JohnP

[John Lucas]

I am sorry to post this, but I have been getting email from "JohnP - From the Women in WoodWorking site" and I have responded to the address 6 times and keep getting returned as non-deliverable.
So JohnP, if that is you, check your email address. And, the question is a good one...why not post it here.
John Lucas
www.woodshopdemos.com (http://www.woodshopdemos.com)

[JohnP]

I didn't post here because I was at you web site. I checked the e-mail adderss and it seems ok, don't know why it didn't work. It took me 3 trys to reach you at your web site I kepr getting a reply that your web adderss was invalid, but oh well.
So the questions was or is;
"John;

I need your advice, I have the need or maybe a desire for a sliding table for my Jet cabinet saw. I have read your reviews of the two different tables you have demo?ed and like the idea of the Rockler table because of it not touching the floor. However I?m concerned about how it will hold up after several years of abuse, so I?m leaning toward the Delta version. What do you think, and why did you chose the Rockler instead of the Delta?

Thank you

JohnP

From the Women in WoodWorking site "

[John Lucas]

LAST EDITED ON Mar-21-02 AT 03:11PM (CDT)

LAST EDITED ON Mar-21-02 AT 03:08?PM (CDT)

LAST EDITED ON Mar-21-02 AT 03:01?PM (CDT)

JohnP,
And email was the best place for it. (Here is email address I used: jparrsih1@qwest.net) It just got returned again.
I will send ut again and in meantime, here is the answer:
Sliding tables are great when you have the room for them. I started with the Excalibur 52 inches. COuld handle a 4 X 8 sheet well. But it took too much room for me and miy needs. Then I reviewed the Exakta 26...smaller footprint and worked fine. Then Rockler came on market and I thought I would review it. It takes more work to keep aligned and rolling well than either of the two but for the price it is fine. I have never used the Delta, so I cant say about that. I will stick with the Rockler for awhile - it serves my needs as a small to intermediate sliding table.

John Lucas
www.woodshopdemos.com (http://www.woodshopdemos.com)

PS - I just saw that your email as listed on this forum is spelled a bit differently. I didnt mistype the address but simply clicked "reply". The email came to me twice yesterday both times with what now looks like the same spelling error.

[JohnP]

Just check my e-mail set up and found an error, have made the correction should read jparrish1@qwest.net.
Thank you for the reply.
JohnP

[Barbara Gill]

Think twice about the Delta. I bought one about a year ago. It was not difficult to install but impossible to adjust. The composite table was warped too. I took it off so I could align the table with my table saw. I must have spent three hours adjusting and adjusting to no avail. It was impossible to get the table square with my table saw. I packed the thing back up and called the store to come pick it up. I ordered the smaller Excaliber since I am not interested in sawing sheet goods. It installed great and is square to the table.
Another thing. When one of the guys on the Badger Pond found out I had ordered the Delta, he sent me a detailed set of instructions that had been independently written about how to improve the Delta. That made me a little concerned to know that the author had felt the need to spend a great deal of time making the Delta useable.

Barbara
www.velvitoil.com (http://www.velvitoil.com)

[Ruth Niles]

Hi Barbara,

I'm having problems with my Delta 8" bench grinder. One wheel won't stay trued and I feel the wheel was out of round to begin with. Delta told me to take it to an authorized repairman, he said the same thing, Delta said "can't be, tell repairman to send it to us", repairman did and that was 8 days ago. I think they're holding the grinder hostage. On the phone Delta tech man was just so sweet and dripping with honey, he would send me one to use while they worked on mine (IF he could convince the boss), never saw it, they haven't called and I'm so annoyed!

It's really a shame when one of the bigger names in tools/machinery doesn't respect their customers needs..... I need my grinder!

Ruth
http://www.torne-lignum.com

[John Lucas]

Two years ago I setup the Delta Horizontal Grinder...the one with a water bath. The wheel that was with it was so out of round that the whole things simply walked off the stand. It happened to take Makita wheels which I had and I used it with those. In the meantime, I had Delta send me another...and another and another...and I gave up. "For want of a nail, the horse was lost."
John Lucas
www.woodshopdemos.com (http://www.woodshopdemos.com)

[Dock]

I've had the Delta sled for about 6 months. Just as I was about to make one, my local WW Warehouse closed them out for a song. Mine went togethers per directions. Toughest part was adjusting the width of the bar to fit snugly in the mitre slot. I've since learned that the problem was my slot. There is some variability in its width. No biggie, but it makes tuning this type of mitre bar tricky (I just went through it again with an Osborne miter guage).

Anyway, my sled was perfectly flat, all the parts fit. The settings were perfect without any further work on my part. Since getting it, I've made three tables. I cut all the tops and the lower shelves using this sled. Perfect.

It's a bit heavy and clunky for everyday mitering, but for wider cross cuts, its great.

But it seems the quality control on this item is uneven. Soon after I got mine, a guy on another forum asked about it. I told him of my initial impressions. He bought one. Like Barbara, he had trouble. His was getting the miter bar in the slot on his Delta saw. Go figure.

If you get one, make sure you can bring it back, even after you've cut the sled, which you have to do to use it.

HTH, JohnP
Dock