Harbor Freight Tools that don't suck

[TMGT]

Picked up this profile sander today, it's from the new Baxter line of air tools. Seems really well built, made in Taiwan and comes with 2 ceramic belts that are made in Germany, and the 25 or 20% coupons will work on it.

I only played with it for a little bit to try it out, but so far I'm impressed.

 

[California]

Picked up this profile sander today, it's from the new Baxter line of air tools. Seems really well built, made in Taiwan and comes with 2 ceramic belts that are made in Germany, and the 25 or 20% coupons will work on it.

... so far I'm impressed.

What's the right way to use that? I bought HF's similar electric one several years ago and the foam backing that the belt slides over, soon disintegrated.

Do you sand only with the tip? I was using mine similar to a chainsaw, mostly sanding with the middle of the blade.


Your Baxter does look like a far more competent tool!

 

[TMGT]

It's just sitting on that peice of 2x2 for the picture. It has a metal backer for the bottom of the belt area, I only use them for tight areas/contours, did a great job cleaning the burrs from the inside of that peice of 2x2x1/4 tubing.

You can use the tip or the flat area depending on what you need to do, just have to remember it's not for real heavy grinding, mostly just cleanup/finishing work.

 

[California]

It has a metal backer for the bottom of the belt area

Thanks. I need to make a smooth metal replacement for the inner side of the belt to slide over. HF's design with foam glued in there - wasn't a good design.

 

[TMGT]

I'll try to remember to get a picture of the belt mechanism when I'm out in the shop this afternoon.

 

[5030]

Anyone purchased the HF Bauer shop vac? Curious as to if it's a good vacuum and curious about replacement bags. Do the standard Shop Vac bags fit it because I don't see where HF sells disposable bags. Thinking about the largest one.

 

[Diggin It]

Probably more of a 'do' than a 'don't, but I guess it's on me for not reading the box more closely. I wasn't even aware they made corded drills that weren't variable speed these days, but I got one. Not too thrilled about it, but it's been too long to return it.

1/2 in. Hammer Drill

 

[stuckmotor]

Probably more of a 'do' than a 'don't, but I guess it's on me for not reading the box more closely. I wasn't even aware they made corded drills that weren't variable speed these days, but I got one. Not too thrilled about it, but it's been too long to return it.

1/2 in. Hammer Drill

I think I have one of those. Most of the time I drill as fast as I can and seldom notice variable speed.

 

[BukitCase]

Diggin It, you could always "throw good money after bad", and add one of these
Router Speed Control

Altho I wouldn't recommend it - actual vari-speed drills tend to have more elaborate circuits to keep more torque at lower speeds than those old-fashioned SCR controls.

I WOULD, however, recommend that speed control for a simple incandescent dimmer - I've been using a dead upright freezer in the shop for several years as a dust-free tool box for some of my nicer woodworking tools, etc - I put an "outhouse" style ceramic bulb holder in the bottom of the freezer, ran a cord thru the drain hole, took the "mushroom" drain cover out and drilled a hole in the top of the freezer, installed the "mushroom" there (small vent, but covered) - I started off using a 100 watt rough service bulb, but it got too warm and burned out in a month or two. Had to check it every time I went in the shop, PITA...

I had one of the controls in the link, put that on the cord to the lamp (outside of the freezer), turned it down to about HALF brightness - same bulb for the last 4-5 YEARS. Temp inside the (dust-free) box stays around 80 degrees even when my (mostly) un-heated shop is in mid 30's. Absolutely no rust on ANYTHING; a combination of near hermetic seals AND never below dewpoint temperature.

And no, the dead freezer is NOT a HF tool; but I'm a sucker for a USEFUL re-purpose, and this one IS.

I now have 4 OTHER freezers (free, on CL) in a couple of my shipping containers - no power to any of the containers yet, but they keep any "heat sensitive" stuff from hitting 150 degrees in summer sun... Steve

 

[flyerdan]

That Baxter belt sander looks like a direct competitor to the Dynafile, it takes the same belts. If you can get the free span belt arm with just the idler at the tip (lower right), you can do contors on butt welded tubing to where you can't tell where the weld is.
Harbor has a very attractive price; Dynabrade is quite proud of their stuff.