Popular Woodworking 2001-02 № 120, страница 10
Tool Test Rockler's Precision Miter Gauge is Accurate and Affordable You might be tempted to throw away the miter gauge that came with your table saw once you get a gander at this new accessory from Rock-ler Woodworking and Hardware. The Sure-Loc Miter Gauge is the newest aftermarket miter gauge to hit the market, and it's got a lot going for it. For starters, your miter angle is locked in by meshing two sets of aluminum teeth: one on the miter bar and the other on the head of the gauge. The teeth allow you to set cutting angles between 0° and 90° in 21/2° increments. Why 21/2° and not 1° increments? A spokesman for Rockler says that the way the gauge is now manufactured, 1° increments would require teeth that are too fragile and liable to get gummed up with dust. SPECIFICATIONS: Sur-Loc Miter Gauge Street Price: $120 with fence and stop Max crosscut: 253/i6" Miter: 0° to 90° in 2.5° increments Materials: Head and bar:anodized aluminum Handle: polymer Fence: aluminum, wood Performance: •••©O Value: ••••© Rockler Woodworking: 800-2794441, or www.rockler.com Our tests showed the Sure-Loc to be dead on when cutting angles, though sometimes you have to remove the gauge from the table saw to see which teeth are where when setting your angle. On the plus side, the miter bar adjusts to a perfect fit in your miter slot using only an Allen wrench. Even more impressive is that the adjustment can take place with the miter bar in its slot, unlike other adjustable aftermarket miter bars. On the downside, the Sure-Loc's fence has one of the limitations that many of its competitors have: it's not long enough to crosscut a standard 28"-long table leg. The Sur-Loc will crosscut only to 25^16" in apinch. Perhaps the next generation of miter gauge fences will solve this odd oversight. And one more thing: be sure to hold on to your old miter gauge. Though the Sur-Loc is far and away more accurate, you'll want the adjustability of your old miter gauge when cutting compound miters, which routinely need angles in l/2° increments. For more information, circle #1 63 on the Resource Directory Coupon. Delta's Two-Stage Dust Collector In a perfect world, we'd all own two-stage dust collectors. In your typical sin gle-stage collector, all the chips and fine dust from your machines are sucked through the impeller and deposited in a bag, which is usually a pain to empty. In a two-stage collector, the big chips spin around the sides of the drum while the fine dust is sucked through the impeller and sent to a cloth bag. As a result, emptying the collector's drum is easier. Until recently, many two-stage collectors were too expensive for home woodworkers. Enter the new Delta 50-660. This 3/4 hp machine sucks 540 cubic feet per minute, which is more than enough to keep up with any single woodworking machine. We first connected the 50-660 to a 12" jointer and face-jointed some wide boards. No problem. Then we connected it to our 25"-wide stationary belt sander. Our centrally ducted dust collection system (which has its share of leaks) has trouble keeping up with all the fine dust this monster produces, but the 50-660 had no problem. As the 35-gallon drum filled up, we noticed that the collector became less efficient at separating the dust from the chips, but that's to be expected. To empty the collector, you simply lift the lid off the drum and roll the drum to the garbage. The cloth bag is removed by simply flipping a quick-release lever that is threaded into the bag. The cloth bag is zippered on one end so you can quickly empty its dust. The bag is rated to capture dust as small as 2 microns, which is adequate for a healthy home shop. When you compare the 50-660 to single-stage collectors, it looks a bit pricey at $349. But when you add up how much it would cost to upgrade a single-stage collector with a cyclone separator and high-quality dust bags, we think you'll find the 50-660 to be a good deal. For more information, circle #164 on the Resource Directory Coupon. SPECIFICATIONS Model 50-660 Dust Collector Street Price: $349 Motor: 3/t hp, II5v RPM: 3,450 CFM:540 Max. static pressure: 7" in water Weight: 60 lbs. Bag area: II sq. ft. dBa: 77 @ 5 ft. Drum size: 35 gallon Performance: ••••O Value: ••••O Delta: 800-438-2486, or www.deltawoodworking.com 16 Popular Woodworking February 2001 |
