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"What? A $600 machine that just sharpens hand tools?" That's the reaction I've heard when introducing my pals to the latest in sandpaper-sharpening technology, the Lap-Sharp LS-200. It's the brainchild of a single-minded engineer, Don Naples, who has spent years testing and refining...
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If you’ve ever had to cut pieces with precise compound angles, you’ll really appreciate Craftsman’s new digital miter gauge. It’s accurate to within one-tenth of a degree. The gauge comes equipped with a clever magnetic device for measuring the tilt of your blade to the same degree...
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Now that the drywall has been hung, its time to finish the room with a finish carpentry accessory from Milescraft. Rout mortises in doors and jambs, cut crown molding the easy way, and install precisely cut casement trim for a perfect fit with these finish carpentry products. The line includes a drop...
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A sharp chisel edge makes your work all that much easier. But keeping those tools sharp is a skill that's learned over a long time. Oil stones? Jigs? Water stones? Not to mention the precise angles and rock steady grip you need. But the PSS1 sharpener from M Power make things a lot simpler. The trick...
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Frame-and-panel router bits sets are thickness specific, so the bits you use for a cabinet door may not be the same set you need for a delicate jewelry box made from thinner material. Scaled-down frame-and-panel sets, like this new one from Freud, solve the problem. Various companies make these miniature...
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The Akeda dovetail jig first hit the woodworking world in March 2003. Production problems took this tool off the market for a while, but now it's back and available from more distributors than before. The Akeda DC-16 jig, $330, has a 16-in. capacity and cuts variably spaced through and half-blind...
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A friend of mine spent years trying to teach me to carve. Sorry, it just ain't in these hands. But CMT had me carving—sort of—in minutes. The company's new 3D Router Carver System turns a plunge router into a carving tool. You can get started in the system for around $180. The key...
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Raise your hand if you hate swapping bits and drivers in a cordless drill. I sure do. When I'm putting in screws, I'm always going back and forth, tightening and loosening that darn chuck. Hey, I've even gone to the extreme of buying a second drill just to avoid this hassle. There's got...
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Whether your shop is spacious or petite, you can't beat the convenience of having your equipment mobile. The new Universal Mobile Base Hardware, $60, will help you get rolling. Customizing the base for any tool is simple. It has a high load rating and rolls like dream. If you can cut a piece of 3...
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Forstner-style bits can go where no other drill bits dare. The reason is simple: A Forstner bit is rim-guided while other bits are center-point guided. That means you can use all or only part of the bit's diameter to drill overlapped, angled or partial holes. Forstner bits also shine when it comes...
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Miter saws are a great convenience, but they spread sawdust like a sprinkler spreads water. The new Downdrafter shroud from Rousseau, $200, combined with a dust collector, acts like a parachute behind the saw and grabs almost every bit of dust. You may cringe at the price, but some good engineering is...
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Lasers have proven to be a wonderful way to add safety and accuracy to miter saws. Now Hitachi has taken ease-of-use to a new level by adding both a laser and a digital readout to its C12LCH 12-in. single compound miter saw, $369. The laser casts a line down either side of the saw blade and can be fine...
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I use a flush-trim bit a lot, particularly for trimming face frames to cabinet sides and parts flush with templates. Unfortunately, after a few sharpenings, it's not a flush-trim bit any more. It's an almost-flush-trim bit, because of the cutter's reduced diameter. CMT's new carbide insert...
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When my shop was a two-car garage with one outlet, I had to carefully choose what I plugged in. That generally meant no radio, because there weren't any outlets left for it. Enter Bosch's new Power Box, $169. Yes, it's an expensive radio, but that's because it's much more than a radio...
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They're really easy to install. You simply drill holes and pop the hinges and mounting plates into place. Cabinet shops use sophisticated boring machines for production work, but all you really need is a drill press, a 1-3/8-in. flat-bottom boring bit (see Tool Tip) and a 3/32-in. twist bit. They...