Official Luthiers Forum!

As a long time PC user, I was sad to see that their "product" is now manufactured in Mexico. I was shopping for a new D/A sander (my PC finally died). I was however, delighted to see Milwaukee is still manufactured in Wisconsin. Not only that but they are warranted for 5 years. The D/A is just fabulous. Their drillmotors don't look like Nikes either...a sure sign that a company has gone "consumer".
I'm a convert!

Thanks for that info,

I will be buying Milwaukee in the future whenever possible.

Well, I guess aside from PC's 390K low profile POS, I haven't bought any PC since '99. I've had that sander just over a year, and have had it completely lock up (they sent me a new one), had that one in once for excessive vibration, and now it's just died. If they've gone consumer (uh, "tradesman"), I guess they will make a lot of $$$ and ride on their laurels.
One can only hope that Milwaukee doesn't sell out. I see the manuel is printed in China, but at least they have a factory in Brookfield, Wisc. and are employing a few Americans.

As a tool dealer I want to warn you to check carefully on all your purchases . I am a porter cable user and also very happy with Milwaukee as well , HOWEVER not ALL milwaukee is made in wisconsin I have several Hand tools on my store shelves that are milwaukee and all of them say " made in china " so check carefully .

I hate to see any machines go overseas , and i dont really like selling stuff made in mexico or china . However if i ran my business on strictly " made in usa , I would starve to death.

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The Shallower the depth of the stream , The Louder the Babble !
The Taking Of Offense Is the Life Course Of The Stupid One !
Wanna Leave a Better Planet for our Kids? How about Working on BETTER KIDS for our Planet !
Forgiveness is the ability to accept an apology that you will probably NEVER GET
The truth will set you free , But FIRST, it will probably Piss you Off !
Creativity is allowing yourself to make Mistakes, Art is knowing which ones to Keep !
The Saddest thing anyone can do , is push a Loyal Person to the point that they Dont Care Anymore
Never met a STRONG person who had an EASY past !
http://wiksnwudwerks.blogspot.com/
http://www.facebook.com/groups/GatewayA ... rAssembly/

How about that one

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The Shallower the depth of the stream , The Louder the Babble !
The Taking Of Offense Is the Life Course Of The Stupid One !
Wanna Leave a Better Planet for our Kids? How about Working on BETTER KIDS for our Planet !
Forgiveness is the ability to accept an apology that you will probably NEVER GET
The truth will set you free , But FIRST, it will probably Piss you Off !
Creativity is allowing yourself to make Mistakes, Art is knowing which ones to Keep !
The Saddest thing anyone can do , is push a Loyal Person to the point that they Dont Care Anymore
Never met a STRONG person who had an EASY past !
http://wiksnwudwerks.blogspot.com/
http://www.facebook.com/groups/GatewayA ... rAssembly/

My how times have changed...me remember when red tools cost a fortune and if any thing went south with it you just dropped it on the counter and they give you another one...for life. Oh well.

blessings

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Audiences and dispensations on Thursdays ~ by appointment only.


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I am pissed. The Milwaukee IS made in China. Well, that's the last tool I buy...
At least my shoes are made in Wisc and SC, and my clothes union made in America.

Hanns,

Buy American eh?

hmm... me wonder if Canadian air is any different than US or even Mexican air, I mean we are all Americans yes?

Everything we consume is made right here on planet earth.

Our loyalties to crown, country, flag or brand name are a throw back to
a form of false economical structures and B.S. that are fast becoming extinct.

American don't make things any more, we consume them.

Oh
Padma

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Audiences and dispensations on Thursdays ~ by appointment only.


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Don't know about the air-but I was pretty peeved to find out that Australian toilets do not flush in opposite flow circles than USA<G>!

Haans,

we must support the New World Order of Economics,

cuz if we don't and the Chinese call in the load, well then

us Americans are up the creak without a paddle.

Then what?

blessings

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Audiences and dispensations on Thursdays ~ by appointment only.


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I'm all for supporting our economics, and product, but I've got a Milwaukee 18v lithium ion cordless drill that the gear box has died three times in it. All I drill is small bits in soft wood. The thing is just not good. On the flip side I have 4 PC routers, and they have been performing for years very well. Who knows...

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John Mayes
http://www.mayesluthier.com

If its an American made orbital you want, look no further than dynabrade. Electric orbitals are for HGTV viewers, not professionals. T

and I have a Harbor Freight that has drilled almost everything you can think of - and it's is still kicking strong - 18 volt - cost me about $17.00 - too bad your Milwaukee can't do that, I would have expected more from them, being a premium brand.

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It's this new idea from recent decades that everyone gets a participation award. - MUX

timoM, don't be a tool snob. Instrument makers don't sand miles of cherry/MDF. I used Dynabrade for years when I was a cabinetmaker. Electric orbitals have their place. I don't need a 300 gal compressor either.
, I guess eventually the whole thing will collapse anyway. At the rate we are selling out to other countries, we won't last. Every $1 we spend on Chinese or other foreign goods is $.02 that goes to that employee, and aside from the markup in this country that goes to those that own the chains, that $1 goes OUT of this country. It loses it's value to do good HERE. Billions and billions stream out of this country every month.
We WERE a consumptive country. Consumption depends on having a job, and having a job is dependent on consumption (demand), not tax cuts for multi-nationals. Other countries realize this; Germany, Sweden, Denmark, even China encourage their populations to buy national to keep jobs.
I don't buy much anymore...can't afford to. But I thought I had found a tool actually made in America. I guess not...
Rant over.

Looks at the bottom right of the picture posted below

OH NO! I'm just a HGTV watcher and not a professional!

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John Mayes
http://www.mayesluthier.com

Not me...
I'm goin' for Larsons' Prairie State!



I'll do Coco one more time and dye it dark.

BTW, I use a 13CFM D/A running at 90 PSI and have a 60 gal tank compressor. It runs almost continuously when I wet sand.

I'm not sure if there is a big trend away from the norm. I build three models, all Vintage Gibson style, but there is obviously way more martin clones.

The guitar I showed I just sent off for finish. It's for Steven Curtis Chapman (his 2nd Mayes)

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John Mayes
http://www.mayesluthier.com

New Balance running shoes are still made here.....They are also very good for sitting on a stool in the shop. Boy....they sure make you want to RUN to the house for a brew on a hot day.
I tried to read instructions on a newly purchased lazer level this morning....made in China...battery made in S. Korea...instructions in Spanish. Luckily, my vague Latin let me translate. Hate to say it....but, the individual Luthier, living in the US, could be the last of the "Made in the USA".

Kent

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Wood Creations by Kent A. Bailey
EXCELLENCE IN SCULPTURE, CARVING, LUTHIER, ARCHITECTURAL MILLWORK AND DESIGN

http://www.kabart.com

Holy groupthink Mr Golding. And by the way my statement was "electric orbitals are not for professionals" and furthermore Festool products were designed for on site renovators. I never implied a builder using an electric orbital made he or she unprofessional, nor did I imply that using one yielded a substandard product. All said, electric orbitals have tremendous shortcomings. They are heavy and top heavy, they have a limited range of orbit size and an extremely limited range of pad durometers. They wear out quickly and their imbalance yields a quite imperfect finish. Of course their shortcomings can be overcome with more labor, but after reading post after post of how it is so difficult to make a living as a luthier why would you not understan efficient finishing. Every woodworker, even we lonely cabinet and furniture trolls know that efficient finishing is a necessity. You need only a 80 gal compressor to run 1 or even 2 dynabrades, they are available in a range of sizes and orbits, they are made in America and they last literally forever. T

P.S. The only MDF in our shop is on staging table for tools.