Popular Woodworking Magazine » Popular Woodworking Tool Tests

LED Perfect for Workbench Light

Robert W. Lang — Tue, 19 Mar 2013 12:46:32 +0000

Our shop has a lot of things in common with our readers’ shops, especially those who work in basements or abandoned coal mines. The overhead lighting leaves a lot to be desired. I’ve recently been working on a project with ridiculously small details and decided I needed a dedicated workbench light. I found a great … 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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Substitute for Steel Wool Substitute

Robert W. Lang — Tue, 05 Feb 2013 16:52:36 +0000

One way to tell that you’re getting old is when technology marches forward, providing a replacement for something you think of as new. Non-woven abrasive pads (Scotch-Brite is one brand name) were a great alternative to steel wool, much like cassettes were way better than 8-track tapes. Steel wool leaves behind little bits of metal. … Read more »

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Gramercy Holdfasts-the Real Story

Robert W. Lang — Fri, 10 Aug 2012 18:15:41 +0000

Way back in 2005, I wrote an article for issue #4 of Woodworking Magazine about holdfasts. At the time, very few woodworkers knew what a holdfast was, and the article reviewed available manufactured holdfasts, as well as a few blacksmith made ones. We recently put the original holdfast article online, and included a link to … Read more »

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Veneer Press by David Coleman

Robert W. Lang — Tue, 03 Jul 2012 14:10:35 +0000

Dave Coleman is one of our readers, and one of the dedicated craftsmen putting the White Water Shaker Village back together. He’s been building Shaker furniture and boxes for a number of years, and recently he dropped by our office to show us a new veneer press that he is making. If you’re serious about … Read more »

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Bosch ‘Enhances’ Jigsaws

Robert W. Lang — Mon, 18 Jun 2012 20:42:58 +0000

Last week I was at the North American headquarters of Bosch Tools, part of a group of woodworking journalists taking a look at new offerings of the company’s products. The first woodworking tools we were shown were a pair of new jigsaws, the top-handle model JS572EL and the barrel-grip model JS572EBL. My first thoughts were … Read more »

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Makita Compact Router Kit Tool Test Video

Robert W. Lang — Wed, 06 Jun 2012 19:25:53 +0000

Executive editor Robert W. Lang takes a Makita Compact Router kit for a test drive with both the standard and plunge bases. Complete review is in the August 2012 issue of Popular Woodworking Magazine. – Robert Lang

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Favorite New Tools of 2011

Megan Fitzpatrick — Sun, 01 Jan 2012 00:32:35 +0000

So, with hours to go before the year ends (at least in my time zone), I’ve one more post for 2011: some of Popular Woodworking Magazine‘s favorite new tools for 2011. Caveat: Because most of us have been out of the office over the holidays, the following were chosen by me, Steve Shanesy, Christopher Schwarz … Read more »

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New (to the USA) Source for Hand-cut Rasps

Robert W. Lang — Sat, 19 Nov 2011 16:12:33 +0000

In a recent post, I talked about using rasps and in a response to one of the comments, I mentioned that I was watching my mailbox for the arrival of a package from France. Yesterday the box arrived, containing two hand stitched rasps from Liogier. Until about a month ago, I wasn’t aware that this … Read more »

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Leigh R9Plus Dovetail/Box-joint Jig

Steve Shanesy — Mon, 31 Oct 2011 20:00:01 +0000

Leigh has introduced a new dovetail and box-joint making jig, the R9Plus, that has some cool new features, not the least of which is the ability to make precision joints on wide stock. The competitively priced jig uses a compact-sized template that can be shifted to extend its effective length. The template shifts then rests … Read more »

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