From: harpel@mitre.org (Craig Harpel)
Subject: Re: Which saw, Table or Radial?? (long)
Organization: The MITRE Corporation, McLean, VA, USA
Distribution: na
Date: Fri, 3 Apr 1992 19:21:20 GMT

In article <1992Apr1.191301.1809@adobe.com>, bennett@adobe.com(Bennett Leeds) writes:
> Craig Harpel writes
> > In article <1992Mar25.173407.16212@adobe.com>, bennett@adobe.com (Bennett  
> Leeds) writes:
> > > If RAS's are so great for furnituremaking, then why does Tage Frid 
> > > recommend buying a TS as the first tool? (jointer and bandsaw are second 
> > > and third)  Why does Frank Klausz say the TS is the heart of his shop?  
> > > Could it be because a TS is just plain more suitable?  Nah, it must be some 
> > > totally unwarranted RAS prejudice.
> > 
> > Herein lies a basic problem with some people in this news group.  They forget 
> > that there are others who are concerned with more than just furnituremaking.
> 
> That's why I included the intended use in my post - furnituremaking.
> 

Read what you wrote! "If RAS's are so great for furnituremaking..."  I didn't say they
were, YOU DID.  And yes, furnituremakers are going to see RASs differently (with prejudice)
as opposed to (let's go way out) carpenters.  I would call the prejudice unwarranted,
but expected from people whose uses are limited to fine woodworking.

>...voluminous quotes from every Tom, Dick, and Hans deleted.  
I suppose there was a point
to them, but it somehow escapes me, except that everyone has his own opinion.

> 
> And now back to Craig:
> > I freely admit that TSs surpass RASs in some areas.  However, it is 
> > irresponsible for people to make a blanket statement that TSs should be 
> > EVERYONE's first tool. 
> 
> I haven't seen these "EVERYONE/blanket" recommendations. Here's a sample of  
> what I have seen:
> 

...numerous quotes from recent postings deleted

Then you didn't go back far enough, and my history doesn't even go back as far as yours
does, so I'm afraid I can't site the EXACT posting that irritated me.  I must have
imagined it!

> 
> Maybe we're looking at two different rec.woodworkings. These comments don't  
> appear to me to be blanket recommendations.
> 
> -Bennett Leeds
> bennett@adobe.com
> 

Whenever someone says "...Tage Frid recommends buying a TS as the first tool...", THAT is
a blanket statement because it disregards the reader's budget, space, and especially
intended use!  The implication is that they are the same as that of Tage Frid, 
or should fall in line with his idea of what they should be for a beginner, isn't it?
Some of the "famous" quotes you sited were loaded with them!  Statements become "blanket"
when you fail to provide the context within which they were made.  If you can truly say
that you've never seen any posting to the effect that "TSs are universally better than
RASs", then you HAVE been reading a different rec.woodworking!  Why do you think I've
spent so much time going back and forth about what has become a stupid thread and a waste
of bandwidth?  Because I like to respond to imaginary postings?  Geez...

I'll give you the last word before I put this subject in my kill file, as probably most
other people with any sense have done by now.

Happy woodworking!


-- 
My opinions are strictly my own and in no way reflect
those of either MITRE or Planning Systems.


Craig Harpel			harpel@mitre.org
Planning Systems, Inc.		linus!mitre.org!harpel
on site contractor at
The MITRE Corporation
7525 Colshire Drive		
McLean, VA 22102