I used my Collins coping foot for the first time today. WOW! This thing is great! Best money I have spent in a long time!
Discussion Forum
Discussion Forum
Up Next
Video Shorts
Featured Story
The "She Build" initiative is empowering women in Seattle, WA by ensuring they have safe, healthy homes.
Featured Video
Builder’s Advocate: An Interview With ViewrailHighlights
"I have learned so much thanks to the searchable articles on the FHB website. I can confidently say that I expect to be a life-long subscriber." - M.K.
Replies
Good tool, good purchase. Have fun with it.
where do you purchase a collins coping foot? i love trim carpentry but the last couple of houses/additions ive done had 2 and 3 pc crown. the 3 pc cove moulding was treacherous to cope. it was 10" wide and made of some very hard pine. how does the foot work? do you have good control? thanks for the info fellows.
http://www.collinstools.com or something similar, I dont have one but have never really heard a bad review of their tools.
Correction to your website reference: Should be:
http://www.collinstool.com/
the coping foot is detailed at:
http://www.collinstool.com/collins_coping_foot.htm
David Thomas Overlooking Cook Inlet in Kenai, Alaska
Definitely worth it, but don't expect to cut crown like the guy at the tool shows. I watch him and he makes it look so easy. I think the coping foot is especially useful on the larger crowns.
Now, if you're really into trim, check out http://www.copemaster.com. For my level of business its not worth it, but one can dream.
You might also try using a tungsten carbide grinding wheel in a 4.5" angle grinder. They sell them in the Woodcraft catalog (pg 112 October 2003) and Lee Valley. You have a surprising amont of control.
come to Providence in March for the JLC-Live show... collins will be there selling his wares at discountMike Smith Rhode Island : Design / Build / Repair / Restore
"come to Providence in March for the JLC-Live show"
Mike-
Are you going? I'll be spending some time on the floor at the JLC booth, and doing a clinic on "spreadsheet estimating basics". It'd be great to see you.
Who else is going?
Bob
bob.. i'll be there with my guys.. i'll see if i can make your seminar..thanks for the heads up
mostly spend my time on the floor..checking out new products.. talking to Chief Architect people
harrassing the instructors like Guertin & Arnold ( and you )
Mike Smith Rhode Island : Design / Build / Repair / Restore
Thanks for the heads up on the harassment- I got enough of that last year from a guy who couldn't understand why a customer should pay more to one contractor just because his overhead was more and hence his rates were higher. It became an ethics discussion that was painfully hard to get out of- thank god some of the other attendees voices their opinions...lol.
See you there,
Bob
ethics and pricing... ( dare i digress ? )
ethically , i have to stay in business so i can support my workers and my family.. and be there to take care of my customers in the future..
ethically, i am obliged to make a profit..
if you can't make a profit... you can either break even or take a loss..
if you take a loss or break even , how can you do your best work for the customer ?
you can't ...
to me , it is unethical to underprice your workMike Smith Rhode Island : Design / Build / Repair / Restore
I am looking into the Chief Arch. program and will be there in March, but $1800 (with training cds) is a pretty good chunk of change. After looking at the system requirements for the program, my computer can't handle the memory requirements (I use a Compaq laptop that is a few years old.) So on top of the money for the program, I'd have to get a new puter to handle it.
It'll be nice to see the program in action at JLC Live, though.
I never met a tool I didn't like!
i hear you brother nick...
what's cool is selling some designs to justify the new hardware and the upgrade for the latest version.....
my nephew was just showing me the new monitors on the internet.... hmmmmmmMike Smith Rhode Island : Design / Build / Repair / Restore
I bought a couple of them years ago. I'm pretty sure on-line, but I can't recall who I purchased them from. I want to say Garett-Wade, but I'm not sure...
Install the foot on the saw, I have it on a Bosch barrel-grip. Make the standard cut on the trim to expose the coping cut line. Hold the saw upside-down and run along the line.
The foot gives good support as you twist the saw this way and that to stay on the line. Might need a relief cut or two before you cope if doing heavily detailed trim.
Takes a couple of cuts to get used to it, but I do think it a worthwhile thing to have.
Anybody tried a garden variety jig saw (ie delta etc)? Getting ready to do a bunch of
crown and am gonna try it...Will report back...
Bud
Tried the Delta jig saw with table tilted at 45 deg. Worked kinda ok but had to finish up with grinder. Its tough to get the piece in position to follow the line at 45 deg tilt...better than by hand but not much..Maybe a omni directional blade on the saw might be better,if there is such a thing.
Bud
I bought a new Bosch jigsaw when I bought my coping foot. I've never tried any other jigsaw.Coming to you from beautiful Richmond, Va.
dont bother with garden variety on jigsaws. Bosch or better (festool) are the way to go.
spend the extra few dollars for a bosch over the others. There is a reason why so many here have the bosch, and its because its worth the money.
Well had a bit of brain lock...I was talking about a scroll saw...Duh!.
Used it for a kitchen with only a half dozen copes in 4" crown...It was OK, but problably about as much time as a hand saw...Had to finish up with a grinder. Better than a file however... Hats off to those who have many of those damn things to do at a time....Will try the foot...Probably much better..
Bud
OK ...
I'll give it one more try!
I've had that thing in my jigsaw case for a coupla years now ... every now and then I try again ... get frustrated .... then go back to the manual method.
Hey ... maybe this would be a great field Demo at MikeFest?
I realize I probably haven't given the tool the right amount of time ....
Always try it on a real job .... never think to sit on the front porch on a nice Sat afternoon and burn thru some trash pile crown.
I have used it for goofy cuts on custom cab installs ... cuts where I'd love to use the jig ... but can't fit the stock base plate .... has made me happy a coupla times.
JeffBuck Construction Pittsburgh,PA
Artistry in Carpentry
if u show me yours , i'll show u mine..
mine's still in it's plastic bag too... but one a dese days i'm gonna learn to cope
dat reminds me... do we have anything on tomorrow ?
snort.....
Mike Smith Rhode Island : Design / Build / Repair / Restore
Edited 1/31/2004 5:05:18 PM ET by Mike Smith
in the imortal words of Johnny .....
"What ya got?"
problem is ... we're on the same side.
JeffBuck Construction Pittsburgh,PA
Artistry in Carpentry
BTW ... it's a deal them ...
Mongo will give a demo ...
maybe he'll bring the angle finder too!
JeffBuck Construction Pittsburgh,PA
Artistry in Carpentry
Mike, this sounds like an opportunity to get a few rooms in your house trimmed out right fancy-like. You supply the trim, Jeff will bring the jigsaw and collins foot, and I'll bring the case of caulk! Plus the case of beer. Gotta have breakfast before we work on your house.<g>
Jeff...if we cope we don't need an angle finder for the inside corners. If we caulk we don't need the angle finder for the outside corners. Double bonus!
Mike sure is a lucky man...
I like those nice white "accent lines" ....on highlighting the corners on stain grade oak ....
JeffBuck Construction Pittsburgh,PA
Artistry in Carpentry
You know, this could be a whole new look...too much caulk? Just smear it over the oak. Instant pore filler! A lovely companion to the white-striped miters.
Oh, the possibilities...
We were doing a kitche for the crazy old slum lord guy that my Dad's been friends with since growing up ...
For some reason we had blue painters tape on the cabs ... musta been getting ready for paint ...
So Emil comes in ... says the cab's look nice...
And he especially liked the blue accent trim!
JeffBuck Construction Pittsburgh,PA
Artistry in Carpentry
I've got the coping foot too and really haven't learned how to use it, BUT, I would really like to know if anyone still makes a decent coping saw. The ones I see are kinda flimsy and really don't support the blade all that well.
Highland hardware has a beefy coping saw. Its pretty stout with a thick tensioning arm that lets you tighten it up to a real working tension.
Highlandhardware.com 1.800.241.6748
Just got my new catalog item# 051901 for the saw @ $12.99 and #051902 for 10blades @ 5.99
Thanks- I already have their catalog and will check it out.
i guess bob kovacs & dieselpig are already there.. but we'll be there tomorrow .. hope to see a bunch of you thenMike Smith Rhode Island : Design / Build / Repair / Restore
it hought this was the JLC live thread.. where is that ?Mike Smith Rhode Island : Design / Build / Repair / Restore