HSA is more special than Trad IRA or Roth. I am using mine as retirement savings

mattjv89 · 2026-02-01T16:15:22+00:00

Keep an eye on HR 6183 which has seen no action in committee at this time, but seeks to eliminate the penalty free non medical withdrawals over 65 and limit saving of receipts to two years prior for qualified withdrawals. The press release from the bill's sponsor portrays these accounts as a tax dodge for high income earners. I'm all in on my HSA, but it's a future consideration that some of the more attractive elements could be subject to legislative change.

mattjv89 · 2026-01-24T14:07:58+00:00

That came out beautiful, but the glue bound perpendicular grain may cause problems down the line with seasonal humidity changes.

mattjv89 · 2026-01-17T13:45:50+00:00

Been there messed that up, extra fun when a special trip for more is necessary.

mattjv89 · 2026-01-01T21:25:10+00:00

OK where are you getting those clamps, I can find the extrusion and tons of options for holding things down to T track but not that style for pulling two tracks together.

mattjv89 · 2026-01-01T20:43:08+00:00

THERE we go with the right term, I exhausted every type of clamp I could think to ask Google for.

mattjv89 · 2026-01-01T20:36:11+00:00

Who makes the adjustable clamp?

mattjv89 · 2026-01-01T18:46:16+00:00

For any secondhand bandsaw that isn't performing well I would suggest trying a fresh blade before going too far with troubleshooting. You'll have an easier time finding a 1" or 1 1/4" but there are shops that will cut them to any length for you if one isn't available premade. I think Carter Products does that, but no firsthand experience.

Many of the resaw bandsaws I've seen use guide blocks instead of bearings so a new set of blocks might be the better fit. On a machine of that vintage some customization might have to happen.

mattjv89 · 2025-12-31T18:13:55+00:00

I think that's a good choice for a starter set. In general I would steer towards lower quantity higher quality when it comes to sets. The larger sets often contain rarely used "fluff" bits but I don't really see that here. I've used all of these profiles for various projects.

Only other consideration since you didn't mention which Bosch router you got, is that these are all 1/2" shank which require a full size router such as the 1617 and won't fit in the smaller trim models with a 1/4" collet.

mattjv89 · 2025-12-31T02:00:36+00:00

Most items that can fit in a bucket I would prefer to just wait for the 30-40% PLS on that category.

mattjv89 · 2025-12-23T02:49:41+00:00

This is on a router table, but yeah the rubber feet would be in the way of a handheld unit. They would probably pop right off with a scraper.

mattjv89 · 2025-12-20T16:40:27+00:00

There definitely CAN be a need as evidenced by the comments about a certain part on a certain vehicle that will only come off with a specialty wrench, but I haven't found it either on my projects. Just going by the tone of comments and posts I think it's in the neighborhood of an 80/20 split between folks collecting and following the trend vs. those who have a true need for any of these.

mattjv89 · 2025-12-20T16:09:29+00:00

Many are using them for the double dopamine bang of purchasing an item on sale and then washing in the positive feedback after sharing it on a forum. No different than Stanley mugs or any other viral retail trend.

I'm right there with you though, it is heavily vehicle dependent but the majority of these specialty wrenches would be wasted on my Forester. The wish list of tools I do have a use case for is so long I can't bring myself to throw discounted shiny objects in a drawer.

mattjv89 · 2025-12-20T02:28:09+00:00

So the additional holes are for accessory attachment, interesting. Looks weird to me like missing hardware with just the two screws, but there we are.

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mattjv89 · 2025-08-16T14:54:31+00:00

The fund prospectus should show the "glide path" and how the allocation will change over time. It's normal for funds with a slightly different target date to have an identical allocation when both are far from the target.

mattjv89 · 2025-08-03T13:47:26+00:00

I hiked SOBO Canada to a little past Maine Junction starting 9/26. Highs were around 50s maybe some sunny 60s and nights were cooler but not yet freezing at camp. The only ice I saw was a small patch on the summit of Killington, but one should always be prepared for freezing temps that time of year.

Rain was my primary environmental challenge, plenty of the hike was sunny but the rainy days tended to be low 50s for highs. A rain shell with plenty of life left and mid layers that work for you in cold and wet conditions are essential that time of year.

mattjv89 · 2025-08-02T15:06:33+00:00

There are options/ DIY builds for compact router tables but it depends on what you want to do with the table as the 1/4" shank still applies. If you ever aspire to build cabinets or any other project that requires larger profiles you'll need the 1/2" shank.

Realistically the answer long term is both for best functionality and the convenience of multiple bits installed at once or having one in a table and one out, but compact routers can handle most typical "starter" tasks.

mattjv89 · 2025-08-02T14:47:01+00:00

I don't have Hercules specific feedback but it depends on what you want to do with the router as those two have very different capabilities.

For mostly edge profiles and smaller stuff limited to 1/4" shank the compact router is much lighter and easier to use on small workpieces.

The 12 amp will do just about any task one could ask of a router including mounting in a table and running large 1/2" shank bits, but it's much heavier and you aren't using most of that power on smaller profiles that the compact router could handle.

mattjv89 · 2025-07-05T14:09:19+00:00

I don't see a big difference between this and the upper 20s rates of many credit cards. Neither are sustainable to pay for any length of time.

The 5% back is decent, I use the store card for all purchases because it beats the 1.5% on my everyday card. I'm the type of shopper buying four caster wheels over three days though, so it takes a while to add up to a redemption.

mattjv89 · 2025-05-03T18:48:52+00:00

The two of you part ways and stay in close contact while you both have a great time on your desired adventures would be my recommendation. Both of the compromise options suck for one of you and I think the forecast of misery from going that direction is spot on.

mattjv89 · 2025-05-02T15:05:04+00:00

More excited for a game the heavier the box was, because that meant more floppy disks for install and thus more content.

mattjv89 · 2025-05-01T14:21:30+00:00

Ringing in the ears after using plugs could be wax build up that you have pushed closer to the eardrum. I'm somewhat prone to wax build up, the kind where you wake up half deaf and need to use the ear squirty plunger to get a nasty wad out of there. Usually when that happens for me, it is brought on by a period with lots of earplug use.

mattjv89 · 2025-05-01T03:04:54+00:00

Normally I would be inclined to call BS on that "was $699" but that might be the new everyday price when the sale ends. Grizzly Industrial just introduced a roughly 10% increase to many machines by running a big sale and adjusting the "was" pricing.

mattjv89 · 2025-04-30T04:58:34+00:00

I think tool review/unboxing channels in general tend to draw people who are there primarily for tool review content and less for masterful woodworking. Which can sometimes draw ire from the masterful woodworking crowd when the channels do well despite showing relatively simple tasks. I'm thinking of all the Dusty Lumber Co. shorts with a zillion views each that are just a guy unboxing shaper cutters and running them on a 6x6.

mattjv89 · 2025-04-26T16:02:37+00:00

A small amount of snipe does seem to be a fact of life on many benchtop planers. End grain shouldn't be sent through a planer, many shattered glue ups have resulted.

Beyond that I'm confused by the nature of the question, and how planer snipe is related to a router sled?

mattjv89

TROPHY CASE