000

I still can’t understand how a mortised with 50% less torque than all others (half ghat of the Powermatic) and cheap construction could be consideredbest buy”!

By: Rob Johnstone

Rob Johnstone — Fri, 02 Jul 2010 18:42:47 +0000

So that is what all the “hyp” is about!
David, thanks for the update. We have a term that we use around here “editor math” … editor math is found more in the realm of “fuzzy numbers” that were so popular just a few years ago.
So, while I can very accurately write you a story about woodworking, numbers & calculations — not so much!
Thanks again …
Rob Johnstone, Editor in Chief, Woodworker’s Journal

By: David Grindel

David Grindel — Fri, 02 Jul 2010 18:11:14 +0000

Cubb looks very interesting. My first take was do I want the kids throwing 2″ oak sticks but then I thought it’s better than the iron horse shoes !

I could not get the king crown to work with the measurements given. Raising the blade 1.5 ” then setting the angle to 22.5 deg did not give me an intersecting cuts in the center of the 3″ cube. I found if I raise the blade to 1 5/8″(1.625″) then 22.5 deg angle it works.
The math works out too ! I assume you want all the cuts intersecting in the center of the 3″ cube ( or 1.5″) therefore hyp = 1.5 / (cos 22.5 ) …. or
hyp = 1.5 /(cos 22.5) = 1.623 inches. This rounds nicely to 1 5/8″. Of course this
will only work if your starting block is a 3″ cube !!

Where: hyp is the height of the blade before the tilt which become the hypotenuse of the triangle when the blade is tilted to the 22.5 deg angle.