Popular Woodworking Magazine » Tool Reviews

Playing with the Jet 719200 Wood Lathe

Chuck Bender — Thu, 06 Jun 2013 14:20:54 +0000

My first week on the job and I get to have some fun playing with the new Jet 719200 JWL-1221 Wood Lathe. Actually, I’m reviewing the lathe for the October issue of the magazine but it sure seems like playtime. I’m not much on mini/midi lathes but this thing is pretty well built. Coming in … Read more »

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‘Bench Duck’ – New Workholding from Veritas

Megan Fitzpatrick — Sun, 02 Jun 2013 18:18:37 +0000

At the HandWorks show in Amana, Iowa, last month, Veritas introduced publicly its newest innovation in workholding – a cam-lever hold-down that to me, looks like a duck. So until I’m told the official name of the tool, I’m calling it a Bench Duck. (I’ll likely call it that even after I know the official … Read more »

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Tool Test: Infinity Shrinks the Dado Stack

Article Index — Sat, 01 Jun 2013 19:35:50 +0000

'Dadonator Jr.' is small in size but big on performance.By Steve Shanesy Page 14Regardless of what you may think, size doesn’t matter – at least not when you’re talking dado stacks. Infinity Cutting Tools’ 8" “Dadonator” was highly touted when it was released in 2008. Today, Infinity offers the “Dadonator Jr.” It’s the same tool only smaller in diameter (6") and price.Article: Read the full review of the 8" Dadonator from our October 2004 issue – Coming Soon. Read more »

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Tool Test: Amana Countersinks Conquer Burning & Marring

Article Index — Sat, 01 Jun 2013 19:28:06 +0000

By Steve Shanesy Page 14Amana Tool has four new countersinks with various-sized drill bits and non-marring depth stops.Each countersink has twin carbide-tipped flutes, and these are the only countersinks in the industry with this feature. Carbide-tipped flutes allow the bit to cut cleanly and last longer when working with hardwoods, plywoods and other engineered wood products.Article: Learn more about countersinks and countersink bit designs – Coming Soon. Read more »

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Tool Test: Clever Spyder Jigsaw Blades Make Super-tight Turns

Article Index — Sat, 01 Jun 2013 19:18:48 +0000

By Steve Shanesy Page 16Spyder, a Kansas City, Mo.-based company, has introduced a jigsaw blade with teeth on the front and back edges. At first glance, these blades look odd at best and gimmicky at worst. But after taking these blades for a test-drive, I began to understand the versatility offered by this innovation. Of course it’s possible to cut moving backward, but the bigger surprise is how tight of a radius cut you can make – less than 3⁄4" in diameter.Video: See the Spyder double-sided jigsaw blade in action – Coming Soon. Read more »

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Tool Test: Vesper Tools Try Square: Perfect & Functional

Article Index — Thu, 30 May 2013 22:47:25 +0000

By Christopher Schwarz Page 16 Every shop needs a square that is the ultimate arbiter of squareness. It is the tool that determines if your jointer fence is 90° to the table, if the end of a board has been shot square or if a drawer’s joints are correct. While I love my combination square, … Read more »

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Bosch Colt Router Plunge Base Video Tool Test

Robert W. Lang — Mon, 25 Feb 2013 18:56:03 +0000

In the April issue of Popular Woodworking Magazine, we test the plunge base for the Bosch Colt router. In this video, I show some of the features of this long-awaited base, and give some tips for using a router to make mortises. With a good fence on the router and a few clamps, you can … Read more »

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Tool Test: Powermatic PM1500 Band Saw

Article Index — Tue, 05 Feb 2013 20:11:00 +0000

Just about every feature of this 15" band saw is impressive.By Steve Shanesy Page 12Video: Watch a demo of the PM1500. Read more »

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Tool Test: Hock Tools Scratch Stock

Article Index — Tue, 05 Feb 2013 20:04:49 +0000

By Megan Fitzpatrick Page 14A scratch stock is a simple tool – sort of a combination of a scraper and a moulding plane – for scratching in a profile (typically a bead or other simple shape). And while it’s fairly easy to make a scratch stock out of scrap wood and a piece of thin steel (such as an old sawplate), Hock Tools offers a solid and relatively inexpensive alternative made out of tough bamboo plywood, with edges that are eased for comfort.Video: Watch our video on using the Hock scratch stock – Coming soon. Read more »

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Tool Test: Bosch Trim Router Plunge Base

Article Index — Tue, 05 Feb 2013 19:48:28 +0000

By Robert W. Lang Page 14In 2005, Bosch introduced a new laminate trimmer that eventually became know as the Colt. Powerful and user-friendly, it quickly became a favorite in our shop and in shops across the country. At the time, I suggested to Bosch that they needed to make a plunge base for it.Video: Watch our video on using the Bosch plunge base with the Colt router – Coming soon. Read more »

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