David wrote:
First thing that goes wrong: The battery dies in one of the Shop Fox DC
controller remotes. I take out the battery and check it on a battery
tester. Can't get the needle to move off zero, but how can that be? The
remote just worked a couple of times today, but not consistently. Open
up a new package of 9V's and check it to be sure the battery tester is
ok--it's fine. So I walk back to the shop to install the new battery in
the remote when...damn!...I touched the battery to the connector w/
reverse polarity for a split second. Then I snap the battery into the
connector, expecting it to work. Wrong! The indicator LED lights up
dimly with no buttons pressed; not a good sign. My worst fears are
confirmed when I press "on". Dead as a doornail. Wonderful. Out of
warranty. Go on line to find the Shop Fox phone number. give up; call
the store and get the 1-800 from them. Call Shop Fox; "no, we don't
repair the remotes".

Now I know this is going to cost me more time and more money to correct.
Because I've had a couple of bad Shop Fox remotes already, I figure why
give them more of my money; I'll get an X-10 unit.

I call Radio Crap at the nearby mall; the kid on the phone with the
worst job at the mall (other than wearing a funky costume and jumping on
lemons all day) says he doesn't know if they have what I'm asking for.
So I drive to another RC a bit further away. The kid there offers to
help me find what I'm looking for and proceeds to give one tidbit of
good information on the remotely controlled outlets, and then follows it
with obviously erroneous info (I'm reading the package while he's
blabbing to me). We decide I'm right; well actually, the package info
is king, and it seems as if a key chain remote and an outlet will give
me a remotely controlled outlet. Pay the guy; drive home, head back
into the shop, read the directions and WHAM! Screwed again! In order
to use the remote, you have to press a button for 3 seconds to get it to
register with the Controller? or Big Thingy That Looks Expensive in the
instructions (they went all out to put a picture of the Big Thingy That
Looks Expensive right on the instruction sheet where I'd learn all about
item number THREE that I didn't buy). Mutter a few choice words, put
the outlet and remote back in their respective blister packs and call
the store. The kid makes 2 abject apologies and offers to refund my
money when I "bring it all back". He doesn't understand I already KNEW
I could "get my money back when I bring the 2 parts that won't work
without the Big Thingy That Looks Expensive".


I almost head back to RC with the 2 parts that won't work without the
Big Thingy That Looks Expensive, until I imagine how much worse the
traffic is gonna be in late afternoon. Another sigh, and I decide to
return the 2 parts that won't work without the Big Thingy That Looks
Expensive, tomorrow.

Back out to the shop to mill some walnut. I keep getting 1/4 wide marks
on the wood as it exits the DeWALT planer. Shut it off, grab a
flashlight, crank the handle 7,680 turns to raise the head far enough to
look at the rollers and blades. don't see anything out of the ordinary.
Grab another piece of wood and feed it in, noting exactly where on the
13" wide table it's going so I can figure out where the marks are coming
from exactly. (That took about 4,000 turns in the opposite direction to
get the head positioned to plane the test board.) Now I can see how far
from one end, the marks are. Another 4,000 turns to raise the head back
up for another look-see. STILL don't see any marks on the rollers or
anything out of position. the blades look pristine. This is the sort
of problem that should be easily solved with a flashlight and a close
inspection, yet I don't see ANYTHING out of the ordinary. I'll post a
picture in a bit...

Now that I've eaten supper, I'm afraid to go back out in the shop,
because sure as hell, this stuff happens in threes. Either some
equipment will break down, or it perform poorly, forcing me to regroup
and abandon the project I started this morning.

[Whining off]

Dave
is it really that big of a deal to turn the dc on by hand