From August 2006 Popular Woodworking

Exquisite!

I’ve long been a fan of large shoulder planes and have many miles on my Lie-Nielsen 073, which I bought the first day it was available. So I wasn’t sure I needed the company’s new 3⁄4" shoulder plane when I ordered it. Surprisingly, the medium shoulder plane gets as much use as the bigger tool. The 3⁄4" width gets this tool into the bottoms of dados to clean out the unevenness or junk left by coarser tools. At 2.3 pounds, it weighs almost two pounds less than its bigger brother, which makes it a bit easier to wield when working narrow stock and small rabbets.


And, of course, it excels at its primary job – trimming tenon shoulders and cheeks.
Like all Lie-Nielsen tools, the medium shoulder plane is made to high standards. I placed a straightedge on the sole and it revealed that it was perfect. Then I placed a machinist’s square on the sidewalls to check their orientation to the sole. If the sidewalls aren’t perfect to the sole the tool will never work quite right. Both sidewalls were dead-on perfect all along the tool’s body.
The real surprise was the iron. With most tools, I’ve come to expect some serious work to flatten and polish the unbeveled face of the iron. Lately, I’ve found Lie-Nielsen (and its competitor, Veritas) to have irons that require almost no work. This one took a scant five minutes to sharpen and go. That’s worth something in my book.

Which brings me to the price: $175. You might be able to buy a vintage Preston, Record or Stanley shoulder plane for a bit less, but I ask you: How will you true up the sole or sidewalls if they’re not perfect? With the modern tools, you can send back the ones that aren’t perfect. And for those of us who prefer woodworking to metalworking (a show of hands, please) the price is incidental. Especially when you take into account this is the last one you’ll ever have to buy.

— Christopher Schwarz

More information on the Medium Shoulder Plane from Lie-Nielsen

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From August 2006 Popular Woodworking

In a world of mid-sized routers offering both a fixed and plunge base, the Triton MOF001KC is a competitively priced, dedicated plunge with lots of features. It’s a scaled down version of the 31⁄4  hp TRC001 plunge router, and offers all of the same features.

The MOF001KC has three plunge modes: free plunge, handle winder and micro adjust. The free plunge is just as it sounds and is selected by fully depressing the orange “plunge mode” button in the center of the right handle. The lever lock now controls the position of the plunge. To use the router with a more controlled plunge action, release the plunge mode button and pull the winder clutch ring (positioned on the inside of the right handle) toward the handle and then rotate the handle to move the motor up or down. Micro adjust is possible when in the winder mode by turning the micro-winder knob at the top of the router. The plunge options take a little getting used to, but once familiar, I found them handy.

 The MOF001KC is also designed for use in a router table. When in place, the micro adjust is accessed through the back with the included winder handle. When changing bits (in or out of a table) the collet is easily reached by fully extending the collet through the base. When fully extended, a collet lock engages so only a single wrench is required. Another feature for table use is the ability to easily remove the return spring, making in-table height adjustments easier.

The Triton router is outfitted with efficient at-the-base dust collection and a below-the-base dust shroud. The variable-speed motor is equipped with soft start and a power switch door that remains in the open position when the router is on. Both are good safety features. The router also comes with 1⁄4" and 1⁄2" collets, a seven-piece template guide kit, fence and circle cutter.

I found the MOF001KC router a bit loud  (91 decibels), but it performed well. It’s slightly larger than some of the competition, but overall felt good during use. The many features are an advantage, but may seem overwhelming until you become familiar with them.

 — David Thiel

More information on this router from Triton

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From August 2006 Popular Woodworking

Dado Wiz Zeros in on Perfect Fit for Dados or Grooves

Our staff has an ongoing discussion about  the best way to make dados. Whether using a dado stack or router, the trick is getting the dado or groove the proper thickness to match the material. I prefer using a router; that’s why I was pleased to learn about the
The Dado Wiz (the black plate shown at right) locks to most clamps and guides (5⁄8" thickness maximum). Temporary pins are put in place on the Wiz and a sample piece is used to adjust the guide to perfectly fit the shelf or divider material.

The included brass template guide and your 1⁄4", 3⁄8" or 1⁄2" router bit is then used to make two passes (one up, one back) to make a perfectly sized groove or dado with a single setup. The Dado Wiz slides on your guide during the cut, controlling the position of the bit.
The Dado Wiz efficiently answers a need when routing dados. It does come at a price that’s a little steep, but if you prefer routed dados, this jig belongs in your shop.

— David Thiel

More information on the Dado Wiz from Woodline

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