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FESTOOL
OF2200 Plunge Router
Lots of people want to sell you plans for the “ultimate” router table. But wouldn’t you rather own the ultimate router?
Now you can.
Festool’s engineers pulled out all the stops when they designed the 15-amp OF2200 router. Let’s begin at the collet, which is where you spend most of your time and frustration with a router. Festool has a ratcheting collet. Press a button to lock the collet, then use a single wrench to tighten or loosen the bit using the efficient ratcheting mechanism.
Don’t you hate changing the baseplates on your routers? We do. Festool fixes this frustration with bases that clip on and off the tool in a second. No more odd screwdrivers or fasteners to lose.
Having different bases for big and little bits allows you to actually collect dust with the router, thanks also to the tool’s spring-loaded retractable shroud.
Adjusting your plunge depth is fast, intuitive and precise. And the plunge lock is right where you want it (on the left handle).
Festool just forced the plunge router to evolve again. Now watch everyone else try to keep up.
Festool USA • 888-337-8600 • festoolusa.com
MAKITA
10.8v Lithium-ion Compact Drill-Driver
For years we’ve been railing against high-voltage cordless drills (36 volts? Give us a break! Actually, give us a broken wrist!). So we used to tell woodworkers to buy 9.6-volt drills, instead.
Now – thank goodness – the world is changing. Manufacturers are using new battery technology to make smaller and more powerful tools instead of making bigger tools that mimic corded tools.
Our favorite of the new crop is the Makita 10.8-volt Lithium-ion compact driver, the DF030D. It has the right set of features for woodworking. It’s small (of course), about 7″ high and 6″ long. And it delivers a powerful punch – 195 in./lbs. of torque.
But what we really like is the tool’s two-speed gearbox (0-350 and 0-1,300 rpm) and its 18-position clutch. These are the two features you need to drive screws and drill bits effectively.
The drill features a 1/4″ hex-head chuck. Some woodworkers prefer a standard chuck, but I’ve become fond of this sort of tooling because you can switch quickly from drilling to driving.
Makita also makes a pint-size impact driver in this format that you might be interested in. Though we prefer the standard drill/drivers in our shop, many woodworkers like the extra driving power provided by an impact driver. If this describes you, then check out Makita’s TD090D. It’s also a high-quality, compact tool.
Makita • 800-462-5482 • makita.com
JET
Resaw Band Saw
Many woodworkers who buy a 14″ cast-frame band saw modify the machine by adding an accessory riser-block kit. This about doubles the maximum height of the material the saw can accommodate. But the cost of this modification is that the saw’s frame loses some of its rigidity – a critical feature for a precision setup.
Jet Tools solved this problem by creating an entirely new 14″ cast iron frame for its JWB-14 ProDX saw (710116K) that gives you 12″ of resaw capacity right out of the box – without losing rigidity. This new frame casting is significantly beefier than on standard band saws and helps ensure a smooth cut in very thick materials. Jet officials demonstrated the saw for us this summer, and we were very impressed with the whole package.
At $899 the saw is a good deal with a quick blade-release mechanism, high-tension spring, 1 1/4-hp motor and a rack-and-pinion blade-guide post.
If you want a 14″ cast iron saw to use for resawing, we think this machine should be your top choice.
Jet Tools • 800-274-6848 • woodworking.jettools.com
BOSCH
Xtra-clean Jigsaw Blades for Wood
Most woodworkers separate jigsaw blades into two categories: sharp and charred. Now there’s a third kind of jigsaw blade: the Xtra-clean blade from Bosch.
When we first started using these blades, we were skeptical. Now my fellow editors are hoarding them in their toolboxes. Thanks to some very clever tooth geometry, these blades cut cleaner than any jigsaw blade we have ever used – hands down. Senior Editor Robert W. Lang used them to cut lap dovetails when building his workbench and the joints went together right from the saw. Throw your old blades out and get some Xtra-clean ones. Enough said.
Bosch • 877-267-2499 • boschtools.com
JET
OSC Drum Sander
Drum sanders are great for leveling glued-up panels and surfacing figured woods, but they have their downsides. A little dried glue on your panel can gum up and ruin your sandpaper (an expensive problem). Also, changing grits a lot to get to your final finish can be time-consuming.
Jet Tools has introduced a new 22″ open-end drum sander (the 22-44 OSC) that remedies both of these problems. Unlike other drum sanders, the head can be set to oscillate back and forth by 1″ as it spins. This oscillation (a patented design) increases the life of your sanding belt, decreases the chance of it getting gummed up and leaves a superior finish, even at coarse grits.
Jet officials demonstrated the sander for us with #80-grit paper loaded on the machine’s single drum. With the oscillation function turned off, the sanding scratches were clearly visible. With the oscillation turned on, the scratches were dramatically reduced. You could get away with a lot fewer grits with this machine.
Priced right above $2,000, this is a serious machine with lots of impressive features (it automatically adjusts your feed rate). If you would like to sand less and you work a lot with panels, the Jet is an ideal machine.
Jet Tools • 800-274-6848 • woodworking.jettools.com
GRAMERCY
Crosscut Carcase Saw
The carcase saw is one of the three essential backsaws when cutting joints by hand (you’ll also want a dovetail and tenon saw). The carcase saw is useful for all manner of precision crosscuts, from simply getting a board to the exact length to cutting high-tolerance tenon shoulders. You need a good one.
The new Gramercy Tools carcase saw stands up against the other premium brands and has some extra features that we like. The saw is exceptionally smooth-cutting, thanks to its hand-filed and hand-set teeth. Plus the saw has a bit more fleam than others, which also contributes to its smoothness. (“Fleam” is the bevel on the front of each saw tooth.)
The saw’s blade is a little longer than most at 12″, and it has a blade that tapers in width from heel to toe, like old saws. And it’s quite lightweight (12.6 ounces), which makes it easy to wield. I was impressed by the prototype, which I used during the summer; the first production models are even nicer. I particularly like the tool’s delicate and traditional look (and the crisp etch on its blade).
The market for premium backsaws has been getting fierce, with several new boutique makers entering the fray this year (and more to come). The Gramercy is definitely not an also-ran. Its distinct set of features have launched it into the very top tier of makers and it deserves your careful consideration.
Tools for Working Wood • 800-426-4613 • toolsforworkingwood.com
VERITAS
Skew Rabbet Planes
Veritas continues to fill out the line of essential planes that woodworkers need to do joinery by hand. Last year, Veritas released its excellent plow plane. This year, the company hit a home run with its skew rabbet planes.
These planes come in right- and left-hand versions (having both allows you to work with varying grain directions). And the tools have every detail and adjustment you need to make clean rabbets both with and across the grain.
The tool’s iron is skewed, which pulls the tool into the cut and results in cleaner cuts overall. The fence uses router-collet technology to ensure the fence locks square. And the cross-grain nicker is fully adjustable and easy to sharpen.
In use, the plane is comfortable to hold and easy to wield. I had the tool making crisp rabbets in less than 25 minutes out of the box (and that included sharpening). That’s saying something for rabbet planes, which are complex tools.
If you like cutting joints by hand (or you perhaps want to learn), a rabbeting plane is essential. And you can’t do better than the Veritas.
Need more proof? Then check out our full review of this tool in the Tool Test column of this issue on page 36.
Lee Valley Tools • 800-267-8735 • leevalley.com
BYRD TOOL
Shelix Cutterheads for Portable Planers
Byrd Tool makes amazing spiral cutterheads for machinery that are quiet, clear the chips efficiently and leave a fantastic surface, even in difficult woods. The cutterhead technology – called Shelix – also allows you to use small carbide inserts that you can easily replace if you hit a nail. Plus, the carbide lasts a long time.
Until now, these cutterheads were available only for bigger machines. Now Byrd Tool has begun making aftermarket Shelix heads for some portable planers, including the DeWalt 13″ DW735. And others are in the works, including Ridgid and Delta planers. At about $410 for a Shelix replacement head, it might be better to update your existing planer than replace it.
Byrd Tool • 800-441-2973 • byrdtool.com
PW
Here are some supplies and tools we find essential in our everyday work around the shop. We may receive a commission from sales referred by our links; however, we have carefully selected these products for their usefulness and quality.
