Ed Bennett Table Saw Alignment Site

[dgale]

I ran across this blog yesterday while googling for table saw alignment info:
http://tablesawalignment.com/blog

I had to register to be able to access the blog (to keep out spammers), which was a quick and painless process and I found the site had tons of very detailed info on table saw alignment and error checking with common gadgits like the Wixey angle gauge and Lee Valley digital angle finder. Anyone else familiar with this site? He also machines and sells precision alignment tools on his website:

http://www.ts-aligner.com/

I have the SS dial indicator alignment gauge and this guy's alignment tools seem much more versatile (ie easier to use on a wider range of tools). My SS gauge miter bar fits a SS well but not my table saw since the SS bar is a different size...I can make it work but have to wedge something into the gap to make sure it stays up against the miter slot. HIs gauge is also much more adjustable so easier to use on wider spans between the blade and miter slots as well as other tools where the SS gauge reminds me that it's really machines for use on a SS and not necessarily other stuff.

Anyway, just curious if anyone is familiar with this guy and the alignment tools he makes? Hard to tell how active he still is - his blog entries mostly date from ~2007-2009.

[algale]

I ran across this blog yesterday while googling for table saw alignment info:
http://tablesawalignment.com/blog

I had to register to be able to access the blog (to keep out spammers), which was a quick and painless process and I found the site had tons of very detailed info on table saw alignment and error checking with common gadgits like the Wixey angle gauge and Lee Valley digital angle finder. Anyone else familiar with this site? He also machines and sells precision alignment tools on his website:

http://www.ts-aligner.com/

I have the SS dial indicator alignment gauge and this guy's alignment tools seem much more versatile (ie easier to use on a wider range of tools). My SS gauge miter bar fits a SS well but not my table saw since the SS bar is a different size...I can make it work but have to wedge something into the gap to make sure it stays up against the miter slot. HIs gauge is also much more adjustable so easier to use on wider spans between the blade and miter slots as well as other tools where the SS gauge reminds me that it's really machines for use on a SS and not necessarily other stuff.

Anyway, just curious if anyone is familiar with this guy and the alignment tools he makes? Hard to tell how active he still is - his blog entries mostly date from ~2007-2009.

That is a good site (I joined it a long time ago) and by all accounts he makes a good product. I recall reading, however, that it took forever for his products to be delivered. Might want to google it or check over on Lumberjocks, where I remember one particularly angry customer making a lengthy post. If you want a dial indicator that will adjust snugly in the Shopsmith miter slot, try the A-Line-It. http://in-lineindustries.com/products/a-line-it-system/ I've got one, which I bought for a table saw with a standard slot but the ball plungers adjust for the Shopsmith slot as well.

[reible]

This site has been posted here before, maybe a couple of years ago now. I signed up for the site but after reading the information I found it pretty much turned me off. I've not been there since then. I don't remember what the negative feelings had to deal with but I do remember having them. So I'm sure at least some posting are here somewhere... a search can probably find them but I'm not interested enough do it....

Ed

[JPG]

This site has been posted here before, maybe a couple of years ago now. I signed up for the site but after reading the information I found it pretty much turned me off. I've not been there since then. I don't remember what the negative feelings had to deal with but I do remember having them. So I'm sure at least some posting are here somewhere... a search can probably find them but I'm not interested enough do it....

Ed

My turnoff was no pricing!:)

Also much ado about very little.

And then there is the bashing of 'other' sources.

[dgale]

My turnoff was no pricing!:)

Also much ado about very little.

And then there is the bashing of 'other' sources.

His price list is linked on his site - I presume he did it that way as a means to easily change the prices as they went up/down for whatever reason:

http://www.ts-aligner.com/Retail-Price-Sheet.pdf

Also, having read through a fair amount (but certainly not all by any means) of his blog, I can't say I've seen any bashing of other products - he did some testing of the Wixey and similar and reported the results…it all seemed pretty quantitative to me (i.e. just reporting the numeric results) and in general he seemed to express that they were surprisingly accurate for their cost. I also can tell he is a meticulous machinist type and am guessing any error, even in the thousandths of an inch, is unacceptable to him and he's striving to eliminate it. I can't really say I see anything that is bashing others. I do see some verbiage on his products site about how long it will take to get stuff and don't bother asking when it will be ready etc…seemed a bit over the top but I sense it's the result of someone doing a lot of work on the side to make stuff that he's probably doing more out of love than profit and he's seemingly tired of being hounded for when it will arrive etc. As a consumer in this day and age, it's hard to want to buy something when you're told up front "don't ask - you'll get it when you get it" - we have become a much more "instant gratification" society, so this is probably not the most successful business model but It does seem like he makes a quality product that is probably worth the $$ and time if one is willing to wait. He also notes he has a loaned program, where you can borrow free of charge one of his setups for a month just for the cost of to/from postage - seems like a pretty generous offer.

Anyway, mostly curious if anyone has any direct experience with this guy and/or his gauges?

[JPG]

His price list is linked on his site - I presume he did it that way as a means to easily change the prices as they went up/down for whatever reason:

http://www.ts-aligner.com/Retail-Price-Sheet.pdf

Also, having read through a fair amount (but certainly not all by any means) of his blog, I can't say I've seen any bashing of other products - he did some testing of the Wixey and similar and reported the results…it all seemed pretty quantitative to me (i.e. just reporting the numeric results) and in general he seemed to express that they were surprisingly accurate for their cost. I also can tell he is a meticulous machinist type and am guessing any error, even in the thousandths of an inch, is unacceptable to him and he's striving to eliminate it. I can't really say I see anything that is bashing others. I do see some verbiage on his products site about how long it will take to get stuff and don't bother asking when it will be ready etc…seemed a bit over the top but I sense it's the result of someone doing a lot of work on the side to make stuff that he's probably doing more out of love than profit and he's seemingly tired of being hounded for when it will arrive etc. As a consumer in this day and age, it's hard to want to buy something when you're told up front "don't ask - you'll get it when you get it" - we have become a much more "instant gratification" society, so this is probably not the most successful business model but It does seem like he makes a quality product that is probably worth the $$ and time if one is willing to wait. He also notes he has a loaned program, where you can borrow free of charge one of his setups for a month just for the cost of to/from postage - seems like a pretty generous offer.

Anyway, mostly curious if anyone has any direct experience with this guy and/or his gauges?

The 'bashing' was in reference to 'not made in China' and 'others who made angle thingeys too small and the 'error' dimensions of 'theirs'. That was in his product descriptions, not his blog,

I guess I did not get 'to his site' that included a price list.


I think he is engaged in a labor of love also, rather than to make $. I respect him for that!

[reible]

My turnoff was no pricing!:)

Also much ado about very little.

And then there is the bashing of 'other' sources.

That sounds about right and as I recall some of the stuff seemed a little less then correct methodology, resulting in less then what is needed for scientific procedures and good results.

I've also found that this discussion was back in 2009 so a whole lot could have changed since then.

One thing that has not changed was my mistrust in what was presented so it is still a site I don't care to visit. And if I were looking for adding some more set up tools it would not be those. Now it could be that all has been redone and all I have is vague memories of what it use to be like but still the damage has been done and the door has been closed for me.

OK by now I'm sure it is clear I'm no fan. I will try and skip any more posting in this thread as they will surly be only negative.

Ed

[JPG]

That sounds about right and as I recall some of the stuff seemed a little less then correct methodology, resulting in less then what is needed for scientific procedures and good results.

I've also found that this discussion was back in 2009 so a whole lot could have changed since then.

One thing that has not changed was my mistrust in what was presented so it is still a site I don't care to visit. And if I were looking for adding some more set up tools it would not be those. Now it could be that all has been redone and all I have is vague memories of what it use to be like but still the damage has been done and the door has been closed for me.

OK by now I'm sure it is clear I'm no fan. I will try and skip any more posting in this thread as they will surly be only negative.

Ed

I do not think anything has changed in the last 5 years.

[dgale]

It might be a moot point as the guy has seemingly been MIA over the past few years (or more) and for all intensive purposes seemingly out of business, based on comments on LJ. Definitely lots of issues with his delays and costumer service but no one seeming to have any complaints about his actual products (at least those who were able to get them), other than some folks who felt that such devices were unnecessary but that's more of a philosophical debate of needed level of accuracy and the best approaches to get there…

Near as I can tell from reading everything, seems like he tried to make a go of this as a business and was well received for a while but then had to get a day job, moved the business into him home and (as noted on his website) can only take phone calls from 5:30-9pm MST after he got home from work…so I'm guessing the rest of life got in the way and he didn't have enough sense to just call it quits, pull down his website etc. and instead had lots of people with legitimate complaints about poor communication etc. that still linger to this day. Anyway, if all this is accurate, it's a shame as it looks like he made a lot of good quality products and with the right support, production, and marketing, it could have been a more viable business.

Anyway, I still think there is lots of good info on the blog that is worth a read through...

[beeg]

The 'bashing' was in reference to 'not made in China'

Many people here bash "Made in China.". If ya boycott "Made in China." products, you'll knot be buying very much.