Boring doesn’t have to be boring. Why not shake things up sometimes and drill sideways? With this 3D bit from Trend and a variable speed 3/8″ or larger drill, you can cut straight holes, curved holes, slots, or even recesses.
It’s easy to introduce error when you’re transferring measurements from a board face to its side — even when you use a square. But with Bend Rules from Incra, you don’t have to worry about introducing any error when transferring measurements because their rule wraps around the edge of the board. Their rules also feature corner slots that extend to both the face and the edge of the board so you can mark both sides simultaneously.
Yellow Board Buddies are designed to minimize kickback on your table saw or router — and who hasn’t heard a kickback horror story? While holding the work piece against the table and fence, the Buddies’ wheels only turn clockwise, stopping the workpiece if the saw should kick back.
At first glance the Trim Gauge looks like a simple tool for repetitive measurements, but after a little reading, I was floored at the sheer number of applications for this tiny little tool. You can, for example, lock it in place to set the reveal of windows and door trim, adjust height of power tools, or transfer measurements. Unlock the thumbscrew and it’s a depth gauge, too. And it also features horizontal and vertical spirit levels (integrated into the back side) so you can check for level and plumb. Collapsing to four inches long, this multi-function tool fits easily in a tool pouch or pocket.
Searching for this tool on the internet might land you at sites that could generate marital strife, but finding it is worth the risk. Unfortunate name aside, the M.Power Perfect Butt profile scriber will accurately scribe any piece where you desire a gap-less butt joint.
For instance, while installing your brand new counter top you discover an unsightly gap left at one wall. Simply trace the scriber along the counter top with the scribe’s wheel following the contour of the wall. This will create a perfect profile on the counter to to follow when cutting.
Traditional cutting and routing guides like this one only work when applied close to the edge of a workpiece and are not accurate enough for lenghty cuts. E. Emerson Tool Company’s All in One Clamp escapes these flaws: you can secure it on any surface with parallel opposite edges. To use it as a cutting guide, you can either push your tool directly alongside the sturdy straightedge or attach it to a separate jig that glides along the built-in T-track.
Why detail sand by hand when you can buy a power tool to do it for you? To mimic hand sanding, the Festool Duplex LS 130 EQ linear sander’s head reciprocates in a straight motion. This allows it to sand with the grain, which leaves less visible scratches. And when you consider the advantages of finishing the job up to three times faster and landing most of the dust in your dust collection system instead of on you, its price of $290 doesn’t sound so high.
Forstner bits are fantastic if you need a nice clean hole, particularly with a clean bottom. They’re also great if you use ‘em to drill out the majority of a mortise and use a chisel to clean out the sides and corners. Like with most bits, a good set can hurt the wallet. But right now Rockler has a good quality seven-piece Forstner bit set for just $11. The set includes bits from 1/4” to an inch with 3/8” round shanks. They even come in a molded-plastic case to keep them nice and sharp until you need them.
That old axiom that you can never have too many clamps in your shop? It’s true. And it’s time to add one more: the V-Clamp connects to your shop air supply to produce up to 330 pounds of holding force. It works on non-porous materials by creating a vacuum between itself and the work piece, and it can hold your work piece vertically, horizontally, or even upside down. And because it clamps to the bottom, the V-Clamp won’t get in the way when you’re working on the top and sides.
Ever clamp an auxiliary fence to your saw and discover later that you positioned the clamp in the way of the cut? Rockler’s “universal” fence clamps solve this problem once and for all. Sold in pairs, these clamps work for clamping half fences, sacrificial fences, resaw fences, stop blocks, or just about any other jig you can imagine. And they’re secured to the saw via a hole drilled in the auxiliary fence — as opposed to the the fence face — keeping the clamp out of the way all the time.
Installing crown molding can be intimidating homeowners. For outside corners to match properly, you have to cut compound miters correctly. And if that wasn’t hard enough, inside corners should be coped, never mitered, as coping allows for slight movement of the wood and the cleanest overall fit.
The D&S Scary Sharp system originates from a post on the usenet group rec.woodworking, although the method itself probably predates WWII: with a piece of plate glass and progressively finer grits of sandpaper, you can hone your tool to an edge a professional sharpener would envy — without messy oil or water. And if you don’t have the materials on hand, Rockler sells a kit with everything you need to get started for just $30.
Here’s another fun scroll saw attachment you may not have tried: scroll saw files. These “filing blades” dramatically reduce the frustration and time it takes to produce a complex pattern by automating detail sanding and shaping. And because of their silicon carbide coating, you can use them in a variety of materials.
Titebond’s fluorescent wood glue looks like normal glue, but glows under a “black light,” making it easy to spot glue you missed during sanding — before you get ready to stain that heirloom project. There’s nothing worse than dragging your work back to the shop, removing the glue, and re-sanding everything.
When I visited my local Rockler shop this weekend, I noticed Festool products randomly littered through the store. Then I saw a very large half-assembled Festool display case. So I asked the sales guy about it, and he confirmed that on September 11th, Rockler will start selling Festool Power Tools in their retail stores.
Brass setup bars make it easy to accurately set the distance between the cutter and fence on your router table without damaging your carbide bit. For example, if you want to set the distance to 5/16″, simply place the 3/16″ and 1/8″ bars together between the fence and the cutter.
Last weekend I was digging through my makeshift wood rack looking for a piece of molding when an avalanche of wood hit me squarely on the noggin. Several rooms away, my daughter learned a few new swear words. I think before I pile all my wood back up (to fall on me again), I’m going to install something like Triton’s lumber rack system — six shelves that hold up to 110 pounds each in an easy-to-see (and hard to drop on myself) format.
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