Tools

Woodworking tools are useless until you learn how to use them efficiently. Whether you prefer hand tools or power tools, the editors of Popular Woodworking Magazine have collected the very best information on choosing and using tools of all kinds. Here you’ll learn a range of essential information from how to tune up simple hand tools to safe and smart power tools practices and advanced techniques taught by the trusted experts in the field.

Tool Test: Knew Concepts Titanium Fretsaw

The truss system of the spine looks curious, but it works gangbusters.

By Megan Fitzpatrick
Page 16

The crazy design of this titanium 5″ woodworker’s fretsaw from Knew Concepts is, I think it’s fair to say, the first thing you notice. But use it and you’ll quickly come to appreciate that the structure helps to make it lightweight and rigid, and the clever tensioning mechanism snugs up the blade tight – and keeps it there.

This frame is a redesign of the company’s earlier titanium woodworker’s fretsaw, the frame of which was a continuous piece of 1⁄8″-thick titanium (the same design as the aluminum woodworker’s fretsaw currently available). But in an effort that was initially meant to reduce materials waste and take advantage of more readily available 1⁄16″-thick titanium, designer Lee Marshall came up with a riveted truss system for the saw’s spine that’s even more rigid than the original (he calls it a “birdcage saw,” in honor of the Birdcage Maserati). The spine is riveted to 1⁄8″-thick titanium arms.

Video: See the company’s titanium and aluminum fretsaws in action – coming soon. Read more »

Tool Test: Makita PJ7000 Biscuit Joiner

By Steve Shanesy
Page 18

The biscuit or plate joiner category of the hand-held power tool world has been pretty sleepy over the past few years. But Makita has introduced a new model that, while not revolutionary, adds some nice, user-friendly features.

The PJ7000 packs plenty of power in its 5.6-amp motor, yet the motor has a relatively small circumference making it comfortable to grip, even for smaller hands. The top handle is comfortable as well. Combined, these holding features provide solid control and less user fatigue. And at just 5.5 pounds, it’s relatively lightweight – about 20 percent less than most competitor models.

Article: Read “A New Manual for Biscuit Joiners” on our web site. Read more »

Tool Test: Bosch 23-gauge Pin Nailer

By Robert W. Lang
Page 18

Whenever I use a 23-gauge pneumatic pin nailer, I feel like I’m cheating. It is a fast, easy and reliable way to attach moulding or other parts without much need to disguise the evidence. The slim fasteners leave tiny holes behind that are nearly invisible. This new gun from Bosch has several features in a well-designed tool that make it a great choice at a reasonable price.

Bosch has devoted its efforts recently to tools that are lighter and more powerful than previous versions. The FNS138-23 has 10 percent more power than the previous model, allowing for deeper sinking of fasteners, or operation with lower air pressure.

Articles: Visit our web site to read more tool tests from our editors. Read more »

A Real Contender: The Knew Concepts Coping Saw

I swore on a stack of “Mechanicks Exercises” that I’d stop writing about coping saws. It’s not healthy, and I know that. But at Woodworking in America last weekend in Pasadena, Calif., I ran into Lee Marshall from Knew Concepts. He was holding a big red saw that was too big to be a fretsaw. … Read more »

The WIA Show Begins in a Parking lot in Hawthorne, Calif.

The first stop after leaving the Los Angeles International Airport: the Lowe’s in nearby Hawthorne, Calif. I needed lumber, tools and hardware for my first demonstration at Woodworking in America tomorrow: Build a Sawbench in an Hour. Buying dimensional lumber on the West Coast is always a shock. About a decade ago, I bought some … Read more »

Your Guide to Drill Bits – Free PDF Download

This one-page basic guide will get you up to speed on drill bits and drilling. Includes: Visual guide to basic types of drill bits Eight common drilling problems and solutions Chart of suggested speeds for different bit styles, sizes and types of wood Download the PDF here: Your Guide to Drill Bits – Tom Nunlist … Read more »

Sneak Not: How to Cut Accurate Miters

“(E)xtreme care is always requisite for proper mitring, in order that the beveled ends formed by sawing in the box may fit to form the angle required without planing, which is rarely done neatly enough to make a close joint and causes much waste of time.” — “How to Join Mouldings; or, The Arts Of … Read more »