reible
12-28-2008, 12:13 AM
Hi,
I noticed some interest in the postings I did about the Joint-Matic and figured maybe a post over in this area might be a better place for an open discussion on the systems.
I'm not here to defend or cut down any of the machines in question. The only one of these I have used or even touched is the Joint-Matic.
One thing that should be clear is that the only way you are going to get a Joint-Matic is to find one on the open market. The original design was made by Strongs and has a chain drive. Shopsmith got the design and made several redesigned versions of it so there are at least 3 versions of these. The one I have was one of later designs from 10/06/1992.
If we look at these two
MLCS:
http://www.mlcswoodworking.com/shopsite_sc/store/html/smarthtml/pages/horizontal_router_table.html#horiztab_anchor
and
Woodhaven:
http://woodhaven.com/ProductDetail.asp?Id=91
You can see that they are horizontal router tables and were designed for many of the same things the Joint-Matic does. Major things like mortise and tenon joinery, raised panels, molding and the like. The MLCS has a speck of 2-1/8" below and 2-3/8" above for router movement. (For the life of me I don't see how the 2-1/8 below has any meaning but????) The woodhaven one has a travel of 6-3/4 to bit center. Depending on what things you want to be able to do the larger number is a good thing. Or put another way the MLCS is hampered by the 2-3/8".
Since I own things from both companies I'm thinking the qualty of the woodhaven product will be higher then the MLCS. Enough to add up to the added cost??? Who knows?? If you don't mind waiting then the old shopsmith one comes back into play. Even if you have to pay as much as a new MLCS (or maybe more) the shopsmith is still worth it.
So what did I notice on these newer ones? No one talks about making box joints, bevel joints, bevel sliding dovetails, spliced dovetail joints or half-blind dovetails. (When you see the word bevel think you need the bevel miter gauge for the Joint-Matic). Maybe you could come up with one of these for the new tables??? (One joint I wanted to make was the spliced dovetail and for me the machine was worth it just for that.) (The lack of doing box joints might mean they don't do well at it or???) So I guess it matters just what things your router table is wanted for. In my case only the Joint-Matic does it all.
I should also point out the Woodhaven version with angle ease
http://woodhaven.com/ProductDetail.asp?Id=241
It could be this would be a keeper but look at the price.
So if I didn't have the Joint-Matic which one would I buy? The new OPR by shopsmith!!!!! It will do most of the things the Joint-Matic does and I think all of what the other two can do. Price was it is not all that much more then the woodhaven one and when your done you add the value of the OPR, now how could you go wrong????
Ed
I noticed some interest in the postings I did about the Joint-Matic and figured maybe a post over in this area might be a better place for an open discussion on the systems.
I'm not here to defend or cut down any of the machines in question. The only one of these I have used or even touched is the Joint-Matic.
One thing that should be clear is that the only way you are going to get a Joint-Matic is to find one on the open market. The original design was made by Strongs and has a chain drive. Shopsmith got the design and made several redesigned versions of it so there are at least 3 versions of these. The one I have was one of later designs from 10/06/1992.
If we look at these two
MLCS:
http://www.mlcswoodworking.com/shopsite_sc/store/html/smarthtml/pages/horizontal_router_table.html#horiztab_anchor
and
Woodhaven:
http://woodhaven.com/ProductDetail.asp?Id=91
You can see that they are horizontal router tables and were designed for many of the same things the Joint-Matic does. Major things like mortise and tenon joinery, raised panels, molding and the like. The MLCS has a speck of 2-1/8" below and 2-3/8" above for router movement. (For the life of me I don't see how the 2-1/8 below has any meaning but????) The woodhaven one has a travel of 6-3/4 to bit center. Depending on what things you want to be able to do the larger number is a good thing. Or put another way the MLCS is hampered by the 2-3/8".
Since I own things from both companies I'm thinking the qualty of the woodhaven product will be higher then the MLCS. Enough to add up to the added cost??? Who knows?? If you don't mind waiting then the old shopsmith one comes back into play. Even if you have to pay as much as a new MLCS (or maybe more) the shopsmith is still worth it.
So what did I notice on these newer ones? No one talks about making box joints, bevel joints, bevel sliding dovetails, spliced dovetail joints or half-blind dovetails. (When you see the word bevel think you need the bevel miter gauge for the Joint-Matic). Maybe you could come up with one of these for the new tables??? (One joint I wanted to make was the spliced dovetail and for me the machine was worth it just for that.) (The lack of doing box joints might mean they don't do well at it or???) So I guess it matters just what things your router table is wanted for. In my case only the Joint-Matic does it all.
I should also point out the Woodhaven version with angle ease
http://woodhaven.com/ProductDetail.asp?Id=241
It could be this would be a keeper but look at the price.
So if I didn't have the Joint-Matic which one would I buy? The new OPR by shopsmith!!!!! It will do most of the things the Joint-Matic does and I think all of what the other two can do. Price was it is not all that much more then the woodhaven one and when your done you add the value of the OPR, now how could you go wrong????
Ed