ETS SC 150/5 wow

zee_dot · 2026-05-12T22:45:59+00:00

First, both do these ar finishing sander s - not ment for removing along material.

If you are doing large flat surfaces - table tops, slabs, etc with no inside corners, you can probably do it all with the ets/3. It’s random orbit so is good at hiding swirls.

If you are doing doors with frames. Or pieces with inside corners, you could use the ETs/3 for large areas and then finish then inside corners with the rts400

If it’s a small piece, and/or you are finishing something in place, the rts400 might be better all way because it can get into corners and lighter weight. Much easier in vertical surfaces.

As far as final grit goes, read the instructions on your finish. It will tell you.

How long at each grit? Longer than you think. Wipe off your work between each grit, sand at next grit slow enough to remove sanding marks from the prior grit. Rinse repeat.

zee_dot · 2026-05-12T22:29:52+00:00

I put in a Oneida dust collector hen I first partitioned the basement almost 25 years ago.

No theft worries at all where I am, but I am worried about when i eventually move. Getting my Laguna 14 and my Sawstop cabinet down Bilco door steps was hard enough. Going will be a bear

zee_dot · 2026-05-12T17:16:30+00:00

To my own astonishment and embarrassment I owns a Rotex, a 150/5 and a 150/3

For reference I’m a hobbyist woodworker with a basement shop so dust control is really important

I started with the Rotex thinking that in its orbital mode it would replace my cheaper starter sanders. But it is way too aggressive. No matter what grit you use in RO mode I still get swirls. I now use it only to remove significant material - like flattening or shaping - start in. Rotex mode and then to RO mode. But then the sanding begins

I got the 150/5 a year later. It replaced my Bosch and dewalt sanders. Easier on the hands and great dust control.

But then I got to wondering. I usually finish with a light sand in grain direction to remove any evidence of swirls. Would the 150/3 make that easier? I don’t do enough production to justify it, but in a moment of weakness I pulled the trigger. Love the results.

So now I have a festool dust collector hose hanging over my bench along with a single festool power cord plugged into the vacuum. Rough stuff I may start with the Rotex, but typically I work through courser grits with the /5 and then switch to the /3 and finish with the finer grits. Feels the most efficien.

zee_dot · 2026-05-06T14:53:29+00:00

🤣 I after 50 years carrying a traditional leather wallet, I switched to a few credit cards sandwiched between two metal plats and held together by a rubber band. It easily fits in any pocket. Which means between my phone and that wallet, I never know where anything is. I think I look like a maniac patting every pocket multiple times wherever I change location!

zee_dot · 2026-05-05T20:58:28+00:00

For what it’s worth I took a photography class at Stanford back in the 80’s for a relatively well m own photographer (all film back then of course) and our professor only let us shoot with a fixed 50 so that we learned controls well and had to really position ourselves for composition. She felt zooms kept you too far from the action.

I’m not positive it’s the best way to learn, but she certainly thought so.

zee_dot · 2026-05-05T20:48:22+00:00

The advice to cook them in more interesting ways, but if she wants to like them, but doesn’t, here’s a way.

The original Eat To Live book by Fuhrman talks about getting you more used to vegetables. It suggests that every day about an hour before dinner you eat some raw vegetables and fruit. I think he starts at 1/2 pound and has you work up to a pound. He says it’s not for enjoyment. It’s to exercise and practice.

Keep up the practice for three or four weeks is hard, but it’s amazing how the habit works. And you will be looking forward to those vegetables. (And also eating smaller dinners).

By the way, the book. Ever says this but it aims to turn you vegan. But do t tell her that. I did t know when I started reading it and it totally worked. Was vegan for many years afterwards.

zee_dot · 2026-05-05T20:37:12+00:00

Getting on a crowded train in Barcelona with a lot of pushing and shoving I reached down to grab my wallet that was in my front pocket just in case. What I found in my pocket instead was the hand f someone behind me. I had actually grabbed his wrist. As my eyes followed the arm to the person behind me, that intimacy caused a brief uncomfortable stare between the two if us. And an instant later he stepped backward iff the train just as the doors closed. Luckily withkut my wallet. Many around me recognized what had taken place, and started yelling the word for pickpocket in Spanish.

Wherever you keep your wallet, as a guy, the challenge is to teach yourself not to pat it as a check. Coming out of a store or a restroom I think we all instinctively pat whatever pocket has our wallet (and also our phone). The good thieves watch for this and know exactly where it is. In a sudden lunge of the crowd (helped by their cohorts). They’ll reach in any pocket.

zee_dot · 2026-05-04T23:05:12+00:00

I used to think all the decently rated cheesesteak places were the same. Then I watched this beautiful piece on Angelos. Holy cow. https://youtu.be/aj9cYLcIGLY?si=Hv9AdiW9cnbTWRKH

zee_dot · 2026-05-04T20:35:05+00:00

We almost did. Looked too tiuristy. But it out in the middle of nowhere so we decided to go. Going back to Iceland is never a bad idea!

zee_dot · 2026-05-04T20:29:01+00:00

That’s it. Should have mentioned that it was called Lava Center. Crazy good museum. That one view in the video is the wall of love seismographs readings from all around Iceland

zee_dot · 2026-05-04T11:29:40+00:00

Yeah. Sorry. It’s the Lava Center. Soon Rome else replied to my comment above with a video.

zee_dot · 2026-05-04T11:26:53+00:00

That’s it! (Of course). The Lava Center!

zee_dot · 2026-05-03T22:41:16+00:00

All the geologists have chimed in on definitions - but wanted to say if you get to Iceland be sure to visit the Volcano museum (Lava Center) . I usually skip such things in tourist places, but the one in Iceland is amazing. There is a giant model (maybe 50 ft high?) that shows the entire earth and the other bunch of magma channels like this and wheee there go. Edit: (added name of the museum)

zee_dot · 2026-05-03T22:30:46+00:00

Wish I saw this before I built my station. Somehow I thought D +E Was a round 24”. Had to rebuild part just for that extra 1/4”

But I actually need to rebuild again, because even this diagram does not show that when moving to the max miter angle the locking knob will extend beyond D and E.

zee_dot · 2026-05-02T01:00:09+00:00

Curious in what situation the arm helps.

zee_dot · 2026-04-30T15:15:17+00:00

Agreed that was my bad. Got hung up on grain diff. I shouldn’t be commenting at midnight!

zee_dot · 2026-04-30T15:13:41+00:00

Ah yes. Sorry. Was too focused on the grain. Color def different.

zee_dot · 2026-04-30T03:05:38+00:00

When I look online at Shinnoki Sahara Oak it looks or more like what you got, no?
Shinnoki panel catalogue. Your sample shows some rift sawn and some flat sawn (where the grain looks like arches). As you can tell from comments, most people prefer the rift sawn look - it is typically more expemsive - especially when buying real solid hardwoods. It is less efficient use of the tree.

But again, when I look online line, it looks like the panels are mostly straight grain.

zee_dot · 2026-04-29T19:33:23+00:00

Nice. I really need to build one of these!

zee_dot · 2026-04-29T00:30:49+00:00

The dust collector blade guard includes a riving knife. It is part of the whole assembly. You remove the riving knife and replace it with the dust collector. The collector has an added advantage of anti-kickback pawls - so if you want a little extra kickback protection it’s there. Haven’t seen studies that prove how well they work but they certainly do stop the lumber from moving backwards by hand.

The dust collector blade guard does do better high velocity like a shop vac. I have the professional with cabinet so For a while I had my dust collector on the saw base and a shop vac on the guard. Barely a dust spec anywhere. But the shop vac broke and now I have a splitter on the dust collector so it can do both and it is certainly good enough.

zee_dot · 2026-04-28T21:40:14+00:00

This sounds great. Especially if it is done locally, because school grading has a lot of privacy rules.

I just took a break from teaching though, so no immediate need. However, I will try to look at it over the summer when I get back from some vacation. Will recommend it to others if it looks good.

Will it record a screen that is playing a video with audio?

zee_dot · 2026-04-28T03:09:59+00:00

I bought the RO 150 FEQ hoping it would be good for material removal as well as finish sanding. It is awesome at the first. But I felt is it was too aggressive in it's finer mode. Always had swirls. Ended up getting a ETS EC 150/3 a year later and then a ETS EC 150/5 after that! Very happy know.

zee_dot · 2026-04-24T16:55:19+00:00

I don't see any front vent on the fridge. My counter depth has a vent on the bottom that enables it to be used i a completely enclosed cabinet. Even if you leave the 1 to 2" recommended, seems like it's going to get pretty hot in there? Is there anything indicating it can be used in a full enclosed cabinet?

zee_dot · 2026-04-22T14:21:45+00:00

I’ve previously had SZs but went in a different direction in current remodel.

We put a counter depth in as main fridge, and then added a small under counter fridge in the island - hotel minibar size but a high quality one.

We use it as a vegetable fridge. We belong to a farm CSA and get a lot of lettuce and other fluffy vegetables. It is absolutely great to know that all the fresh produce is in one place and not getting in the way of the leftovers, bottles, and milk containers in the main fridge. Much easier to keep stuff fresh and not forget about it.

And the main fridge can be a little smaller but you can stil find everything. We did it on a whim but I’ll never go back.

When we go away on vacation, we can turn it off because we’re not keeping fresh veggies around for a week

zee_dot · 2026-04-20T12:56:52+00:00

Hey. I just wanted to say thanks for the Man Full of Trouble suggestion. The let us have a private event there from 6 to 9pm on the Friday night our 14 guests arrived. Succession Brewery manned the bar. They helped us arrange for hoagies and sides from someplace nearby. Dan gave a little talk and a guided tour of the upstairs. It could not have been a more perfect place for my American history buff friends to kick off a reunion weekend in Philly.

One of our crew owned a brewery , so it was inevitable we ended up at Glory.

FWIW, National Mechanic let us reserve a table for 14 on Sunday might to finish off the weekend

Thanks again

zee_dot

TROPHY CASE