Bigger doesn’t always mean better. By Robert W. Lang Page 16 Small routers are easy to handle, and the addition of multiple bases makes them good all-purpose tools. The basic 1⁄4″-collet router that comes in the new Makita compact kit (RT0700CX3) has good power and variable speed. The motor slides in the base and clamps … Read more
by Matthew Teague Page 16 The first time I installed knife hinges I did so with an inexpensive pair, thinking it would be a good way to learn the process without wasting a lot of money on what is a notoriously finicky piece of hardware. Instead, I learned why quality knife hinges are worth every … Read more
This joinery-tweaking plane belongs in every woodworker’s tool kit. by Christopher Schwarz Page 14 Even when I am in full-blown power, power, power mode in the workshop, there are two handplanes I turn to all the time: a block plane and a router plane. Most woodworkers own a block plane, but only a fraction own … Read more
by Steve Shanesy Page 16 When we think table saw blades, our experience limits our thinking to rip, crosscut or combination, and 1⁄8″ kerf or thin kerf. Then there’s the number of teeth and type of grind: flat top, alternate-tooth bevel (ATB) or triple-chip. Each of these has its purpose and, if sharp, performs a … Read more
Convenient workholding is essential for every woodworking project, whether it’s a stout leg vise or a small spring clamp. Sometimes old methods, like using a holdfast are best and other times innovative new clamps come along. I’m thinking of the “K” body clamp Bessey introduced more than a decade ago that was a vast improvement … Read more
First-class shaping tools from France. by Robert W. Lang Page 12 From the April 2012 issue, #196 In 2004, Popular Woodworking introduced hand-cut French rasps to American woodworkers. Those tools from Auriou were definitely a cut above what was previously available, and we happily added them to our tool kits. A few months ago, we … Read more
by Steve Shanesy Page 12 From the April 2012 issue, #196 Toggle clamps are an indispensable workholding device for jigs, but they are a bit fussy to adjust to the desired height and clamp pressure. Leave it to Bessey to come up with clever innovations that give the traditional toggle clamp a big leap forward. … Read more
