Question:
I thought it was gimmicky at first. Bought it anyway.
I'm forever reaching under countertops screwing upwards, always in
fear of popping one through (when laminate).
The light weight and serious power plus the adjustable angle of the
head, makes this a countertopscrewinginstalling dream come true.
Good warranty too.
(Second Bosch tool I have bought recently which makes me wonder if
they're on their way back? Or did I leave?)
http://www.boschtools.com/tools/tools-detail.htm?H=189200&G=70084&I=6...
I'll come back to this in a couple of years.. or when I break it.
Answer:
I think that community support is best explained by the fact the ShopBot
owners/users
are NOT in competition with each other ... on any level. They are all
interested in producing
their work with a minimum of fuss, and are for the most part not trapped by
an overly aggressive ego.
I highly recommend a stand-alone PC with a network connection. I'm using a
300 MHz Pentium running
Windows 98 with just network support loaded. No fancy graphics card, a stock
VGA CRT is all that's needed.
As a result, it boots fast, allows me to run the DOS version of the ShopBot
control software with only a minor pause
(caused when the DOS app is interrupted for network access).
Code crunching comes in when you're trying to speed production. Morris
writes much tighter, faster code
than PartWizard ... and that suits his needs. The guy I used to consult for
did some path optimization, but he
was using the same kerf twice and didn't want parts getting snatched up by
the router bit and destroyed (DAMHIKT).
I use PartWizard and accept that it will spend a few extra minutes running
home after each toolpath is cut (I make multiple
tool paths for the various different cuts I make, and I don't edit out the
Jog Home and Jog to the first cut position).
I did that for a friend ... he had a custom copper sink made for his kitchen
and needed an under-support for the copper
(the legs attached to the plywood under-support) rather than have it sag
under the granite countertop. Took us about 5
minutes to lay out ... 4 minutes to cut, and it worked just fine. His was a
simple rectangle, and I took the widest measurement and added 1/4" to allow
for the bend radii.
How much are those drills? I have a Makita 7.2 volt right angle drill that
I have ad since 1983 and the original battery finally quit taking a charge
recently. I seldom use the drill because it has little of today's features
other than being battery operated. Not keyless, Not VS, No Clutch, Not real
strong. I have been reluctant to spend $40 for a new battery or rebuilt as
right angle attachments cost about as much and work with any drill.
Did you ever used a right angle drill attachment before getting this drill?
Maybe if I get one of these and because the Li-ion batteries are suppose to
last at least twice at long it will be good for 46 years instead of the 23 I
gout out of the Makita. ;~)
That was my rationale behind this purchase. My Milwaukee 14.4, which
has done most of its duty a screwdriver, needs 2 batteries. Relatively
speaking, the thing is heavy, big and awkward. (For a screw driver
that is).
I have an 14.4 impact driver, somewhat lighter, still bulky. The
clincher was the other day, one of my guys was screwing down a top,
and I could have been doing the same thing at the same time. I despise
standing around.
We also couldn't get past some internal structural wood to attach the
counter top. I brought out my Milwaukee angle drill, but the chuck
isn't key-less, it is corded, and has NO 'control' over the amount of
twist you can give a screw... a lethal situation as this was a custom
laminate top and the Milwaukee angle drill has all the balls needed to
sink a screw in (through a cup-washer even) and have it pop out the
top of the laminate-----> not a good thing.
