Official Luthiers Forum!

J just got this email so I figured I would pass it on. Not real sure if it is a Wagner by looking at the design but it looks close. My wagner doesn't have the open cavitys on the bottom
http://woodworker.com/drill_press_planer.htm

Gary

Your right it is basicly the Wagner design, Just in a a casted metal base instead of a machined metal base

Price is a lot less

Word on the street is that the knock-offs are not nearly as good as the real Wagner.

_________________
Stay with the happy people.
--Reynolds Large

I would assume not. It is harder to control balance on casted hubs than it is on machine hubs. That is not to say it cant be done. We do it all the time when we make a low speed and high speed gears from casted blanks. but we do it by purposely machine balancing the blank when we machine the gear. looking at the picture I only see one machined surface. Now does this mean this hub is out of balance, I cant say one way or another. personally if it was near as well made as the Wagner it would not be on sale for $18.(which I assume is a marketing ploy anyway) If it was near as well made, for marketing advantage it would be on sell for something like $30. Significantly less than the Wagner but not 1/3 of the Wagner

It didn't look as well made as the Wagner but like you said the price is a lot less.

Gary

the thing i would worry about is that the lighter,less rigid body would be more prone to vibration. this would b especially true as the cutters moved from soft grain to hard grain, figure to non-figure.

ruining one back or side would erase any savings in the purchase price. so short of any reliable personal references which give the cheaper tool a clean bill of health i would go for the real thing.

I have found that quality tools are always the cheaper choice in the long run - especially with things that rotate at high speeds