Shop Fox Tennoning Jig – Poor Quality
A couple of months ago I bought a tennoning jig for my tablesaw. I read so many bad reviews about the fit, finish and cccuracy of theDelta jig that I bought a Shop Fox.
After spending more than an hour cleaning the cosmoline off of the tool I assembled it.
It turns out that the miter bar and the face of the jig, (where you clamp the piece to cut the tennon), are out of square by almopst .030 inch. There is no way to adjust out this mis-alignment.
This “tool” is, of course, made in China, like most woodworking tools today. My question is: What would you do if this was your jig?
a. Send it back to the manufacturer and get another piece of junk as a replacement?
b. Take it to a machine shop and pay as much or more than the value of the tool to get it fixed?
c. Take up stamp collecting.
Seriously, it is a shame the way these manufacturers have conditioned us to accept junk. I don’t think you can buy a wood working tool today. I think you buy a “kit” and then work on it to get it close to right. Then you still have a piece of junk in your shop, its just a little less junky than “off the shelf” junk…
Replies
I would just return it and say "Thanks but no thanks."
We've conditioned ourselves to accept poor quality (unfortunately). If we keep sending the junk back, sooner or later someone will get the idea. If we keep accepting the stuff, there is no incentive for the manufacturers to change.
Too bad. I have one of those and it's dead on.
Alan & Lynette Mikkelsen, Mountain View Farm, est. 1934, Gardens & Fine Woodworking, St. Ignatius, MT
Alan,
Hmmm Mine arrived last week and It's worked well since.. but because of your post I went down to check mine. I found one face of the casting to be off a bit but since that face isn't anything that I referance off of it doesn't matter.. the guide tracks 90 degrees to the blade (it's easier to check it on the table saw than on the router where I normally use mine) ..
I did notice about a tenth of a degree off of 90 when I used my square to check it originally but then I double checked my square and it was off that 10th.
I wonder how come it took you an hour to remove the cosmoline?
Mine was clean in less than 5 minutes.. A little lacqure thinner and it wiped right off and then I waxed everything since I dislike rusty tools. Yeh, I suppose if I count the time it took me to wash the shop rags I might have a little more time in it but I doubt I could ever find an hours worth of work to do on it.. franly I'd rather spend that time making sawdust but what the heck, it's a free country..
It's all about selling tools to the DIYer's.. They are the biggest growth in the market and every tool manufacturer is trying to sell to them. So in turn, they lower their quality to lower their cost of productiuon to sell cheap tools through big box retailers like Home Depot and Lowes. Eventually, the quality will get so bad that big boy names like Porter Cable and Milwaukee will lose their brand regonition of being high quality tools and will end up being viewed low end like Black and Decker and Skil. Then, new players like Fein and Festool will start taking marketshare. It's starting to happen now.
This sort of thing happened with hand tools 20 years or so ago with Stanley. Then Thomas Lie-Nielsen decided to fill a niche. The rest is history.
I heard that PC was bought out by black and decker so it wont be log before thery're run in the ground. I wouldn't let Dewalt, b and d, or ryobie in my shop. It's Festool, PC, Milwaulkie, and Makita.
B+D bought PC and Delta from Pentair Inc. last year. A chinese company TTI, bought Milwaukee earlier this year. TTI makes Ryobi and the new Rigid power tools. It'll be interesting to see how it all plays out.
As I have mentiloned before, TTI bought about a half stake in Milwaukee in ~2000 and I haven't heard that their quality is suffering. I know one of the design engineers and he was in the middle of a long-term project at teh time and was wondering at first about whether they would pull the plug and they kept it going. They seem to be interested in making quality products and hopefully, that won't change. I think they understand the market pretty well, if their newest offerings are any indication.
"I cut this piece four times and it's still too short."
Wow! Everyone is getting bought out. I was not aware it was getting this bad.
Thanks for the heads up. I guess we can rest assured that at least Festool won't be purchased. There making too much money on thier stuff to sell out. But at least they have quality.
I would call and tell them that it's way off and you want a replacement, checked for accuracy at the distribution center (store) and shipped to you with a call tag, so you don't have to pay for shipping again. They're all made in the same place and it sounds like this one is just a dog. I bought my jig at WoodCraft and, while it isn't a name brand, it had a lot less sloppiness to it than any of the others I looked at. It was $54 (approx) and when I set it up, it checked out fine. If they (or you) decide to call it a day on this one, check out the bright green one at WoodCraft. I think it's on sale now.
North
I have one of those too, and it has cut many accurate tenons.
If I recall, you can adjust the face of the jig to be dead square, by loosening some allen screws adjusting and re-tightening. I can remember that some parts have to be removed to do this.
My stuff is still packed away, after relocating, but check your manual and if you still have a problem, I'll see if I can get to the exact details.
Willie
That's why I build my own jigs. And one for tennoning is way simple to do. (I save bundle too, I can buy more L-N's that way!)
Just me.. SO..
I have one and it works.. Sort of.. Takes up space these days.
When I saw your post my first thought was.. They are ALL made in the same place with different color/colour? paint on them!
Sorry about your problem but if it is metal you can fix it! May take awhile though.
I'd go with taking it back and get your money to purchase some 'nice' plywood/mdf and make yourself a GOOD one!
I've been looking at General. They've recieved the best reviews and thier made in Canada. Woodcraft has it for $99.00
Also, generals' hollow mortiser has recieved a great review and priced at $ 379.00. also at Woodcraft.
Well, I talked with Shop Fox and they are going to send me another one, after I return the original. They say they will check the replacement at their warehouse. I told them it has to be dead on, or don't send it. So, we will see.
Thanks to most everyone for their posts. As far as the cosmoline goes, yeah it took an hour. I have lots of experience with cosmoline, (US Army Infantry, 1971-1973) so for my friend who cleaned his up in five minutes I suspect he got a referbed unit, (Shop Fox says replacement jigs are delivered with a "light coat"), or he thinks cosmoline is a lubricant.
Anyway, thanks and rasie a glass to all woodworkers. The only group that can consistantly take highly figured fine wood and turn it into sawdust and firewood!!! `~<;^)+<
I'm curious about the time spent to remove the cosmolene. Mine didn't take 5 minutes, but I don't think I spent an hour, either. I assume you scraped the bulk of it off first, right? I used mineral spirits and wiped it 3-4 times after the film was gone, just to make sure the residue was gone. Mine may have taken an hour including assembly. 5 minutes does sound a bit like a repack.
"I cut this piece four times and it's still too short."
(US Army Infantry, 1971-1973) Thanks for the service.. Old Army Artillary here 2nd Armord 16 th artillary.. Just a old Ord. tank mechanicGee... I sure miss them old 8 inch, 5 inch. 155's self propelled "POPPERS' we had... 1960 to 1964
ShopFox stuff is usually not very good.
Thats to general of a reply I suspect if you had to supply many different descriptions of tools purchased say 8 or 10 tools & all the problems you've had with them in detail you would probably either show us a trend or most likely not.Good, better, best never let it rest until your good is better & your better best.
Thats to general of a reply I suspect if you had to supply many different descriptions of tools purchased say 8 or 10 tools & all the problems you've had with them in detail you would probably either show us a trend or most likely not.
I don't have time and I'm not stupid enough to keep buying their tools when the first couple I bought dissapointed me.
Surely you don't think a rational human being would by a brand eight or ten times when he or she was disappointed early on, do you?
Edited 3/8/2006 7:22 am ET by BossCrunk
Well that sounds pretty good but all tool vender's have been known to have a few lemons including Delta & Powermatic. Considering that the biggest share of the tools are made over seas now days & many of them on the same assembly line this makes your assessment of Shopfox tools a mute point. Many Many people have either Grizzly or Shopfox or Delta or Powermatic or Jet & have been very happy or very disappointed with them. You know I used to be a tool basher too & this is a lesson I had to learn so keep it in mind that just because the tools you've been disappointed with come from one particular manufacture doesn't mean that all their tools are bad. You can take this over into the manufacture of automobiles I am quite sure you've seen two identical cars maybe right down to the color of paint & one car was great & the other a lemon. I use to think the way you do but have since learned to think differently. A fixed close mind makes you & I look like a defective tool. But there is notheing wrong with you or I so lets not make it look like there is.
Good, better, best never let it rest until your good is better & your better best.
Edited 3/8/2006 12:09 pm by OB
Edited 3/8/2006 3:31 pm by OB
You're right. I wouldn't own any of the 'classic' brands if I were tooling up a shop again. At least if I could help it.
So would you be looking at say Mini Max equipment or something similar?Good, better, best never let it rest until your good is better & your better best.
That's one brand that comes to mind, yes.
Boy, everyone has different experiences with tools.
I have a dewalt 18v drill that just keeps going and has taken a beaten for about 4 yrs now.
I also have a makita 18v portable circular saw that runs out of juice by the end of cutting a 3/4 sheet of plywood.
joe p
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