Archives

Tool: R1 Tape Measure [Buy Now]  Manufacturer: M-Power MSRP: $15.90 Have you ever noticed that the numbers on a tape measure read upside down? Think about it. If you’re right-handed, like me, you [...]

Years ago, I made a corner cupboard from black walnut. I thought the wood was magnificent, but a can of rusty cut nails I used in building it proved to be far more important, taking me on an [...]

Tool: ZEROPLAY Miter Bars [Buy Now]  Manufacturer: Microjig MSRP: $35.95 A crosscut sled is one of the handiest jigs you can build for your tablesaw, but making the runners is fussy work. They [...]

Tool: MJ Splitter SteelPRO [Buy Now]  Manufacturer: Microjig MSRP: $39.95 Every tablesaw used to come with a splitter—a tall, thin piece of steel positioned behind the blade. By holding the kerf [...]

Tool: Universal Handsaw [Buy Now]  Manufacturer: Irwin MSRP: $18.99 You’re at the lumberyard, trying to fit a 10-ft. cherry board into your hatchback. It’s OK to cut it in two, but with what? [...]

Tool: The Dust Deputy – Designed for Festool [Buy Now]  & Festool 574930 CT [Buy Now] MSRP: $299.95 (Dust Deputy) $740 (Festool CT 26) Pair an Oneida mini-cyclone with a Festool vac and [...]

Anyone who has tried the Japanese-made WoodOwl Tri-Cut drill bits knows how great they are. These bits (read Chris Schwarz endorsement here) cut fast and clean, clear the chips efficiently, and [...]

Tool: Miter-Tight Picture Fram Clamp [Buy Now]  Manufacturer: Rockler MSRP: $99.99 If you’d like to make picture frames—particularly with pre-made moldings—be warned: Aligning those miters can [...]

Tool: 5″ Random Orbit Sander BO5041k [Buy Now]  Manufacturer: Makita MSRP: $89.00 Ever wish you had an extra handle on your sander? Not for extra pressure—that would create unwanted swirl [...]

Tool: 3pc Handyman Tool Belt Set [Buy Now]  and Padded Suspenders [Buy Now] Manufacturer: ToughBuilt MSRP: $39.99 (belt) 14.99 (suspenders) The first thing I noticed when taking the ToughBuilt [...]

Tool: Bench Paws Manufacturer: Platte River MSRP: $26.49 We’ve all heard of bench dogs—the devices that clamp the ends of a board to keep it from slipping—but have you heard of Bench Paws? [...]

Tool: EZ Change Bits Manufacturer: Amana MSRP: $25+ Plastic laminate and other composite materials dull even the most expensive router bits in a hurry. A busy shop that kicks out a lot of [...]