I’ve wanted an oscillating spindle sander ever since I came to understand how they make the curves in wood possible. I decided I wanted to start building my own recurve bows. You can replicate the effect with a drill press and a few attachments, but having the right tool for the job will speed things […]
Pretty much everyone is producing one of these now, and here’s Skil’s version: the 2 amp model 1400. Not surprisingly, they chose to go corded, keeping the price down and the functionality high. (I love the fact that Skil, by the way, still offers corded drills, and that most of the big box […]
The oscillating multi-tool must be a larger market than we first suspected, because Bosch and other manufacturers keep cranking out tools and attachments for them at breakneck speed. The latest we’ve seen is the MX25E corded multitool. Yep, you heard right: corded.
The MX25E, like any other of its kind, is built to do flush […]
Milwaukee recently jumped into the oscillating multi-tool fray with a cordless model for their ever-expanding M12 line. At $150, it’s in the middle-priced category, sporting most of the features you’d expect: variable speed (5,000 to 20,000 orbits per minute) and an included universal adapter that allows you to use accessories from most major manufacturers.
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We’ve loved the explosion of Fein-style oscillating multi-tool knockoffs in the last few years, and it’s great to know that Dremel, Bosch, Craftsman, Ridgid — and lots of others — now produce models, each with a slightly different feature set and price. But it’s made things a bit confusing when it comes to accessories. […]
In setting up a woodshop, I always thought I’d end up with the standard Norm setup — a belt/disk sander combo and a separate oscillating spindle sander — but I’ve read that the motors on the lower-end spindle units can stall out when sanding, and I can’t afford the $1,000+ high-end shop sanders. I read […]
For those whoe don’t have $400 bucks to drop on an evaporative cooler — or live outslide of Arizona — an old school oscillating fan is the way to go to bring some cool into the shop on the cheap.
When you’re building a staircase or deck, it’s difficult to get a good smooth finish on edges with a belt sander. You can always use the fixed spindle sander, but that takes a bit of planning.
Or, you can grab Porter Cable’s portable oscillating spindle sander and just finish the edges right on the project. […]
Ask Toolmonger: What's Up With One-Handed Recip Saws?
From the (virtual) mail bin: “Have you seen or used the one-handed reciprocating saw? Home Depot and Lowe’s both have one, and I was wondering how well they work.” Indeed we have. Read on for details.
Any power tool consists of a power system — a drive motor, essentially — and a series of mechanical devices that interconnect that drive to some kind of spinning or reciprocating tool: a drill, saw, or driver. So why not just make the motor and handle detachable from the rest of the mess (interconnect […]