Given that 99% or more of the "custom" cabinetry work done out there
today relies on power tools at some stage, at what point do you step
over the "craftsmanship" line into the realm of machine made? When
making notched and grooved faceframe cabinetry it seems like the
automatic adjustments could really, REALLY be a huge benefit.
It's amazing how quickly you can start to justify a fifteen thousand
dollar table saw!!!
JP
Jay Pique wrote:
> Given that 99% or more of the "custom" cabinetry work done out
> there today relies on power tools at some stage, at what point
> do you step over the "craftsmanship" line into the realm of
> machine made? When making notched and grooved faceframe
> cabinetry it seems like the automatic adjustments could
> really, REALLY be a huge benefit.
>
> It's amazing how quickly you can start to justify a fifteen
> thousand dollar table saw!!!
Jay...
Good observation. If you follow that line of thought a bit
farther, I think you'll find yourself thinking more and more
about a CNC router - which allows "machining" wood to tolerances
less than 1/256".
There /is/ benefit in that; but it's still necessary to design
well, procure wood suitable to the intended result, select the
right sticks for the right parts, and finish the result well
enough to satisfy that little voice inside.
I've discovered that what seems to work best is to cut workpieces
slightly oversize, secure to the router bed, and use the router
to trim the workpiece to an exact size far more reliably than any
tablesaw I've ever seen at any price.
What's been exciting for me has been the realization that there
are wood joints possible that no one has ever even dreamed of
before. My favorite is an easily routed lap joint variant that
can only be assembled squarely, that /can't/ rack, and if the
wood swells *or* shrinks can only become tighter.
'S partly why I'm so eager to hear that Tom Plamann's CNC system
is up and running...
--
Morris Dovey
DeSoto, Iowa USA