Home DIY

Tip 1 was enough for me. Reminded me of the HSE’s safety sheet on working at height. Rule 1: ‘Avoid working at height.’ Again, it amazes me that anyone can just go out and buy one of these.

Eliminate
v
Substitute
v
Engineer
v
Admin
v
PPE

Lots of ‘safety’ works backwards from PPE and stops at Engineering, which is why people keep getting fucked up.

80 tooth blades that size are great for crosscutting or small chopsaws as it will minimise tear-out and chipping without the hassle of making a 0 clearance insert or backing the workpiece. If you try ripping with one unless the wood is very dry the blade will clog and generate enough heat to dull it almost instantly. Would be ok for MFC.

@Bobbo

Agree with everything you say, but on a plunge saw it's less applicable as tear out as the splinter guard should prevent it on the keep side of the cut provided its decent and not worn out. I've never tried to into MFC though.

I have no first hand experience with the dewalt, apologies. I would think it would be a better unit than that erbauer though in likely all areas. I had a Makita 1.5 rail that was a banana once, probably a bit worse than in your photograph which pissed me off enough to just ditch the saw (a titan) and rails and go festool.

what's your background?

I'm a structural engineer (offshore wind).

Just like making stuff. I have a furniture side hustle when life allows it. Hoping to make it more of a full time gig some day.

I find that daft to think like that, you can go out and buy a car and Kill yourself if your stupid and it’s the same with a lot of stuff.

Shouldn’t sell this because someone who hurt themselves is dumb imo.

You can’t (legally) drive a car without extensive training, a licence, insurance and a certificate of basic road-worthiness for the vehicle...

Ok bad example, but you can buy a bike without any of that and still seriously hurt yourself/kill if you dont pay attention.

i put up a towel rack in the bedroom last year in a hurry due to having kids underfeet (have since declared I don't do DIY when the little ones are present) and didn't do a great job getting the plugs and screws into the brick. Either that, or the brick is a bit crumbly or something.

Anyway, at least one of the fixings/plugs/screws is now pretty loose. What are my options - can I load it up with glue or something and pray or do I need to remove the whole thing and start again?

If one is loose, just drill a bigger hole get a bigger plug and do it again.

These may help
https://www.amazon.co.uk/WETNFIX-20-DISCS-Fixing-redrill/dp/B01B2ULW7G

As a first attempt I'd just stuff as many cocktail sticks as possible around the rawlplug and drive the screw back in. Might do enough to firm it up.

The MacAllister (formerly Titan) is basically the same as the Erbauer but 165mm, for which better blades are easily obtained. Having said that I have found the supplied blade to be excellent, and it's had a fair bit of use.

if the brick is a problem though a bigger plug won't solve it, and the rail itself will limit the diameter of the screw i can use

@aggi that looks ideal, will give that a try.

Paying attention with a tablesaw if you aren't aware of what to pay attention to isn't enough though. Wood tension biting the blade, cross cutting against the fence, cutting short pieces are not immediately obvious dangers IMO and even the savviest of people could fall into the trap of committing. I'm certain I would have had some shit kick back into my face by now had I not spent some time getting clued up how to use it safely.

Or maybe I just fall into the stupid category.

I've had problems in the past crosscutting with a track saw and new blade on more exotic species of timber the worst being wenge. Not so much in terms of surface chipping, although it has happened, but when the saw breaks through on the side at the end of the cut. A blade with a high tooth count certainly helps so I've got into the habit having one that I put on when doing such cuts.

I replaced the supplied blade on my MacAllister with a 48T Triton blade (as im a peter millard fan boy) and found plywood cuts to be a lot cleaner.

I used to work with a guy everyone called fingers. He is a very experienced chippy and got his nickname when he realised the hard way that holding down the track by placing a hand behind the saw is a very silly thing to do.

Yeah you're right, I hadn't considered that benefit. In that scenario I normally put a piece of scrap butted against the side end of the cut to prevent the chip out. Stops that dust ejection as the blade exits the piece too.

Out of interest what blade/saw are you using?

Thanks for sharing that. Not going to lie, I have done this and did not consider the implications. I've never had kickback with a tracksaw ( riving knife I guess), but I'll certainly be avoiding that habit henceforth.

I confusingly used TS as an abbreviation to tablesaw in that post, but now realise it could just as easily be tracksaw, will edit.

I use a Bosch saw and usually a 40t Freud blade, I find Freud blades to be excellent and they are my go to for all of my tools. However they don't make a blade with a higher tooth count for a 165mm saw so normally go for one of the 52t Axminster ones.

I do agree, I haven’t ever done it personally when using them and when I have been using them or a rip saw or anything like that I’m always making sure I’m out the way in case of kick back etc etc.

They will chop your fingers off before you realise but then again these things ain’t toys.

I do the odd job with someone who doesn’t use a guard on his grinder because it annoys him he said. Another fuckin lethal piece of machinery if your daft!

If you want constant fear, you should try using a bench saw on the back of a tractor, those things are scary and very lethal.

I refuse to use mine on my own, we always have two of use and stand either side of the blade, because if your hand goes anywhere near that blade it isn't coming back...

1 Attachment

Drilling a c. 15mm hole in a supporting wall 'should' be ok right? I mean, you drill holes for pipes etc. much larger than that in external walls. Will line with conduit.

Just planning out where all the electronics run in the lounge renovation, so it will hopefully be a lot neater than current. I can't figure out a better way of getting a HDMI cable from one side to the other. Concrete floors so can't go under.

1 Attachment

Aye batter in, will be fine.

You are going to use ascending diameter drill bits, yeah?
6,8,10,12, 15mm for example.

Your drill will thank you,
and if you have to use the Hammer function,
you'll do less damage to the wall.