Tool Reviews

Most woodworkers consider the thickness planer to be one of the most important machines in a woodshop. As a result, many manufacturers have produced a variety of sizes in planers....

This year at the AWFS show we saw several new table saws with new guard systems that include riving knives. I wrote about it here on the blog and the...

Long-time toolmaker Paul Hamler has developed a new device that can turn many handplanes (both vintage and new) into a scraping plane that is easier to set up, tune and...

If you’ve been pondering ordering a handplane from Philip Marcou after my review of his plane in both Popular Woodworking and a longer review in the Fine Tool Journal (read...

An old friend dropped into the Popular Woodworking shop this week. You know how nice it is to see old friends. Memories flood back about the first time you met...

Speaking as a man with a self-diagnosed “workbench sickness,” you’d think I’d be goo-goo-eyed over new workbench accessories. But most of the time that’s not the [...]

From June 2006 Popular Woodworking Wenzloff & Sons Backsaws Make the Cut The hand-tool crowd lives and dies by the hand saw. But even for the rest of us, no...

From June 2006 Popular Woodworking Grizzly’s Baby Drum Sander Rocks Early in my career I was spoiled forever by a 42″-wide, three-head wide-belt sander. I can’t keep from [...]

From June 2006 Popular Woodworking Dead-on accuracy from a drill press table isn’t necessary for woodworkers. But it sure is nice to be able to hold your work securely, and...

From June 2006 Popular Woodworking A Bright Addition to the Category This is the first true router to bear the Ridgid name. A trim router was introduced about one year...

Why joints fail and why woodworkers fail as scientists Whenever my late Uncle Archie came to visit, he would drive my mother crazy with where he chose to sit. He...

From August 2006 Popular Woodworking Good Steel and Good Handles Last summer and fall I extensively tested several carving gouges from English toolmaker Ashley Iles. Midway through the testing, I...