When you look at carpentry tool reviews, cordless sanders may not seem like a first choice. Even so, tools like the Makita orbital sanders and others have made incredible strides. Some of our guys swear by them as they save tons of time in setup. Another unusual tool that has taken off is the cordless finish nailer. Now, Milwaukee, Makita, Senco, and others have tools in this growing category. With these tools, you can get in and out without using a compressor or dragging an air hose. Our carpentry-focused reviews include best cordless circular saws, best compact miter saws, best orbital sanders, best nail guns, hand tools, and other woodworking tools. In carpentry, quality, convenience, and portability are key. A lot of times you deal with built-ins or other locations where you need everything on-hand. Newer cordless tools are helping, and so are advances in hand tools to do more with less. Above all, quality tools make the difference, so every tool gets a thorough exam against those high standards.
The new Irwin 15 inch Universal Handsaw is a departure from the standard hand saw since it can deliver faster cuts with less binding and works with many different kinds of materials. You can use it with PVC, vinyl, laminate flooring, as well as with both hard and soft woods. With a unique, patented tooth grind, this saw does a fine cut finish with a coarse saw cut speed.
Forrest Manufacturing has added a new Forrest Chopmaster 7/64″ kerf blade to its Signature Line of Chop Master Blades. This blade […]
The Benchmade 550HG Griptilian Manual Lock Knife may come across as minimalist pocket knife to some but after spending some quality time with the tool, there are actually numerous features that make this knife a great choice for everyday carry. With an extremely gripable handle (hence its name), high quality hollow ground blade and a super safe, yet easy to use, locking mechanism, the Griptilian is a great performer.
I guess when you’re in Wyoming, big cats tend to be more on your forethoughts than the rest of the country. When Woodworker’s Supply set out to create a product that would hold products in place when being worked on, they used nature and came out with the Wolf Bench Paw. The product is literally made in the shape of a wolf’s paw and includes an elastomer pad that penetrates the polypropylene (plastic) shell to establish a grip that won’t peel off or pull away from the body.
DeWalt brings compact routers to a new level with the new DWP611PK 1.25 HP Variable Speed Compact Router Combo Kit. Since it comes with both a fixed and plunge base you will be happy with its versatility. Don’t for a moment think that its compact size means that features and power were sacrificed either. We were surprised to learn that this pint sized router packs a punch and does a fantastic job at a wide variety of router tasks. At the end of the day we concluded this is a great woodworking tool.
Have we finally reached the end of the tape measure? With laser distance measures and all manner of future technology, why not a solution that eliminates the measuring and marking of wood for cutting on a miter saw? Why not indeed. SawGear came to market in late 2009 with a tool that has since been seemingly perfected – at least from what we’ve seen in video demonstrations. In any case, we’re looking forward to getting a better look at it first hand at this year’s IBS Expo in Orlando.
When working in some situations large corded or 18V reciprocating saws sometimes are just too bulky to fit in tight places while […]
This kind of product doesn’t come around all that often: a tool that makes it possible to do manually, something that we only thought really possible with electricity. Want to do some serious craftsmanship by hand for a special project? The new Jointmaker Pro v2 Manual Table Saw by Bridge City Tool Works is your solution. We immediately thought of third world country mission work, but the tool is actually a bit too refined and more suitable for detail and finish work than rough cuts and simply getting boards cut where there’s no power (for that the hand saw will still be your friend).
If you are a new homeowner, you’ve probably invested in some of those plastic saw horses for use in your occasional projects. We hope you did because, if you didn’t, you’re probably going to use one of the non-standard makeshift ones we list below. Please don’t. They are dangerous on many levels. They are probably not as stable as you think. They tend to be different heights, causing you to make imprecise cuts. They may even be parts of your body which is just asking for trouble. Here are or Top 5 Not Recommended Makeshift Saw Horses.
There are a few select products that define entire market segments such as what Skillsaw is to circular saws, Xerox is to copiers and what the Milwaukee Sawzall is to reciprocating saws. Milwaukee’s new 6519-31 Reciprocating Sawzall stays true its original roots, yet boasts more power, longer stroke length, less vibration, and a bargain value price point.
