mbartlett99":8i427t01 said:
Cheers Custard,
How do you find the index stops for accuracy - I had this on my list of must haves - especially on the 90 & 45? One reason for tossing the scms is that I get tired of having to set up every time I make a cut - it has no detents.
Any other pointers on a used Felder - I've read up some on the Felder forums but tbh they weren't all that helpful? I won't be able to take the full 3.2m slider and don't need massive rip capability either. Do quite like trhe idea of electric rise and fall on the moulder though.
The index stops work flawlessly. But of course they only cover the most commonly used angles, if you want to introduce a 1.75 degree splay to a leg then you're on your own, which is why I favour MDF angle templates for repeatability.
I don't have power rise and fall on my spindle moulder, but I do have the in-wheel gauge which is consistently and repeatedly accurate to better than 0.1mm (these can be retro fitted by the way and aren't actually that expensive). There's a pretty large body of practical user knowledge when it comes to operating a spindle moulder, but it can't be found on the internet or in any book that I'm aware of.
For example, and to develop your point about setting the spindle height, many operators set the cutter height by referencing a specific point on the cutter relative to the table surface (both the power rise and fall and the in wheel gauge can be zeroed at this point) and thereafter you can position the cutter "by the numbers". The fun starts if, for example, the cutter block is too big to be completely submerged below the table. There are work arounds for this, but you might spend many frustrating hours solving these conundrums for yourself when some hands on training would make it all clear in a few days. Another big area for practical spindle operation is making all the jigs, on a typical chair design I might make anywhere from 12 to 20 dedicated spindle jigs that are essential for safety, precision, and finish quality. They tend to fall into a few distinct jig "families", and once you understand how they're all used it's easy to adapt them for other projects. But you'll only acquire that knowledge quickly and safely via training.
Going back to the machine, where you really want powered rise and fall with a digital read out is on the thicknesser, IMO that's pretty much essential. In a production environment a DRO on the saw stops are really useful, I don't have them but I wish I did! All the other DRO's are "nice to have" rather than "need to have" options.
You mention the size of the machine. I've got the full size slider but I don't really need it, if I was breaking down sheets of MDF all day it would be essential. But for occasional use you can use a track saw for the first cut then load the half sheets on the sliding table. The other thing about a full size slider, everyone thinks about the lead in and lead out space in their workshops, but lots of people forget that to really utilise a full size slider you need plenty of headroom! If you haven't got the vertical space then I'd forget about the bigger machines.
One final point, the Hammer range is a lot more affordable than the Felder or Format 4 ranges, but they really don't give
that much away in quality terms. It might sound compelling when you're flicking through the brochure to have a double trunnion rather than a single trunnion, but I know quite a few full time makers who turn out superb furniture with Hammer kit.
Good luck!
