Jeff Snell has all-but-solved the problem of how to keep your saw blade perfectly aligned when hand-cutting joints. He invented the AngleMag, which uses four neodymium magnets housed in a super-low-friction glide to hold any backless saw, such as a Japanese pull saw, at an exact cutting angle.
I happened upon this sweet pawnshop pickup from reader bradjustinen in the photo pool recently. Though it’s not a tool everyone needs, it does go to show that perseverance pays off in spades. Brad said this about his find:
You have to find the right pawnshop. You’ll never be able to negotiate with a single-owner pawnshop. There are plenty of pawnshops around here that won’t budge. Look for chain stores. Around Seattle we have PawnXChange — they’re all over the place, and there’s no owner there to be stingy. Try to find 20 pawnshops in your area and then decide which ones are best. Even still, most tools are overpriced, but with frequent visits (1-3 times a week) you WILL find steals, and when you do, try to talk the price down. Make up some story about how there’s something wrong with it that you’ll need to fix, etc.
Remember, unsuccessful negotiations will eventually turn into a successful negotiation. Today I picked up a like-new Ingersoll-Rand Recip. Saw for $20, talked down from $30. ($90 Retail)
Don’t ask for a discount — tell them what your max price is, and let them decide. I told the guy I didn’t need it, but for $20 I’ll find a use for it. He took the bait. Well worth the breath that it took to say “I’ll give you $20, but that’s it, I really don’t need it”.
We’ve had similar experiences on the pawnshop circuit. Like Brad said, the best thing you can do is find the best ones in your area — but above all, be patient. You might not find deals your first few times, but much like going to the junkyard, once you hit it right, you hit it big. Great find, Brad.
Toolmonger Photo Pool [Flickr]
Throw away the apple crate and cardboard box, and get yourself a Rousseau 2850 miter saw stand kit — ok, maybe that’s just my workshop setup. At 39″ tall, it stands at a comfortable working height for the average user. The large 19″x31″ platform will support all sizes of miter saws and planers, and easy fold-down wings give support for long lengths of lumber. Two larger storage shelves hold your accessories.
The Dynamite Tool Company has the lowest listing at $95. Amazon sells it for a few bucks more, but they’re offering free shipping.
Miter Stand [Rousseau]
Rousseau 2850 [Dynamite Tool Co.]
Street Pricing [Google Products]
Via Amazon
Most people see a chainsaw as a utilitarian tool of destruction. However, others see a chainsaw as Monet saw a paint brush or Michelangelo saw a mallet and chisel — that is, as a tool of expression. The RedMax G3200CV, a lightweight saw with a 12″ bar meant specifically for detail carving, qualifies as just such a tool.
The saw’s bar narrows to a tight radius for doing very detailed work. The chain, also specifically meant for detail work, features fine, closely-spaced cutters. The saw’s 31.8 cc two-stroke engine puts out 1.8 HP.
The manufacturer, Zenoah Komatsu, gave noted chainsaw sculptor Brian Ruth (a.k.a. Master of the Chainsaw) the chance to demo the saw in Japan. Brian liked it so much, he brought it back to the states where he sells it exclusively through his company, Chainsaw Masters International. You can get the RedMax G3200CV for $380.
G3200CV [MastersOfTheChainsaw.com]
Video Of Brian Ruth Carving [YouTube]
Irwin recently released what they call “the first circular saw blade specifically designed to cut through vinyl siding.” As part of their Marathon line, it sports 120 symmetric, 60-degree teeth that Irwin claims eliminate chipping and cracking on both push and pull cuts.
DeWalt has introduced the DW718, the next step in the evolution of their line of miter saws. It boasts the largest cutting capacity of any of DeWalt’s current sliding miter saws.
The 12″ blade can cut 2″ by 16″ at 90 degrees, and cuts up to 2″ by 12″ on a 45 degree angle. With its double bevel capacity, you can cut compound angles on crown up to 11-1/4″. DeWalt also has created an optional laser guide to increase accuracy on these mammoth molding cuts.
If you’re a licensed arborist, please look away — but if you’re an occasional gardener who maybe has some branches to lop off, then check out this $4 saw at Northern Tools. The saw’s constructed from a painted steel frame and comes with the blade and a blade guard.
36″ Bow Saw [Northern Tools]
Street Pricing [Google Products]
There probably isn’t an angle this saw can’t reach — and with Tools-Plus selling it for $188, there are probably very few reasons for me not owning one right now. This Porter Cable “Tiger Claw” variable angle reciprocating saw boasts 180 degrees of adjustability on the rear gear housing and 360 degrees on the front housing. Both gear housings adjust smoothly on ball bearings, with 13 position stops in the rear and 12 positions in the front — that should just about cover every conceivable angle.
An 11.5A variable 0-2900 SPM motor powers the saw, which has a cutting stroke of 1-1/4″. A detachable “Quik-Change” front shoe, to utilize more teeth in the cutting action, and “Quik-Change” keyless blades make this saw truly variable. You also get blades, a heavy-duty case, and a one year limited warranty.
Tiger Claw [Porter & Cable]
Porter Cable 9750 [Tools-Plus]
Street Pricing [Google Products]
Silky makes some of the sharpest and most convenient folding pull saws you can buy, for anything from yard work to trim carpentry. My bleeding thumb can attest to the sharpness of at least one of their saws, the general purpose Gomboy 210.
Silky impulse-hardens their blades’ teeth to create a point that’s harder than a file without reducing the flexibility of the saw’s back. And to prevent binding, they grind down the saw back to be less thick than the teeth. One downside: you can’t resharpen the blades, but replacement blades are readily available.
The saw cuts aggressively, but smoothly. With the rubber-coated handle, you can draw the blade without much effort, even one-handed. Silky treats all the metal surfaces for rust resistance, and they package the knife with a plastic case to protect it from the elements.
Street pricing on the Gomboy 210 is about $30. Check out Silky’s corporate site to see the variety of different styles — just watch your fingers.
Silky [Corporate Site]
Street Pricing [Google Products]
Via Amazon (B000658GXC) [What’s This?]
If you think a chain mortiser looks like a cross between a chainsaw and a drill press, you’ve just about pegged it. These tools speed up post and beam construction, and they look bad-ass.
Call it what you like — Sabre, Sawzall, Recipro — I call the reciprocating saw a must-have tool. Since Milwaukee Tools originated it, I’m not surprised that they’re the first to add a 360-degree rotating handle.
Proxxon’s FKS/E table saw may look like a toy, but it’s a fully functioning miniature table saw. When you’re making a scale model, a tiny error can be like flubbing a cut by a whole inch at full scale. To help model makers make exact cuts, Proxxon has been building precision power tools like this one for 30 years .
Stanley says this new flooring saw is perfect for cutting dovetails, miters, and tenons — the bread and butter of custom flooring installation. Having never really done any myself, I can’t speak to the saw’s functionality. But I do like the idea of the angled handle.
In a perfect world every corner in a room would be a perfect 90° angle. Anyone who’s ever installed crown molding in an old house knows it’s not a perfect world. The Magic Mitre helps you make custom inside and outside mitre cuts for odd joints that would otherwise require some fudging.
If you’ve ever wanted to cut up some wood without being tied down to an electrical outlet, Bosch has what you need — a cordless miter saw featuring the fantastic 18V BlueCore battery technology. You can make about 100 cuts in 1″x6″ pine on a single charge, and the battery juices back up in an hour. Bosch thoughtfully offers the saw in a “B” version, without battery and charger.
Street pricing for the 3918 is about $290, or you can get the 3918B for about $220. What will the folks at Bosch think of next?
Bosch 3918 Miter Saw [Bosch]
Bosch 3918B (sans battery) [Bosch]
3918 Street Price [Google Products]
3918B Street Price [Google Products]
Via Amazon
Emson claims their “As Seen on TV” MXZ Pocket Saw cuts though almost anything — metal, bricks, wood, and maybe even tomatoes. I’m a bit skeptical of all infomercial tools, but this three-position locking saw blade with a tungsten carbide edge “that never needs sharpening” still caught my eye.
The twilight of modern man is upon us. Yes, Toolmongers, for just $20 you can have your very own laser-guided hand saw. How did you ever live without this? How could you go on living now that you’ve seen it and still don’t have one? Steal from the kids collage fund – shank someone if you must — but be sure not to miss this beauty.
Seriously – does someone honestly think this is a good idea? Of course now that I’ve tipped my hand and called it stupid, it’ll surely sell 10 million this holiday season. Personally, I’m holding out for a laser guided screwdriver.
Laser Guided Hand Saw [Collections Etc.]
Street Pricing [Google Products]
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