Early Biscuit Joiner (picture it)

I have fitted the biscuit joiner to my Mk3 router table (the later one - it doesn't fit the early ones). To do this you just follow the directions that come in the box and it entails drilling a couple of holes. It is not difficult, just use the template and be careful to make sure that they go where they are supposed to.

It works very well and has the big advantage of ensuring that the boards will be properly aligned. However, it is rather limited as to the size of the stock and where you can put the biscuits on a long piece. Note: I have been told by others in the club that this statement needs correction. If you remove the guide, you can put the biscuits anywhere. I still don't think it's as convenient as a separate power tool though.

I have always had great success with dowels, using a little dowelling jig I have had for nearly thirty years. For me, I don't think the biscuits are going to take over from them.

The verdict: If you like biscuits and you normally work with short stock, you'll probably like the Triton biscuit joiner. It works very easily and it is almost impossible not to get good alignment. Be prepared , however, for the fact that it is not as versatile as a separate power tool and you may find yourself preferring to use other methods (like dowels) on long boards.

Update: There is now an updated version of the biscuit cutter. In operation, it moves from side-to-side (unlike the one described above which pivoted on one end). I haven't used it so I can't comment but some people say it's not as easy to use as the earlier one, however it is more versatile as you can put the biscuit anywhere along the length of the board.

Bruce Marshall

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The 2000 Series Biscuit jointer (picture it)

The new biscuit jointer system is easy to assemble and fit, and use once you are comfortable with your router table. It provides a very easy way of aligning the slots with the help of the guide, though the guide does limit the length of the pieces to be joined. With the use of a jig that I have developed and an outfeed table, I managed to over come this, to fairly satisfactory results.

The main failure in this system is the inability to insert a biscuit more than 25mm from an edge. If for instance, you wish to insert a biscuit across the centre of a board, say to fix a shelf or partition, then you cannot.

The Triton system also uses a unique biscuit size, meaning that you are limited to a single biscuit size and must buy the brand name consumable, which is more expensive.

The verdict: An adequate system though for versatility I would suggest getting a designated hand held biscuit jointer or for economy, one of the adaptor kits made to suit a 100mm angle grinder.

Rob Brumby

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Dust Collection System (picture it)

For those who may be contemplating the purchase of the new Triton dust collection system, let me give you my impressions.

I have had the old dust collection system fitted to both my Mk3 workcentre and my router table for some time. The router one was basically just the top pick up straight into the vacuum cleaner and works quite well. The workcentre, however, had the bag arrangement which fed through a narrow funnel to the special plastic bucket to which the vacuum cleaner was attached. This meant that both the top pick up and the dust from the bag went into the bucket via the suction from the vacuum cleaner.

In theory, the system should have worked well and in practice it did work quite well EXCEPT for the fact that the narrow funnel at the bottom of the bag kept getting clogged. This not only had an effect on the efficiency of the unit but it was damned frustrating.

I have recently bought the new dust collector (I bought just the new bag because I could use it with the existing bucket). Unlike the old one, there is no vacuum attachment to the bag, it just collects the dust which falls from the saw under gravity. Also unlike the old one, the dust falls into a large mouthed bag, not through a narrow funnel. This means that the vacuum attachment only goes to the top so there is a much greater suction there than before.

The verdict: It is GREAT!! I just ripped about 20 metres of ash and there was virtually no dust about at all, just a lot in the bag - AND NO CLOGGING!

If you haven't bought it yet, I'd recommend it. It is also more versatile than the old one. You could use the bag alone (but you'd get a lot of dust from the top and the hose for the vacuum cleaner comes with it anyway). You can also connect the hose directly to your vacuum cleaner if you wish but it is more efficient if you get the bucket as this means it doesn't fill up as quickly and you won't run the risk of damaging the vacuum cleaner. If you have a Mk3, you'll also have to buy the new, clear, saw guard as this has the pick up for the hose built into it. It is available separately and is a much better guard anyway (you can see through it and it has fingers for holding the timber).

Bruce Marshall

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Finger Jointer System (picture it)

This accessory, as with most of the others, is easy to assemble and fit but again, attention to detail is critical for a good joint. It graduated to make both 1/2" and 1/4" joints and the changeover is relatively easy. As you would expect, use of a sharp router bit is vital, also the better your router, the better the job that is possible.

I strongly recommend making a few practice joints, both in hard and soft woods before leaping into a job, but once conversant with the system, this is a lovely tool to use. The addition of a couple of clamps, to hold pieces in relation to each other is a must, though this is the case for all finger jointing jigs I have seen.

The verdict: A worthwhile addition if you are going to do jobs where this type of joint is appropriate. With a little imagination some really attractive and novel projects can be turned out.

Rob Brumby

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Hand Held Counter Sink

This is an extremely useful product and is of very high quality.It quickly drills countersunk holes of any depth in all types of wood. A must for toolboxes for anybody doing any furniture construction. I use mine constantly and it has been performing well for 6 or so years.

The verdict: A great tool!

Chris Sheehan

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Multi-Stand (picture it)

Would you believe that I won this in one of the Club's raffles. Talk about a useful prize! This stand is designed to support a long piece of timber as you feed it through the saw. Various support stands are available on the market and usually use a roller in the belief that this makes it easier to move the timber. The problem is that if the stand is not perfectly aligned, the roller 'steers' the timber. Another common method is to use ball bearings to solve the alignment problem but these can easily clog with sawdust.

Triton's approach is to use a slippery plastic top - the timber slides easily and there is nothing to clog. In fact they've used a channel with plastic on each side. This means that you can actually use the channel like a light vice (it has a small clamp built in). The top also pivots and has a protractor scale so that it can be set at any angle from the horizontal to the vertical.

The verdict: It's a great piece of kit. I would happily have parted good money for it if I hadn't been the lucky winner.

Bruce Marshall

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Premium Woodworking Adhesive (picture it)

This is Triton's version of PVA but much, much better. I don't know what they put in it, but in my experience it lives up to the claims they make. It is very strong, works easily and doesn't spoil finishes as much as some others.

The verdict: Really good glue.

Bruce Marshal

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Random Orbital Sander (picture it)

I am disappointed with this product. It is really only useful for sanding boards or table tops. It cannot cope with any change in surface or angles. It is limited by the fact that it is an attachment to an angle grinder and is nowhere near as versatile as a purpose built tool. I found that it can only be used for short periods (10mins max)and then left to cool down for a long period making sanding jobs rather long. It does a fantastic job for its limited capabilities if you don't mind numb arms from the vibrations and a long wait to finish. I went through the velcro attachment plate very quickly but got another under warranty; then the whole mechanism snapped. I returned it to Triton (with a suitably worded complaint). I bought a Bosch and am extremely happy with it.

The verdict: In my experience, not the best thing from Triton

Chris Sheehan

And a second opinion...

I am very happy with this product. I went out and bought one after I saw it demonstrated at the club last year and was not disappointed. The sander came with clear fitting instructions and it mated well with my cheapo chinese angle grinder. I have never before been able to get such a fine finish. The high speed of rotation means no more dancing spirals in the wood, and by using 600 and 1200 grit wet-and-dry disks with organoil I achieved a lovely finish in no time. I found it didn't get very hot - I just let the weight of the grinder supply the downward thrust, leaving me free to guide the surprisingly well balanced sander along the wood. Yes, after some time the vibration left my hands tingling, but I would expect that with any high speed tool, such as a router. As for awkward surfaces - I even managed to smooth out some scratches on the aluminium engine casing of my motorcycle from where a previous owner had 'parked' it less than gracefully. The trick is not to use the sander against sharp corners that can cut into the sanding disk. I'm still on the original velcro and the mechanism seems very solid. Well done Triton!

The verdict: Great value, makes sanding so much easier - a great accessory.

Jerry Everard

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Router (picture it)

We had the new Triton router demonstrated at our last club meeting. It is amazing and everyone wanted to get one there and then. To start with it is designed to be mounted in the router table (it can still be used hand-held but has specific features for table use). Features such as being able to raise the collar so far that you can change the bit above the table. As you do this it automatically locks the spindle so you only use a single spanner and it simultaneously locks the power switch off so that it can't run while you're changing a bit. Other features like the full dust cover with dust extraction port; the fact that you can remove the spring if you wish so that you are not pressing against it when you adjust the height; the simple height adjustment and the full travel micro adjustment. And that's only a part of it, the router also features a 2400 Watt motor, electronic variable speed and a soft start. See the full article in the Triton Times Vol 7 (Available from Triton Mfg).

The verdict: This is one VERY impressive router. If you haven't got a router yet, this is the one to buy!

Bruce Marshall

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Router Table (picture it)

Well, I hope you enjoyed playing with Meccano when you were a kid because you just about need the experience to set up the new router table (I had a great time). In all fairness to Triton, they have done a fantastic job with the instructions but I've never seen anything come out of the box in so many pieces!

It's really quite straightforward but some people may find it daunting. Don't be put off though, the instructions are really clear, just be careful and methodical. The only difficulty I had was when assembling the sliding table insert, I didn't like the fact that the 20mm M6 screws only just mated with the nuts on a couple of threads. I increased the depth of the countersunk holes in the MDF so that they fitted more securely. Allow yourself at least a couple of hours to put it together.

The reason I bought it was because I've recently bought a couple of the large Jesada shaping bits (the table edge bit and the raised panel door bit). Both of these must be used in a router table but both were far too large for the hole in the old Triton router table. The new table has a much better hole and I gained all the advantages of the new fence, pressure fingers and sliding table insert. Be warned though that the raised panel door bit (Jessada 690-501) is still too large to fit through the hole. In fact it's a pretty specialised bit so, if you're thinking of doing raised panel doors, do your homework before getting one of those (e.g. you MUST have a variable speed router and be very safety conscious). You're probably better off using the 690-601 vertical raised panel bit instead.

OK, I used the table today to make two raised panel doors. That is a very useful router table. A great deal of thought has gone into all the features and they work very well. The fence is very easy to adjust and has micro adjusters to make it even easier to be precise. The sliding table insert makes it really easy to route the end grain of a piece of timber while keeping everything square and the flexible fingers help keep the work held down against the bit.

The verdict: This table is great. A big improvement over the old one. People who make dovetails will be happy too because the top is very much thinner than the old table and slide so you won't need extra length dovetail bits.

Bruce Marshall

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Saw (picture it)

I can't give you a good review of the Triton Saw because I don't own one but I've only heard good reports from members at our meetings. OK members, if you own the saw, send me an email with a paragraph or two on how you like it (or don't, as the case may be). In the meantime, here's the full article in the Triton Times Vol 5 (Available from Triton Mfg.).

The verdict: All reports are that this is a great saw, especially designed for the Triton workcentre.

Bruce Marshall

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The Triton Saw (picture it)

I chose this saw as a replacement for another brand (one of the saws that Triton themselves suggested!), purely to fit it to the 2000 workcentre. The difference is incredible. The saw is quite powerful and surprisingly quiet in cross-cut mode. I chose to fit a 60 tooth blade and with care this gives a finished cut that is very clean and needs very little attention to surface finish so as to give a neat joint or external face, even compared to the most careful cut made with a 40 tooth blade. Thankyou to the rep at  Mitre 10 for that advice!

It has an excellent range of adjustment, so that 'trueing' the blade after fitting the saw is comparatively easy. When combined with the height adjustment kit, setting depth of cut becomes almost ridiculously easy and, thanks to a very positive but easy to operate height adjustment built into the saw, lifting the blade for coarse adjustment is no harder.

Another benefit of the triton saw is that, obviously, Triton have made it easier to fit to the saw carriage and to true it once there by virtue of a pair of cams. Unfortunately, I was unable to true mine this way as the range of movement was inadequate. I actually went as far as to take a tape measure and a square and check that the table and the slide where correctly assembled in an attempt to correct this. As such I had to mount the saw as you would any other saw.

The only criticisms that I have are that the saw is quite heavy for free hand use and, as I said, the cam adjustments wouldn't work.

Rob Brumby

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Saw Slide Chassis Upgrade Kit & Height Winder Kit (picture it)

I have just fitted the new saw slide chassis upgrade and height winder kits to my Mk 3 because I thought how luxurious it must be not to have to reach inside the dust bag to adjust the depth of the saw cut. It sure is! The kits are very nicely engineered and manufactured, as we've come to expect from Triton. They go together easily and the height winder works like a treat. There is no major advantage to the slide chassis upgrade unless you want the winder. The saw is slightly more easily removed for hand-held use than it was in the old chassis but not enough to warrant the cost or the trouble. The real advantage comes from fitting the winder as well.

Of course, it had the added benefit of forcing me to spend the time resetting the saw. It was always half a millimetre out and I could never be bothered fixing it but now it's spot on!

The verdict: The height winder is well worth it for the ability to easily and accurately adjust the depth of your cut. Much quicker and cleaner than having to reach inside the dust bag.

Bruce Marshall

I endorse Bruce's comments whole heartedly. The winder is best in table mode however. The thumb winder in cross cut mode takes a little longer to wind so I set the saw to full cut depth before changing over. I have a Mk 3 so tend to change mode quite often. However, in table mode it provides quick and accurate height adjustment. I say it's well worth the money and if you have a 2000 series with sliding table attachment it's a must!

Chris Sheehan

Jim Chapman uses the Hitachi 9C saw and reports that it fits his 2000 without a problem. However when he tried fitting it to his son-in-law's MK3 using the new chassis and the height winder kit, one of the adjustment knobs fouled the chassis edge. The solution? Pack the end to clear the knob or file a notch in the chassis. Packing the end seems the easiest but then the chassis is too long to fit between the rails on the MK3 top so it means filing a notch. Thanks for that tip Jim.

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Saw Stabiliser (picture it)

I have used the saw stabiliser ever since I bought my Mk3 workcentre about twelve years ago. I have the 235mm Makita saw and I found that it did have a little saw slump when hanging in the chassis. The stabiliser really secured the saw and I have had it in place ever since. It does not interfere with the dust collector bag. When I changed to the new chassis though, I had to modify the stabiliser slightly to make it fit (I had to grind some off the edge so that the bolt holes would line up). I never convert the workcentre to cross-cut mode (I just leave it set up as a table saw) so I can't comment on whether the stabiliser is a problem when converting (I can't imagine why it would be a problem though).

The verdict: I think it is worth it, especially if you have a big saw. It just makes the set up that much more accurate and easier to keep adjusted.

Mind you, the best solution is probably to use the new Triton saw, it doesn't need the stabiliser.

Bruce Marshall

Sliding Extension Table (picture it)

I now have the sliding extension table attached to my Mk 3 and I can honestly say that Triton have done it again. This works very well and allows you to "walk" the timber past the saw. It is particularly useful when cutting sheet material and allows you to handle a full 2400x1200 (8'x4') sheet on your own. The fence is adjustable every which way so you can cut at any angle you choose. The table dismantles for easy storage when not in use. It fits either the MK3 or the 2000 and a smaller one is available to fit either the compact saw table or the router table.

The verdict: I think it is well worth the purchase price, especially if you use sheet material. Once you have used it you'll wonder how you ever did without it.

Bruce Marshall

From Robert Morrison...

Father Christmas must have heard my comments when I was cutting big bits of wood (and had to get my wife to hold an end so the off cut would not fall on the ground) about how good it would be to have the sliding extension table.

Lo and behold come Christmas morning there it was under the tree in a big long box.

They must use Triton glue to stick the cardboard together because getting the packaging box opened was the hardest part of the assembly process.

I found the instructions very easy to follow, but that is probably because I had previous Triton experience when I assembled the work centre 2000 about six months ago, and also knew what it was supposed to look like when assembled thanks to Peter's course at CIT.

About 2 1/2 hours on Boxing Day (I wanted to put it together as soon as I saw it under the tree, but had to go through all the Christmas Day stuff like going to Church and eating a big lunch and toasting absent friends etc.,) was all it took to have it assembled and tested.

What wasn't under the tree was a stack of shelving material which appeared out of no where once it was set up and the request to cut this to various sizes size to fit the linnen cupboard, and a couple of kitchen cupboards.

Not once during this arduous forced labour did I have to ask my wife to hold the off cut end.

Which got me to thinking just who was this gift from Father Christmas really for her or me.

The verdict: A great bit of kit but I need another Christmas soon so I can get the router table and router.

Robert Morrison

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Super Jaws (picture it)

These are the greatest thing Triton Manufacturing has ever made! They are strong, versatile and very, very useful. It gives you a vice wherever you need it. Not only is it a vice but it is also a press and an anvil. Want to hold a door while you shave some off the bottom? The super jaws will do it. Need to press a bearing into place? The super jaws will probably do that too.

The other day I was putting up some trim in a room I was renovating and I was some way from the workshop. I mounted my mitre box in the super jaws (the job wasn't big enough to warrant getting out the workcentre), and cut all the trim very easily.

The verdict: If you haven't got one yet, don't walk - run to your stockist. Super Jaws is terrific!

Bruce Marshall

Plunge Drill (picture it)

What a workhorse! This is the most capable cordless drill on the market. I used mine to build a pair of garages for a nephew and it quite happily set 100mm 10G screws all day as well as hammering an 8mm masonry bit into really solid concrete a score of times.  A workhorse indeed but this stallion comes at a price and the price is weight.  At 3Kg it is not the lightest cordless drill on the market but the weight is offset by the capability.  It has one of the largest chucks of any cordless on the market at 13mm, and unlike my other cordless drill the chuck does not need the grip of a Tarzan to do it up. It has 22 different clutch settings for screw driving and on the highest settings it certainly sets them solidly.
Many of the additional features, that I thought I would never use, turned out to be quite useful as well.  The white LED light, which I thought was a gimmick, became really useful as the daylight faded.  (My only complaint with this is the position of the switch which I kept inadvertently turning on.)  Similarly the gadget to help you drill into pipes, that I thought that I would never use, turned out to be invaluable when I went to fit downpipes - yes it really works and I didn't run off the pipe once.
Perhaps the heart of a cordless system is the battery and the 18 Volt Triton Ni Cad went for hours doing exceptionally heavy work. And it recharges very quickly indeed.  I have been in the situation with my previous drill of having both batteries go flat simultaneously and being forced to stop work waiting for the drill to recharge.  No fear of that with this one.  Before the sandwiches were finished the battery was rearing to go, and we had the second battery as a standby as well.

The verdict: It is the greatest most capable drill going - If you have a strong arm! 
                     If not the Triton Drill will save its original cost in gym membership.

Jim Chapman

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