Innehållsförteckning för Spring 2014 från Woodworker's Journal

Molding Machine Williams & Hussey has added the new 154CE molding machine to their line which, like the model 206 and 209 molders, is made in New Hampshire. It also can mill straight, round top and elliptical moldings. The unit has a new chip extractor that improves waste flow. Its 2hp, 230-volt motor produces moldings at a rate of 11 feet per minute. The 154CE comes with a compact steel stand and costs $2,195. Router Tables Rockler Woodworking and Hardware’s newly redesigned Router Tables include bright white tables to reflect more light and maximize visibility, built-in dual T-tracks and miter tracks to expand setup possibilities with additional jigs, a 21/2" dust port and a translucent bit guard for added safety and visibility. They come with adjustable fence faces and a…

A bench grinder is, in essence, a double-ended motor with a grinding wheel mounted on each of the protruding shafts. As well, the motor has a base and guards surrounding the grinding wheels and eye shields to protect you from sparks and debris. Topend grinders have even more features. You can pay anywhere from well south of a hundred bucks to several thousand dollars for a grinder. Obviously, you get something for your money, so let’s take a look at features. Wheel Size Size: Grinders are sold in 6", 7", 8" and 10" sizing, which refers to the diameter of the grinding wheels the machine accepts. Unless you’re on a limited budget, avoid the 6" and 7" machines. They generally lack enough power to grind tools quickly. My preference is…

Shop Light Festool’s SysLite LED Worklamp KAL 100 (item 498568) illuminates your workspace with 170° of dispersion of evenly balanced white light. The light comes with six LED bulbs housed within a rugged casing. Festool says the lightbulbs will not break or need to be replaced. The SysLite can run on a variety of power sources, including its internal battery, which has a life of 90 minutes on high or 240 minutes on low (180-minute charge time). You can also use the SysLite with a compatible Festool battery as an auxiliary power source — or run or charge the SysLite from the 120" AC adapter or 63" car charger included with it. The SysLite LED Worklamp KAL 100 is priced at $175. Glue Application Kit The silicone tools in Rockler’s…

A big drill/driver fed by a powerful lithium-ion battery churns out enough torque to drill monster holes and drive the longest screws. Plus, the high amp-hour ratings of the latest drill batteries allow you to do enough work on a single charge to vanquish even the most challenging projects. So, which drill should you buy? I decided to find out by testing a number of models in the 18-to 21.6-volt range. To maintain an “apples to apples” comparison, I didn’t include drills that come with lower-capacity slim-packstyle batteries. Although these are also plenty powerful, they just don’t have the extended run time of the heavy-duty models featured in this article. The Performance Trials After carrying out some common drilling and driving tasks and making observations about each drill/driver’s features and…

A few good quality saw blades can sure make woodworking more enjoyable, and often we spend a considerable chunk of change on them. We expect top-notch performance and long life from that investment. It only makes sense that questions come up now and then about how to choose, use and maintain blades properly, and you write in for our help. I think blade manufacturers are really the best sources for those answers, so I’ve rounded up some common FAQs that come into our offices and directed them to the experts at Amana, Forrest, Freud, GUHDO, Infinity and Irwin Marples. These folks were happy to share some nuggets of wisdom for our benefit, and some of their feedback may even surprise you. I hope this article serves as a good quick…

Most woodworkers use carbon steel saw blades on their band saws. They come in a wide range of widths, tooth configurations and even quality. Carbon steel blades are not excessively expensive, especially in the 931.2" and 105" sizes that fit the ubiquitous 14" band saws that have become a true shop favorite over the years. On the other hand, carbidetipped band saw blades are not common. This, despite the fact that they have been on the market for a number of years now. I wanted to know why this is the case, and why they have not taken over the category as has happened with all manner of circular saw blades. Ask the Experts Even though I have been woodworking for decades, I had never personally used a carbide band…

How many times have you had a board or panel that was wider than the capacity of your 12" or 13" benchtop planer? If this is a regular occurrence, you might be ready to upgrade to a larger stationary planer in the 15" to 20" range. It’s true, these cast-iron behemoths are heavier and harder to move, take up more room and are more expensive than even the largest, priciest portable models. And stepping up into the big leagues isn’t cheap: A basic 15" model can cost anywhere between $1,000 and $2,000, and a mammoth 20" or 22" planer can set you back $4,000 to $5,000 or more. That’s quite a big step up from the $300 to $600 you’d spend on a benchtop unit. But what you gain in…

About three paces from where I tested these portable table saws sits my late-model cabinet saw. As a serious woodworker and magazine editor, I can’t imagine not having it. Its powerful 3hp motor, spacious cast-iron tabletop and almost hair-splitting precision makes most other saw options pale by comparison. But all this said, a cabinet saw isn’t everything. The thought of moving that behemoth down the steps to a basement shop sends chills up my spine. I sure can’t toss it into a car trunk to help a friend down the road. My saw takes up a huge footprint of shop floor, and it cost a small fortune. I don’t know of any stationary table saw that sells for less than $700 new these days, and that can drain a modest…

Have you ever bought a product that’s supposedly “new and improved” and, when you try it, you wonder if there’s anything really different about the product besides that “new and improved” sticker on the box? In the past couple of decades, we’ve seen some significant developments in the field of woodworking portable power tools: new battery chemistries such as nickel-metal hydride and lithium-ion; sophisticated electronics that improve tool performance and enhance battery life; improved ergonomics that make tools safer and more comfortable to use. But with the recent global economic downturn, relatively few tools released in the last couple of years boast significant new features (with a few notable exceptions, such as Festool’s Domino joining system). Portable power tool companies do continue to develop new tool models, but most aren’t…

Despite their portability and effectiveness in all types of woodcutting chores, gas chainsaws are some of the noisiest, smelliest, most annoying power tools on the planet. But fortunately, the latest electric cordless chainsaws now have the potential to get the job done more peacefully. Fueled by high performance batteries, cordless chainsaws are surprisingly powerful and just as portable as gas saws, yet run very quietly and expel zero noxious emissions. Cordless chainsaws have been around for a while. But the early models were small and not very powerful. In contrast, the cordless models of today are equipped with longer bars and run on voltages ranging from 18-volt to a whopping 40 volts. These tools are capable of doing serious work and are worth consideration by anyone who needs a portable…

A chuck is anything that holds work in the lathe, so a drive center, a live center or a faceplate are all chucks — and most lathes come with this useful trio. Simple spindle turning needs only the aforementioned drive and live center; however, they are insufficient for hollowing in spindle orientation. While it is possible to turn a bowl by just screwing a piece of wood to a faceplate, turning the outside of the bowl is awkward, and much depth in the finished vessel is lost to the screws. A glue block can overcome this problem. Still, a self-closing chuck is alluring because it offers nohassle, vise-like grabbing of anything you want to turn. At least, that is the advertising claim. This is all to say that what is…

Q: I have a benchtop table saw and have always cut on the right side of the fence (i.e., the opposite side of how I see other users depicted in photos, etc.). I am right-handed, so it seems natural to cut this way, and I theorize it is safer should the cutoff or the workpiece itself be thrown back at me as less of my body is “in the line of fire.” Am I missing something? David Long Lexington, Kentucky A: Far be it from me to talk anyone out of working in a way that feels natural and comfortable to them, as long as they follow basic safety practices. Yes, using a table saw with the rip fence to the left of the saw blade allows you to feed…

From the perspective of this graying woodworking editor, new stationary power tool offerings have seemed a bit like a threatened species for the last few years: hard to find in the first place and even harder to get your hands on one of them when you do. That’s one of the reasons that I was motivated to travel to LaVergne, Tennessee, recently, to get a grip on this new drill press from Powermatic — literally and figuratively. The Powermatic folks were kind enough to let me check out their one and only sample at the time, but by the time you read this it will be widely available. If you haven’t seen it yet, this PM2800B drill press deserves a closer look! When you step back and think about it,…

Nowadays, more and more woodworkers, builders and DIYers are buying and using wood that comes from local trees sawn into lumber at a local sawmill. When you think sawmill, you’re likely imagining an old rustic building and a huge circular saw powered by an engine as big as a ’56 Buick chewing through giant logs like they were toothpicks. But the fact is that a lot of the lumber cut locally is produced by smaller portable sawmills. They’re a popular choice for a wide range of users, including: landowners who want to turn trees on their property into sellable lumber or studs, beams and planks for building barns, sheds and fences; woodworkers looking to use locally scavenged logs for their furniture and cabinets; or anyone who wants to start a…

Soon it will be summertime again, and if you’re like me, that’ll mean mending those cracked fence pickets, replacing some deck boards or building the dock you’ve had on your “honey-do” list all winter. I can’t think of a single woodworker who doesn’t also do home repair. And, when my “shop” shifts to some far corner of the yard, cordless tools are essential. In recent years, lithium-ion batteries have taken the cordless industry by storm. Truth be told, this leapfrog in battery technology wasn’t really intended for us hobbyists: lighter, longer running power packs matter most to the folks who make their livings in the trades. But we all benefit ... who wouldn’t rather take fewer trips back to the charger? That’s why I expected top performance from these five…

Thin-kerf Blades CMT’s new thin-kerf ITK Plus™ saw blades are designed to reduce material waste and power demand on the saw while delivering industrial-quality performance. Made from carbide that has gone through a new process called SinterHIP ("Hot Isostatic Processing"), in which the material reaches high temperatures up to 3,500° Fahrenheit and high pressures up to 1,500 psi., it prevents material failure and guarantees longer cutting life. The blade body steel is hardened to reach 44 on the Rockwell hardness scale. Specially designed slots allow the blade to expand under heat and stress to prevent warping, and laser-cut sound dampening channels help dampen running noise and control wobbling. A non-stick orange shield coating keeps these blades running cool, reduces pitch buildup and protects against corrosion. A shear angle grind on…

Have you ever thought to yourself: “It would be so much fun to cut down a tree, slice it into lumber and make something from it!”? If so, you are not alone. We’ve heard from many of our readers saying that going from tree to fine furniture is something they’d really like to try. Even if you are not interested in the soup-to-nuts idea, perhaps you like the concept of getting lumber from a local sawmill. Often, the price and unique selections of local wood species found with these smaller production sawyers can deliver a real bargain. (And who does not like a bargain?) But with the great price and added enjoyment of an excursion to a non-typical lumberyard comes the must-know question: “How well is the wood seasoned?” Water…

Scratch Awl from Recycled Screwdriver Discarded screwdrivers tend to become paint can openers, but here’s another way to give them a second life. When one reader needed a scratch awl, he took an old Philips screwdriver and gently reshaped the tip on a grinder. Then he sharpened the tip to a point using a piece of plate glass with sandpaper. The whole process should only take about 15 or 20 minutes. You’ll end up with a fine awl at no extra cost. Supersized Miter Gauge Some workpieces are just too wide to cut in one pass with a miter saw or too long and heavy to crosscut with a table saw’s miter gauge. Here’s a trick: use your Vstyle tapering jig (with the workpiece stop removed) held against the fence…