This is how comments sections are supposed to be.

So if you're not stupid it works.

My two cents worth on track saws, try and stay with your existing tool platform, if you have makita stuff then check out the makite track saw, same for aeg, Milwaukee, dewalt etc. One question, in this video I saw you sanding with what looked like a towel rolled up, am I right? Where’d you grab that trick from and why’d ya do it? Cheers, Dave.

Get a makita track saw and biscuit joiner

Presoak with some downy fabric softener added to the water, this helps a lot especially with kiln dried wood

Thanks for all the good information. When I steam the wood I put a lot of moisture into the wood. How long should I let it dry before gluing?

One tool at a time. A track saw is the right next tool for you I think Robin. (Until Bryan and Joey finally break and just buy you a damn tablesaw cause they are sick of watching you not have a tablesaw... good strategy! 🤣🤣) Bunnings touches everything I make, though slowly I am phasing them out of my woodwork. Sandpaper, glue, fasteners, etc I try to source from specialty local suppliers. But they are a necessary evil for the average home owner and business.

These videos are so good, thanks for sharing! I'm a hobby woodworker, and have also ventured into sole tradership in the past (in Web development though) so this all hits a lot of buttons for me. On the note of estimated vs actual time, it can still be a useful measure - obviously you're using it for learning and getting better at your craft and efficiency so in itself that's great. But it can also be useful to see how close you are to achieving your desired day/hour rate. Keep up the awesome work Robin!

Any experience bending slabs or kiln dried lumber?

Sydney tools stock a rebranded version of the WEN track saw from what I am aware of as well

I love the way you are using clamps and extra timber to hold the legs up and brace in place, etc

I think it is more of a problem with planer 300mm or wider knives

Thankyou

Great

All you need to know is that you should use a metal strap to take the tension from the wood.

How much thickness of wood can work?

hard wood like that needs to soak a lot longer, probably at least a week, the same goers for after steaming, if you aren't using an oven then it needs to sit clamped for a week also and with a long steam box like that you need way more steam then just one steam cleaner can put out, especially with a wood steam box, at least a steamer at each end, you can't go by heat as a metric, the ambient air inside the box will heat up just from being closed with some steam entering.......

I'd recommended Festool. Yes expensive some say overpriced but and this is a big BUT they are quality products. I dont have their tracksaw I'm still using my old but good makita but i have two other Festool products. The other big thing is they are still a family owned and run business, not Australian but still better than some multinational conglomerate. I've never had a tool break or die on me and the precision has not deteriorated with use. There is sometimes some nuance to the features on the tools I've got that made them better once this was explained. Take its cost and divide it by how much you use it or how much time it saves in its lifetime or annually is how I see it.

Bunnings give people what they want. Low prices! Agree that’s not for everyone and some consumers prefer bespoke quality and are willing to pay for it. It’s not Bunnings fault that most of the Australian market chooses price.

I haven't lost respect because you shop at Bunnings, but I've lost a bit of respect for being sucked in by that clickbaity title.

Doubling your hrs halved your hourly income, 50 vs 25.

I can definitely tell you which tracksaw not to get - the Hare & Forbes Scheppach. While definitely not a bad saw by any means (and a great price), the tracks are non-standard, the dust collection is pretty bad and the cut quality leaves a lot to be desired. It will do straight cuts, but that's about it. Definitely go for one of the name brand saws if you're doing it for a business, the scheppach is definitely only a home jobby. Nice work on the table!

Awesome work

Hey Robin, think you are a bit shy on your costs. Electricity bills, workshop, wear and tear on your tools and taxes on the profit. I feel for you……

Dust collection please 🥺

Hay boet, you did good , table looks great for what the client wanted , that simple, we do what the client wants and that's all that matters creativity can come when the business is bigger, remember to have fun

$684.00 profit isnt profit, you havent calculated a whole bunch of things. insurances superannuation consumables travel looks to me like this is a loss. 26 hours of work for $684.00 is $26 bucks an hour... bunnings junior employees earn more..

Hardware & General is the superior hardware store.

Definitely Festool track saws are worth their weight in gold. I was skeptical at first and avoided buying for awhile but I haven't looked back! Love the video too - great editing and good info.

The problem is that us, as the clients cant afford amazing bespoke aged wood....I would love a raw edge oak table with all the trimmings but in this climate with almost zero spare money out of my wage - I cant afford that. Dont alienate some clients based on their maximum budget.

I bet hes doesn't think of the jobs for local people and the money the sausage sizzle makes for local service and sports clubs 🤔

Great, honest post.

Good job, yes, we can’t avoid Bunnings in Australia it’s too irresistible… I wouldn’t worry about using Bunnings. As a noob I’d expect you to only get that stuff from Bunnings…

Wow I have just found your channel. As someone who has taken on the renovations in my own home, learning and doing things for the first time (deck building, casement window restorations, landscaping, pergola building etc).seeing what you with a more limited tools as you work to expanding your set has been excellent and figuring out how to do it alone is so valuable to me! Great stuff mate. You have a new fan.

Hey mate, love your content-instantly subscribed! Just a suggestion: it would be really helpful if you could include links to the products you use. It makes it easier for beginners like me to know exactly which router, screws, or washers you used for your builds. Thanks!

Great content Rob 🦇🐈‍⬛

Good job with the materials issue time assessment is relative to experience try to get an after shot from the client.

Good video. I do like watching you work 👍🏻

The video was not boring, I use a lot of salvage logs and salvage timber, so you have given me a way to use more of the material I have at hand. You need to get better at estimating time, so keeping accurate records is important. When you get busy you will have a couple of jobs running in parallel, so scheduling become critical. If one job goes over, then other jobs may suffer, and you may have two upset customers.

wow, 26 hours is a woeful rate..... even 10 hours at 700 prof is dreadful... you're worth more than that pittance... 70 is employee money... you can't run a business under 100 hr and that's with no overheads and no tax.... 150 if you have to rent premises at all, or have to pay tax.. Handyman, i charge 130 an hour perth... employees in offices are on 50 to 90 an hour now and they get all the fruit of leave, pensions etc. The rule is... don't take cheap work... all that happens is you get more of it !!.... Quote high, then the ones you do get are low hours/top dollars. Example Fencing/painting. We quote 130/150 an hour... we lose 70% to the low-quote painters and fencers, but who cares, the jobs we do get are great... low hours, high rate. Do a top job, show top interest/initiative in those jobs, and all the high paying customers will find you... they're the ones you want....

Dude this is great! Subscribed! To be frank, though, you didn't really make any profit in the business. That $684.70 is your hourly wage at about $25/hr. Nothing left to re-invest. Hopefully that comes across correctly - just some constructive criticism! (We do about $25k/mo in wood products)

Track saw = Festool