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  • Waterstones

    by American Woodworker Editors     Thursday, August 6, 2009
    Hone an incredibly sharp edge with a $35 combo stone. by Tom Caspar For this woodworker, it doesn’t get any better than using a sharp hand tool. Not just kind of sharp, the way new tools come out of the box. I mean really, really sharp, with an...

  • Tool News - Festool T3 Drills

    by American Woodworker Editors     Wednesday, July 8, 2009
    Festool USA recently announced the launch of two new lithium ion cordless drill/drivers, the T 12+3 and T 15+3. With sophisticated electronics, brushless motors and lithium ion batteries, they offer plenty of power in a light weight package. The new brushless...

  • Benchtop Mortisers

    by AW-Editor     Thursday, January 29, 2009
    For $250 and half an hour's worth of simple improvements, you can cut precise mortises all day. Mortising machines first answered the prayers of mortise-cutting woodworkers over 120 years ago. Today you can buy a miniaturized descendant of those old...

  • 6-in. Jointers

    by AW-Editor     Thursday, January 29, 2009
    jointer is a must-have for many woodworkers. Few can do without the smooth, straight edges and faces they get from their jointers. We tested twelve 6-in. floor models that sell for under $600. A 6-in. jointer will handle material up to 6-in. wide, the...

  • Dream Sharpening Machine

    by AW-Editor     Thursday, January 29, 2009
    "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...

  • Tool News - Craftsman Digital Miter Gauge

    by American Woodworker Editors     Thursday, January 1, 2009
    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...

  • Spiral Router Bits

    by AW-Editor     Tuesday, September 30, 2008
    I've routed miles of grooves in my life, but the quality of cut I've been getting from spiral bits still amazes me. I love these bits! The secret is in the spiral design, which cuts the wood through a shearing action. This offers three big benefits...

  • Router Lifts

    by AW-Editor     Saturday, September 20, 2008
    For the serious router table user, the benefits of owning a router lift are huge. Strap a 3-1/4-hp variable-speed router into one of these lifts and you have a routing system that can't be beat for convenience, power and accuracy. With a router lift...

  • Shaper or Router Table?

    by AW-Editor     Friday, September 19, 2008
    Q. I'm thinking about starting a side business building custom doors. Should I consider investing in a shaper or use my router table? Shaper cutters are larger and last longer than router bits. The heavy weight large-diameter shaper cutter is designed...

  • Quick-Change Chucks

    by AW-Editor     Thursday, September 18, 2008
    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...

  • Backyard Sawmills

    by AW-Editor     Monday, September 15, 2008
    We all love wood, whether it's a wide clear board or a gnarly slab with wild grain. That's why sawing our own lumber crosses the minds of most woodworkers. It might be inspired by the sight of a big tree blown down by a storm, a custom tabletop...

  • Tool Test Bandsaws

    by AW-Editor     Sunday, September 14, 2008
    Same song, second verse. In our last issue, we tested 19 bandsaws that each cost less than $1,000 (AW #110, October 2004). This time, we're looking at the heavyweights in this class: saws that cost from $1,000 to $1,500. What you get is more power...

  • Tool Talk: Forstner Bits

    by AW-Editor     Sunday, September 14, 2008
    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...

  • Tool Test Bandsaws

    by AW-Editor     Saturday, September 6, 2008
    You're about to be marooned on a desert island. You're allowed one power tool to take with you. Which would it be? My choice would be a bandsaw. After the router, a bandsaw is the most versatile tool in a woodshop. It can cut straight or curved...

  • Hand Sanding Blocks

    by AW-Editor     Friday, September 5, 2008
    Isaac Fischer, Jr., of Springfield, Vt., patented sandpaper on June 14, 1834. Shortly after that, presumably, sanding blocks were invented. Sanding blocks apply even pressure over the entire surface of the paper. This makes sanding by hand faster and...
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