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 Tuesday, June 24, 2008
Tool Test: Beadlock Pro
It’s a well-known fact that a mortise-and-tenon joint is the strongest woodworking joint (if it’s made correctly). On the web, there have been lengthy discussions about loose-tenon construction – creating mortises in the two mating pieces then installing a single loose tenon that fills both mortises.
With an improvement to the Beadlock system, a jig that’s been around since 2000, Rockler added to the discussion. The Beadlock, either the original or the Beadlock Pro, does not require expensive investments in tooling because mortises are created by simply drilling a series of overlapping holes, guided by a jig.
The Beadlock system is very easy to use. Clamp the jig in position, slide the guide block to one side of the jig, then drill holes. Next, slide the guide block to the opposite side of the jig and again, drill holes. That’s it. You’ve created a mortise. The jig comes standard with a 3⁄8" guide block. With additional interchangeable guide blocks, you can also create mortises that are 1⁄4" and 1⁄2" wide. You can purchase router bits designed to produce tenon stock or purchase pre-made tenon stock, which has a matching profile, to complete the joint. Matching pre-made tenon stock is available in pre-cut lengths or in 12" pieces that you cut to size. The result is a strong, totally concealed joint with plenty of glue surface.
The Beadlock Pro is the newest evolution of this jig. With it you can create mortises in material up to 3-1⁄2" wide by adjusting the guide-block frame along the rails of the jig. In addition, the Beadlock Pro has a block that is used to create traditional smooth-sided mortises. After using a drilling-guide block to excavate waste, change to the paring block, then use your chisels to pare a smooth side. The guide keeps the chisels in place and positioned correctly. You can then cut your own flat tenon stock.
The Beadlock Pro includes the fully adjustable jig (as shown in the photo above), a 3⁄8" drill bit, a matching stop collar, a Beadlock 3⁄8" guide block and the matching paring block. All the contents are fit into a molded case that includes storage areas for any 1⁄4" and 1⁄2" optional equipment (drilling guides or paring guides) that is sold separately.
If you’re just discovering the mortise-and-tenon joint or are looking for simple and quick method to create this solid joint, check out the Beadlock (street price at $30) and the Beadlock Pro (street priced at $120) available at Rockler stores and Rockler.com.
If you've used either version of Beadlock, leave a comment to let us know what you think. — Glen D. Huey
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6/24/2008 9:23:08 AM (Eastern Daylight Time, UTC-04:00) 
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Tuesday, June 17, 2008
New Jig Saw Blades From Bosch
Bosch has just announced the introduction of a revolutionary new blade for jigsaws. Designated the "T 308B Xtra Clean for Wood," this blade promises – and delivers – better cuts than we have ever seen from a jigsaw. A couple months ago we received some samples for testing in our shop, and late yesterday we got the green light to be the first to announce this new blade.  Until using this blade, I always regarded a jigsaw cut as a preliminary one – a cut that would need some extra work to remove saw marks, straighten a wobbly cut, or fix some tear-out on the top or bottom of the work. But thanks to the unique tooth geometry on this blade, I now think of the jigsaw as extremely capable for making finish cuts. I used the blade when making the Craftsman Bookcase for our August issue, and I've been using it to cut the large dovetails for the workbench that I'm currently building.  Here is a close-up of one of the joints, immediately after cutting. The light reflecting on the just-cut part of the joint indicates how smooth the surface is. If you look at the blade, you can clearly see that the teeth on the lower portion of the blade are a different shape from those at the top. Bosch refers to the top teeth as "pointed teeth" and the lower ones as "scalpel teeth." This arrangement allows the blade to cut both on the up and down strokes, leaving a clean cut on both faces.  The cut edge is also exceptionally clean and smooth, and I found that the blade cut with far less resistance than most blades, allowing for a greater amount of control during cutting. At the moment we do not have a specific date for when these will be available for sale, or the price. When I have an answer, I'll let you know. The 12 tpi blade will be available soon from Bosch distributors. We shot some video yesterday, and you can view it by clicking on the player below. --Bob Lang
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6/17/2008 8:06:05 AM (Eastern Daylight Time, UTC-04:00)
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Friday, April 18, 2008
Tool Test: Mortise Pal
While surfing around the woodworking sites, I found mention of this jig for cutting mortises. It’s a Mortise Pal (mortisepal.com). If you have a plunge router (weighing less than 12 pounds), a 5/8" outside-diameter bushing and an upcut router bit, you can create mortises for mortise-and-tenon joints and loose-tenon joinery using a Mortise Pal.
To use a Mortise Pal you need a 6" base on your router. If you use a smaller base, due to the jig’s design, the base could slip off one side resulting in a bad mortise (the router rides on top of the side supports). Also, pay attention if your router’s base is something other than round. As for weight, 12 pounds pretty much restricts you to a 2-1/4 hp router or smaller, so don’t try to hoist up that 3+hp hog and cut mortises.
And of course, an upcut router bit is best because it pulls waste from the mortise and the cut will be easier to make, and cleaner when finished.
Any stock in which you want to cut a mortise in the end can be a minimum of 1" in width. Stock thickness can be from 2" to 3/4" (you can mortise thinner stock by arranging shims as shown in the manual, which you can download off the web site or below). The mortise length is determined by the mortising templates (four sizes are included in the kit) and the router bit size (a maximum 1/2" due to what fits through the bushing). Changing the templates is a snap and locking them into position is both secure and reliable with each change.
Layouts for mortises you cut with the Mortise Pal are different from the method most of us are accustomed to using. For this tool, find the center of your desired mortise along both length and width, then use the engraved line and small pointer on the jig to set up the cut. Once you’ve dialed into your lines, lock the brass thumbscrew, twist the lock knob to secure and you’re ready to work. (To watch a Mortise Pal in action, click here.)
I don’t cut mortises with a router most times; I have a mortise machine for that task. But, if you don’t have a dedicated mortise tool, a Mortise Pal is a good choice. (Hand-tool Neanderthals take a breath, please.) One area that always bothered me when building furniture was when I mitered a base frame on a chest of drawers or other case piece. I often chose to use a biscuit joiner for the connection. Because the Mortise Pal fits the workpiece, especially if the piece is mitered, I see using the Mortise Pal there for a simple loose tenon connection, resulting in a strong joint.
Bottom line: the Mortise Pal is well-machined tool that works. I think it’s a bit pricy at $189, but the Mortise Pal has CNC machined anodized aluminum parts along with stainless steel parts, and the templates are polycarbonate. In my opinion, there was no skimping on manufacturing. Also, if you buy a dedicated mortise machine, you’ll spend more and not have the mobility or range of uses you have with this tool. And, you’ll get the job completed quicker than if you hog out material at a drill press, then clean up the mortise with your chisel.
Here’s a tip for routing mortises. Plunge the mortise area first, then slide the router along the cut to clean out and remove any left-behind waste material. I plunge the ends of the mortise then move to the center before clearing the cut. This may be old news for you, but I picked up the process just a little while back – there is always something new to learn while woodworking.
– Glen D. Huey
Mortise Pal Manual.pdf (785.41 KB)
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4/18/2008 1:23:47 PM (Eastern Daylight Time, UTC-04:00)
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Tuesday, April 15, 2008
Tool Review: Veritas Dovetail Saw Guide
Lee Valley Tools sent out a new product release for a guide used for cutting dovetails. It’s not really a new guide, but a new angle for the guide. The reconfigured Veritas 14º Dovetail Guide (05T0205) has a 14º-angle cut instead of the 7º or 9º slope that's associated with the oft-quoted dovetail ratios of 1:8 and 1:6. (For more on my thoughts about dovetail angles, click here or at the bottom of this entry.)
I’ve had occasion to use a 1:6 ratio guide, and although it was for a limited amount of time, I was very impressed with the way the guide held the saw in the correct position for woodworkers. So, I was interested in getting the new design into the shop to evaluate after a lengthier period of use.
The guide is made with an anodized aluminum body and has a 3/4" rare earth magnet embedded at both ends of the jig. Those magnets grip your saw and hold it at the correct position, angled at 14º. Each end of the guide is covered with UHMW plastic to protect the jig, and your saw, as you make cuts. The guide and complete instructions come as one package, or you can purchase the guide, instructions and a saw as a second package.
Any saw without a back can be used with the guide and Lee Valley has the saw they recommend (click here to see the guide with that saw), but I had another idea. The Autumn 2007 Woodworking Magazine (issue #8) ran an article discussing flush-cut saws. In that article we listed Lee Valley’s kugihiki (60T06.20) as "highly recommended." I used this flush-cut saw with the guide and found it worked great. I recommend purchasing the kugihiki and making the saw work double duty as both your dovetail guide saw and your flush-cut saw.
This guide does not automatically produce a dovetail joint. You need an understanding of dovetails at the outset. You’ll need to know the difference between "tails" and "pins" as well as have a certain understanding of layout and what’s the waste side of your layout lines (information provided in the included instructions). With that information at hand, this guide helps improve the quality and accuracy of your cuts.
I’m a "pins first" dovetailer, so naturally I began cutting the pins. This is the only experience I had with the guide earlier and I knew the jig worked great here. I started with a half pin on both ends of my board, then positioned and cut two full pins in between. Once the guide is clamped at a layout line, the saw snapped to the magnet and was held perfectly vertical as I made the 14º cut. The cut came out perfectly straight. Next, I chopped out the waste to finish my pins and used the pin board as a layout tool for the tails.
A sharp pencil provides tight, accurate lines and that’s exactly what I needed to position the guide. The clamp portion of the guide can be removed and repositioned to cut the tails of the joint, too (see the photo at right). I set the guide so my pencil lines were just covered – that forces you to cut on the waste side of your lines – and made the cuts that define the tails. Clean out the pin waste and the tails portion of the joint is complete. Slide the pins into the tails and the dovetail joint is made. This guide can also be used to cut half-blind dovetails.
To read more about dovetail angles, click here.
– Glen D. Huey
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4/15/2008 1:57:14 PM (Eastern Daylight Time, UTC-04:00)
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Monday, March 17, 2008
Sharpening System in a Box
Norton IM83 Portable Waterstone Sharpening System
I'm not the most organized person in the world. In fact, I'm without argument the messiest person in our office and shop. I do OK if there is a system in place that I can follow without thinking too much about it. But if there isn't a place for everything, then I just put everything all over the place. This is one of the reasons I like the Norton IM83 Sharpening Set. In one case, which is just a bit larger than a lunchbox, is everything I need to keep my edge tools honed.
In the top of the box is a three-sided gizmo that holds three waterstones: #1000, #4000, and #8000 grit. It is designed to hold two of the stones in a bath of water, and the third in position for use. As I move up through the grits, rotating the holder brings the next stone into position, soaked and ready to use. I don't have room for a dedicated sharpening station, or the discipline to keep myself from piling stuff on one if I had it, so this makes it easy to contain the mess when it's time to hone, and it only takes a minute to pack it all back up.
In the bottom of the box is a second storage compartment where a flattening stone lives, and there is space down there for a few rags and other sharpening sundries. Also included in the set is a DVD on techniques for sharpening freehand. I learned to sharpen before workable jigs to hold the chisels or plane irons were readily available, and I have a philosophical bias to sharpening freehand. My argument is this: To use edge tools effectively you need to develop a feel for the relationship between your hands, the work and the tool. Sharpening is a great way to develop this feel, although I will admit it took time to learn and sometimes I have a bad day when a jig might be helpful.
One of the things I like about the Norton waterstones is that they are abrasive enough to cut quickly, but soft enough to provide useful feedback while sharpening. Some people may find the #4000- and #8000-grit stones to be too soft; it is possible to poke a corner of the tool into the stone. When I learned to sharpen, I was taught to try and take a slice off the stone with the tool. In the six months that I've been using these stones, I've learned to be less heavy-handed and apply more pressure coming back than going forward. I start to sharpen by putting the primary bevel flat on the stone.
I then raise the handle of the tool a bit to make the secondary bevel a few degrees steeper. I lock my wrists and move the edge back and forth in as straight a line as I can. Swinging with my shoulders while keeping my elbows and wrists locked works for me. I'm not picky about the exact angles involved; I've found if I'm in the neighborhood, the tool will work. With the Norton waterstones, if I'm applying too much pressure to one side or if I'm at too steep of an angle, I'll remove a tiny divot from the surface of the stone. This annoyed me at first, but now I feel that it is making me a better sharpener.
Bringing the stones back to a flat surface is quick work with the flattening stone, and the stones are 1" thick. It would take a truly obsessive sharpener a long time to wear one out, but it is possible. My conclusion is that Norton has reached a good compromise with the composition of these stones. They cut fast, leave a keen edge and can be easily maintained. Having the complete set in one handy box that fits in a small space is a plus. The kit sells for around $200 from many retailers, and is also available with oilstones instead of waterstones. I think it's an excellent solution for sharpening. And if you need the jig, there's room to store it in the bottom of the box.
-- Bob Lang
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3/17/2008 4:20:42 PM (Eastern Daylight Time, UTC-04:00)
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Friday, January 04, 2008
Tool Test: Craftsman Three-base Router Kit
In our June 2007 issue we reviewed two-base router kits. You can read the full review in Adobe PDF format by clicking here. One of the routers in the test, from Craftsman, was nearly identical to the router from Bosch. As summer ended, we began to get calls and e-mails from readers telling us that the Craftsman router was not to be found. Following up, we learned that Sears had discountinued this model, and would be replacing it with a similar router in a three-base kit, including a D-handle base along with the plunge base and standard base. We've had the new router in our shop for a few weeks, and here are my impressions of it, comparing it to the earlier kit and the other routers we tested.
 The price of this kit is around $200, similar to other tools in the group, and the same as the previous kit. The motor had plenty of power, but it was louder and had more vibration than the earlier one. The on/off switch can't be reached without taking a hand off the tool. It also has an electronic soft-start feature that takes several seconds to reach operating speed. The motor housing is flat on top, so it will sit upside down on the bench when changing bits. A spindle lock engages with a pin for one-wrench bit changes. Changing bases was relatively easy, but with the fixed bases, the fine adjustment override has to be pushed in before clamping the motor in place. The override also needs to be pushed to remove the motor. When this is done with the motor unclamped, the motor will drop if you're not holding on to it. The plunge mechanism has a strong spring, works smoothly and locks by pulling the lever down. The fine depth adjustments are a little sloppy on all three bases, and can be reached from above for adjustments when mounted in a router table. Unclamping the motor to use the fine adjustment changes the height slightly, so zeroing in to a final measurement can be awkward. The base plates hold standard template guides and are made from a clear plastic that is flexible and not quite flat. All in all the router would have rated in the bottom half of the group we tested. There are some nice extra features; vacuum attachments, an LED work light and a decent fence. If having the third base is more important than the quirks, it might be considered a good value. More information on this tool is available from Craftsman.— Bob Lang
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1/4/2008 10:40:30 AM (Eastern Standard Time, UTC-05:00)
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Wednesday, January 02, 2008
Tool Test: Wooden Miter Plane from Philly Planes
Vintage wooden-bodied miter planes are fairly rare birds (at least in the Midwest), so I was quite eager to try a new one made by Philip Edwards in England.
While I'm well-versed in metal-bodied miter planes, I had to educate myself a bit on the history of the wooden ones before putting Edward's plane to use in the Popular Woodworking shop.
John M. Whelan's seminal book "The Wooden Plane" (Astragal Press) says that miter planes appeared in tool catalogs for about 100 years, starting in 1826. There are two major variations: an English tool with the iron bedded with the bevel facing up – like a metal-bodied miter plane. And an American version with the iron bedded with the bevel down.
Edward's miter plane is mostly in the American style. The massive 1/4"-thick cutter is bedded at 38° with the bevel facing down, like a traditional bench plane. The miter plane's iron is secured with a simple wedge and does not have a cap iron, sometimes called a chipbreaker.
This turns out to be a good arrangement. Because the bevel is facing down in this tool, there isn't much of the wooden sole supporting the blade up by the tool's cutting edge. So the thick cutter is a must to prevent blade chatter.
However, the plane does have a bit of English in it. Edwards added a strip of dense end grain directly in front of the mouth of the tool – an English feature, according to Whelan. Because of the way miter planes are used, this is an excellent detail.
Miter planes can be used for a wide variety of chores – not just for trimming the short grain of a miter. The block-like shape of the tool allows it to be used on a shooting board for trimming end grain. Also, the plane serves as an excellent large-scale block plane – it's excellent for trimming the long-grain edges of boards. And the tool's 10"-long sole helps ensure your edges stay straight.
All in all, the plane is quite well-made. The wedge and the wooden body (called the "stock") are goncalo alves, a fairly dense tropical hardwood. The corners of the tool have handsome wide chamfers, like many early wooden-bodied planes. And the plane weighs in at 2 lbs. 12 oz., which gives it the kind of mass I like in a plane designed for a shooting board.
As far as fit and finish go, it is a quality tool, though not as refined as a plane from Clark & Williams in Eureka Springs, Ark. Nor does the Edward's plane have the same price tag. Edwards charges 85 pounds Sterling for the tool (with the sorry state of the U.S. dollar these days, that's about $170, a good price for a tool of this quality).
My only difficulty with the plane came while I set it up. The wooden stock had moved during its trip across the Atlantic and the sole needed to be trued up. A few minutes on a sheet of sandpaper adhered to some granite and the tool was ready to go. Truing the sole of any of these tools will tend to open up the mouth of the tool, and the mouth on the tester went from infinitesimally small to about 1/64", which is still a very tight mouth.
For now, Edwards is a part-time planemaker. His day job is carpentry – fitting kitchens, hanging doors and the like. Edwards also has been writing articles for British woodworking magazines (Good Woodworking and The Woodworker) and plans to become a full-time planemaker in 2008. His web site – PhillyPlanes.co.uk – already offers a variety of wooden planes and accessories, including a sweet mini panel-raising plane that I reviewed in the February 2008 issue of Popular Woodworking.
Both of these tools are excellent workers, and I recommend them without any reservations. If these tools are any indication, I think Edwards is going to succeed in his new venture.
— Christopher Schwarz
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1/2/2008 3:32:27 PM (Eastern Standard Time, UTC-05:00)
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Tuesday, December 18, 2007
Tool Test: Veritas Small Plow Plane
Plow planes are workhorse of the hand-tool shop when it comes to cutting joints with a plane. With a plow plane you can, if you are so inclined, cut many of the important joints for a carcase: rabbets, grooves and even tongues.
Before electric power tools became affordable, plow planes were even a status symbol among craftsmen. If there was one fancy tool with ivory inlay and nickel silver tips in your chest, it was your plow.
Since World War II, plow planes have all but vanished from tool catalogs – their functions being taken up by routers and table saws. But now Veritas, the manufacturing arm of Lee Valley Tools, has revived this important form. And I think that anyone who gives this tool a try will get hooked on how easy it is to use, how crisp the results are and how fast you can make simple joints. The Veritas version of this tool improves on many of the details of the old tools (both the metal and wooden versions) that have vexed woodworkers for generations. Let’s start with the fence, which is the heart of the plow.
To make a straight groove, the fence must be locked parallel to the skate – the thin rail of iron that’s the plane’s sole. All vintage plows I’ve worked with require fussing to get the fence parallel. The Veritas makes it almost impossible to skew the fence, and you can thank router technology for that. Veritas uses, in essence, router collets to lock the fence in place. And the collets work quite well.
Another improvement is the fence itself. Wooden plows eject shavings onto the bench (nice). But vintage metal plows eject them into your fence and hand. This means that you have to clear that trap every few passes. Veritas improved the way shavings eject. And though it’s not a jam-free set-up, you do have to clear the tool of curls far less than usual.
The third major improvement is in the controls themselves. Everything adjusts through knurled knobs – no tools are required. Metal plows require at least one screwdriver. Wooden plows require a mallet to adjust.
The Veritas comes with a 1⁄4" cutter (the most useful size) in durable A2 steel. Four other sizes are available from 1⁄8" to 3⁄8". The plane body is lightweight at 1 lb. 14 oz. and is made from unbreakable ductile iron. The plane costs $199 with a 1/4" cutter. Additional cutters are available individually or in a set. The plane is available only through Lee Valley Tools.
In use, I found the tool superior to my old plows. Everything locks with hand pressure, and the tool balances on the work. The fence has a large bearing surface so you can keep it firmly against your work, a critical point (and the fence is bored to accept a longer wooden fence if you require it). The workmanship on the tool is top-notch.
Here’s the best part: This is the Veritas Small Plow. With a name like that, you have to think that other versions are on the way.
— Christopher Schwarz 
Made for joinery. Here you can see how the fence is relieved so you can close it up to cut rabbets. Also note the slight curved shape of the depth stop. This prevents the stop from ramming into your work.
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12/18/2007 8:03:14 AM (Eastern Standard Time, UTC-05:00)
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Monday, November 05, 2007
Glen-Drake Wild West Joinery Saw-New Idea in Sawing
I’m confident with most hand tools, except for the saw. I can go months without using a plane or chisel, pick one up and get the results I want. Not so with the saw. I don’t get enough practice to begin with so I make warm up cuts before making a critical cut, and then sweat my way through it. More often than not, I deliberately cut wide and then adjust with a chisel, shoulder plane or rasp. I envy woodworkers who can put joints together right off the saw.
Kevin Drake, of Glen-Drake Tool Works tells me I’m not alone, and that the problem isn’t with me, it is with the design of most woodworking saws. Kevin is no stranger to reinventing the wheel. His Tite-Mark marking gauge and line of hammers are evidence that many of the tools we take for granted can be improved. 
When I visited Glen-Drake last February, I saw a prototype of this saw and was sworn to secrecy. I wasn’t quite sure what to think of it at the time. This is such a radical change from what I’m used to that it’s going to take a while to decide if this is the saw for me. I can say without reservation that it is extremely well made, a tremendous amount of thought has gone into it, and it works as advertised. The teeth on any saw do the work, but on conventional saws they also cause some problems. The first issue is in getting the cut started. The set of the teeth tend to pull the saw blade off the line, and the resistance of the teeth makes it difficult to gain momentum without straying from the target. At the end of the stroke, the teeth tend to grab. This slows things down and is another opportunity to get off course. 
Glen-Drake’s solution is to eliminate the teeth at the very front and very back of the saw. This radical approach solves both the problems mentioned above. Instead of starting a cut tentatively at the back of the blade, you start at the front. A line from the marking knife helps, but using the Glen-Drake Kerf-Starter is even better. The Kerf-Starter is the same thickness as the saw blade, and as its name implies it establishes a slot for the blade to ride in as the cut begins. 
The teeth are also filed progressively, finer at the front and back, and more aggressive in the middle of the blade. If you think about the physics of a saw stoke, you start, speed up and then slow down to make the return stroke. The peculiar grind of this blade makes each of these actions easier and more natural. The brass back is also heavy enough to provide all the downward force you need. The old saying is to “let the saw do the work” and this saw has been designed to do just that. Making a cut with the Wild West Joinery saw is almost effortless, just push, hang on and steer. 
What you hang on to is the most radical feature. Instead of one handle, there are two, and the saw is used with a two-handed grip, standing directly behind it. This makes it easier to push the saw and to control it. It is much like steering a motorcycle by leaning, a little pressure from one thumb makes a big difference. After lining up the front of the saw, it is pushed forward one complete stroke. At the end of the stroke, the back edge of the saw is compared to the layout line, any needed corrections to course made, and then the saw is drawn back and pushed forward for another stroke. 
After a few strokes, I started to get the hang of it and began to saw continuously, stopping now and then to check my progress. The technique works well and the only real problem I had with it was unlearning old habits. I imagine that someone just starting out might be able to significantly shorten the sawing learning curve. It is very easy to get this saw started on the right track, and once started it is easy to continue. Momentum, gravity, body position and movement are all on your side. Glen-Drake has a free video available (call 800-961-1569) that details using the saw as well as the company’s other tools. It’s worth taking a look and giving some thought. This is a premium quality saw, and an interesting new method.
--Bob Lang
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11/5/2007 9:13:52 AM (Eastern Standard Time, UTC-05:00)
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Tuesday, October 23, 2007
Tool Test: Ridgid’s New 13" Portable Planer
Most woodworkers consider the thickness planer to be one of the most important machines in a woodshop. As a result, many manufacturers have produced a variety of sizes in planers. None has been written about as much as the 13" portable planer.
This size planer has gone through a multitude of changes over the years with each transition making it a better machine. More features are being added, and the tool is growing into a workhorse in most home shops.
Ridgid has an improved version of its portable planer, the new R4330. This 15-amp machine has new features, but it retains the useful features from the previous model.
The improvements start with the guts of the machine. What used to be a two-knife cutterhead is now a three-knife design. Also, the rpm was increased by more than 10 percent. The planer now produces 30,000 cuts per minute (CPM) versus only 18,000 CPM with the prior unit. That greatly improves the cutting performance of the machine.
Plus, the newly designed knives are still of the dual-edge, quick-change variety; each is self-indexing and self-aligning, and you can adjust the knives from side-to-side to compensate for small nicks. A complete knife change can be accomplished in 30 minutes or less.
According to Ridgid, differences in the appearance of finished cuts from either of the two cutting speeds on competing models was negligible, so the company decided against a two-speed function for the R4330 planer, settling on a single speed of 96 cuts per inch at a feed rate of 26 feet per minute.
A significant design change in the R4330 planer is a four-post design on which the cutterhead travels instead of the two-post design used in the past. Ridgid officials said the cutterhead is secure enough in this design that it eliminated the depth-of-cut locking mechanism from the machine.
On portable planers, as with the R4330, snipe is controlled by adjusting the infeed and outfeed tables. However, right out of the box, this planer showed little snipe and it was at the trailing end of the board. So little in fact, that regular sanding would correct the problem.
An improved dust hood that opens and closes by simply rotating the hood door is a nice added feature. No planer should be used without proper dust collection, but there are times when being able to open the door to clear an obstruction is an added benefit.
The “Repeat-A-Cut” and “Ind-I-Cut” features are from the previous model. I found the Repeat-A-Cut feature handy to use. Being able to reach one of eight different thicknesses by selecting a predetermined depth stop builds accuracy into your work. I did, however, find the Ind-I-Cut feature to be a bit fussy and not as accurate to use.
Ridgid’s 13" portable planer is available at Home Depot for $349. That’s a savings of $50 versus the older model. However, no extra set of knives is included and if you want a stand it’ll be extra, too. Also, check the box to ensure you’re buying the new machine. Both models have identical Home Depot SKU numbers. (more specifications are available on Ridgid's web site.)
— Glen D. Huey
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10/23/2007 8:36:30 AM (Eastern Daylight Time, UTC-04:00)
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Thursday, August 02, 2007
Bosch Riving Knife — No More Excuses for Woodworkers
This year at the AWFS show we saw several new table saws with new guard systems that include riving knives. I wrote about it here on the blog and the other day one of these saws, the Bosch 4100 jobsite saw, arrived on our loading dock. I unpacked the saw this morning, and we'll have a full review in an upcoming issue of Popular Woodworking. For now, here's a close look at this innovative guard system.  The guard consists of three components – the riving knife/splitter, the anti-kickback pawls and the blade cover. The best thing about this guard is the engineering that makes it the most user-friendly system I have seen. The reasons many woodworkers don't regularly use guards are 1) it takes too long to remove, replace and realign the guard, and 2) it gets in the way when you're setting up for a cut, or when the fence is close to the blade. The two plastic side shields on this guard lift up and out of the way and there is a catch to hold the guard up until you want to lower it.  The blade cover attaches to the riving knife/splitter by clamping into place. The lever in my hand releases the guard and it then is easily removed from the saw. Elapsed time for this operation is about five seconds.  The anti-kickback pawls release in a similar fashion. Squeezing a button disengages a pin and the pawls lift out of the way. This also only takes a few seconds, and you can leave the blade cover in place and remove the pawls independently.  After removing the table insert, another lever releases the riving knife/splitter. This doesn't come out of the machine, but it slides in an arced slot and locks in one of three positions. The lever clamps the splitter against a flat piece that is part of the arbor assembly, so it is always in line with the blade. In the top position, it comes up above the top of the blade to allow the blade cover and pawls to attach.  The middle position brings the top of the knife just below the top of the saw blade. If you're making a non-through cut (like a rabbet or a groove) the knife is still acting as a splitter by keeping material against the fence, and by keeping it from binding on the blade. The lowest position drops the knife completely below the blade, out of the way for changing blades.  The riving knife stays in this position when you raise, lower, or tilt the blade. It shields the teeth at the back of the blade to prevent the piece you're cutting from coming in contact with the saw blade. If you look at the picture, you can see that these teeth are the ones most likely to grab something and throw it up and back. Hats off to Bosch for putting this in place; I'm hoping this is a sign of things to come for all table saws. — Robert W. Lang
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8/2/2007 2:33:49 PM (Eastern Daylight Time, UTC-04:00)
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Saturday, June 30, 2007
Convert a Handplane into a Scraper Plane With New Custom Tooling
Long-time toolmaker Paul Hamler has developed a new device that can
turn many handplanes (both vintage and new) into a scraping plane that
is easier to set up, tune and use than any other scraping plane I’ve
used.
I’ve been working with a pre-production version of this scraping insert
– which simply replaces the frog on your plane – for about three weeks
now. And already I’m convinced that I want one in my personal toolkit
and I’ve placed an order with Hamler. This is despite the fact that
neither the price (an estimated $125 to $150) nor the delivery date
(some time later in 2007) is yet firm.
But I’m getting ahead of myself here. There are lots of questions that
first must be answered about this unusual piece of equipment and why it
might belong in your shop. Some readers might even wonder why anyone
should spend money on a scraping plane when a card scraper can be had
for $7 to do the same job. (The reason is that a card scraper is more likely to dish your surface,
leaving ugly ripples that show up when you apply a film finish. Scraper
planes don't do that.)
In fact, one of the first questions is why bother with this scraping
insert when there’s another one available from Lee Valley Tools. Good
question. The interesting answer is that the Veritas Scraping Plane Insert was invented by Hamler (he, Leonard Lee and John S. Lynn are listed as the inventors on the 1996 patent papers).
Hamler says he thought the design and materials of the original could
be improved upon and so he developed this new insert and is producing
and selling it himself.
And indeed, this new insert is almost nothing like the Veritas version. Here’s how it works:
The insert fits into the wide-bodied Bailey-pattern and Bed
Rock-pattern planes made by Stanley – the Nos. 4-1/2, 5-1/2, 6 and 7.
The Bed Rock version also will fit Lie-Nielsen wide-bodied planes of
the same sizes.
To install the insert you remove the entire frog assembly of your plane
and replace it with Hamler’s device. Tighten the plane’s frog mounting
screws and the job is done. The scraper, a thin 2-1/2"-wide piece of
steel, drops into the tool and is secured with a single thumbscrew.
This looks and feels just like Stanley’s old scraper planes, such as
the Nos. 12, 112 and 212. But this is where the similarity to the old (and existing new) tools ends.
Intuitive Controls
The way you adjust Hamler’s scraping insert is truly ingenious and
improves upon more than 100 years of doing things the hard way. What’s
the hard way? If you own a scraping plane, you already know the answer.
You adjust the cut of a traditional scraping plane by pitching the
scraper backward and forward. Tipping the scraper forward makes the cut
deeper and more aggressive. Tipping it back has the opposite effect.
One of the most frustrating things about the old mechanism is that it’s
a true pain to change the angle. You change it by loosening two jam
nuts. Then you twist one to tip the tooling forward or twist the
other tip it back. Then you have to retighten the two jam nuts and test
your cut. If you don’t get it the first time (and you won’t) then it’s
back to the jam nuts for another round of righty-tighty time.
Hamler’s insert replaced the forward jam nut with a strong spring. So
to adjust the scraper forward you turn the knob counter-clockwise and
take a cut. To move the scraper back you turn the knob clockwise and
take a cut. No jam nuts. No overshooting your mark. It works and feels
much more like using a bench plane than the torture device that is the
No. 112’s mechanism.
So how does Hamler get away with removing that forward jam nut? Isn’t
it necessary to keep the insert rigid during the cut? Nope. The forward
jam nut is a gill slit or an appendix. You need only one nut to keep
the insert rigid because rigidity is important only when the tool is
cutting – and that’s what the rear knob does. The spring keeps all the
parts in tension so things aren’t flopping around annoyingly on the
return stroke.
But About That Length…
The other curious aspect of the insert is that Hamler made it for (and
demonstrates it in) a jointer plane body. That’s a 22"-long plane.
Traditional scraper planes are much more like smoothing planes (the No.
112 is about 9" long). Why do you need a scraper insert in a jointer
plane?
I haven’t talked to Hamler about this specifically, so he might have
another opinion on it. But here are my thoughts. Scraper planes excel
at dealing with large surfaces that have a lot of grain problems. I use
them especially when dealing with glued-up tabletops. When you glue up
a top, the first order of business is to arrange the boards to best
appearance. But that might involve a lot of boards that have grain
running in opposite directions.
Hand planing a top like this is a massive pain. And getting the seams
right is enough to drive one to the random-orbit sander. But a scraper
plane can generally ignore grain reversals. So you can flatten the top
with a jointer plane and then follow up with a jointer-sized scraper
with no problem. In other words, just skip the smoothing plane when the
deck is stacked against you and go right to the scraper plane.
This is a time-saver in unexpected ways. Typically, I’d try to deal
with a top first with a jointer plane, then a high-angle smooth plane,
then a card scraper to deal with localized tear-out, then sandpaper to
blend the planed and scraped surfaces together. With the Hamler insert
I can go from jointer plane to jointer scraper to a bit of hand sanding.
If you like the shorter format, you can always put the insert in a No.
4-1/2 and it will be much like a No. 112. But I like the extra mass of
the No. 6 that I have the prototype in. Plus, the longer plane will
result in a flatter surface than a shorter plane or the washboarding
that comes with a card scraper in inexperienced hands.
Another objection that some woodworkers might make is that you can convert a bench plane, HNT Gordon
plane or bevel-up plane to a scraping plane using various tricks (such
as large back bevels, turning the iron over or honing a very steep
secondary bevel). All of these work; I’ve tried them. But they don’t
allow you to change the pitch of the tool forward and back, and that’s
useful when dealing with different species and different hooks on the
scraper. The Hamler insert handles this task with enormous ease. Plus, the Hamler insert can hold scrapers of different thicknesses so
you can choose a thick one for aggressive work or a thin one for light
cuts in tricky burls.
The pre-production model shown in these photos is utilitarian-looking,
according to Hamler. The production version will have more spit and
polish. Believe that. If you’ve ever seen any of Hamler’s other work
(he specializes in miniature tools), it’s impressive.
Hamler doesn’t have a web site, but you can contact him via e-mail at hamlertools@alltel.net to inquire about getting your name on the list for one of these tools.
— Christopher Schwarz
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6/30/2007 10:25:32 AM (Eastern Daylight Time, UTC-04:00)
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Thursday, June 28, 2007
Philip Marcou Handplanes on Sale until July 8
If you've been pondering ordering a handplane from Philip Marcou after my review of his plane in both Popular Woodworking and a longer review in the Fine Tool Journal (read the review in its entirety at wkfinetools.com), this is a good time.
Marcou and his worldwide distributor, Wiktor Kuc, are offering a 10 percent discount on S45 and S20A planes (15 percent off if you buy two or more). You can get the details from Marcou's U.S. web site.
Below is the review I wrote of the plane we borrowed from Marcou. If you work with nasty exotic woods, this plane is a champ.
From the June 2007 Tool Test in Popular Woodworking:
Marcou S20A Smoothing Plane Great for ExoticsIf you work with exotic woods – the nasty, stringy stuff that no plane can tame – then Philip Marcou would like to build you an equally exotic handplane. Marcou, a New Zealand cabinetmaker-turned-toolmaker, builds premium planes designed to easily achieve the high cutting angles that work with exotic woods.
For several months, I borrowed an S20A smoothing plane from Marcou to use, and I spent that time looking for exotic woods that the tool would not plane. Of the 15 or so woods I tried, the Marcou S20A handled them all with ease.
The plane works with the bevel facing up, like a block plane, so you can increase the cutting angle of the tool simply by increasing the sharpening angle on your iron. The iron is bedded at 20°, so by honing a 40° angle on the iron I was planing at 60°. There are lots of planes that can do this, of course, but the Marcou shines because of its mass (it weighs almost 9 pounds) and the fact that you can close up the mouth to an aperture that’s perfect for smoothing. In fact, when the mouth is closed all the way, the aperture is spot-on for taking a .001"-thick shaving. That is some high-tolerance engineering, and it’s one of the reasons the tool costs $1,995.
Like any tool that costs this much, everything about the Marcou is finished to a high degree. The depth-of-cut adjuster is as smooth as silk. The dovetails that join the sole and sidewalls are seamless. My only complaint with the tool was I found the rear tote a bit uncomfortable for my hand. Marcou said he’s refining the tote shape and will, of course, fit a tote to a user’s hand.
Owning a Marcou is like owning a Jaguar. You might not need one to get to work every day, but its beauty and performance make you lust wildly for it.
— Christopher Schwarz
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6/28/2007 9:12:32 AM (Eastern Daylight Time, UTC-04:00)
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Wednesday, June 27, 2007
Tool Review: A New (?) Jet Mortiser
An old friend dropped into the Popular Woodworking shop this week. You know how nice it is to see old friends. Memories flood back about the first time you met and the times you’ve spent together.
The interesting thing is that our friends change as time passes. Upon greeting them again you can’t help but notice something is different. I noticed right away that my friend was changed.
Usually it’s the weight. Not this time (although I can’t say the same about myself). My friend has a completely different look – almost pale in color. Much different from the yellowish-brown cast I was so use to seeing.
Allow me to introduce my friend. What I knew as the Powermatic 719A is now known as the Jet JFM-5 mortise machine. (Jet tools are painted white.) You’ll have to dig deep at the Jet web site for information. Use stock number 708589K. In fact, not many distributors know about this tool.
Back in 1999, Powermatic, a company whose founder began making machinery on a farm in 1921, became part of the WMH group. WHM owned Jet and Performax. The three companies, along with Wilton Tool Company, joined to form WMH Tool Group as we know them today.
Now you can see how my friend changed from a mustard color to Jet white. Sometime back, Powermatic decided to morph the 719A machine to the 719T version. The "T" stood for tilting head. I’m not sure why the tilting head was added. I’ve never seen the need for that feature during all my woodworking days. Also, the decision to discontinue the original 719A w as a wonder to me. I would pass on the tilting head design. Maybe that’s why they dropped the 719A from the line.
Now it’s back. At least by first appearance it’s back. Everything that I’ve studied so far is the same. Mind you, I might have missed something that I’ll notice when I spend more time getting reacquainted with my friend. And I’ve planned a huge amount of work for the new mortiser.
I’ve used this design for many years – but I used a benchtop mortise machine when I started building furniture. In fact I used two of them over a period of three years. Both benchtop tools gave out. The handle that locked the fence in position broke on both machines. So when it was time to purchase a third, I wanted the best that was available. To me, that was the 719A or what is now the JFM-5.
The table is the primary reason I consider this the best mortiser for the woodworking shop. Using those early machines required that I hold the work by hand while cutting the mortise, then slide the workpiece to the next point of plunge.
The left and right travel of the JFM-5 table – no more repositioning the work – is a dream. Large hand wheels control the table's front-to-back movement for setting up the mortise, as well as the side-to-side movement while performing the work. All the while the workpiece is held fast and tight in the table. It's clamped in position.
Nearly ever piece of furniture I’ve built involves mortise-and-tenon joints somewhere in the construction. My mortiser has always stepped up to the job and finished the work without hassles. If the newly transformed JFM-5 does what the old Powermatic 719A did, I highly recommend you get this tool.
 Everything you’ll need for your mortises is included with the JFM-5. You get the machine plus three chisel bushings (5/8", 3/4" and 1-1/8") and a chuck-extension adapter. The JFM-5 is available at toolking.com priced at $770 and I’ve found mention of it in a Jet flyer for $750.
I hope that WHM Tool Group continues to make this machine available. If you use mortise and tenons, you’ll find this tool as important to your work as I have. Developing new friendships is one of the good things in woodworking.
–Glen Huey
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6/27/2007 11:13:55 AM (Eastern Daylight Time, UTC-04:00)
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Tuesday, May 29, 2007
Tool Review: Veritas Surface Clamp
 Speaking as a man with a self-diagnosed "workbench sickness," you'd think I'd be goo-goo-eyed over new workbench accessories. But most of the time that's not the case. I like to design workbenches that require the fewest number of gadgets to make them work.  I think a couple holdfasts and a simple vise (or two) can work wonders when installed correctly. So when the new Veritas Surface Clamp showed up in the shop, I was a bit suspicious. It works a bit like a hold-down clamp and a bit like the Stanley 203 bench bracket, which has been venerated, hated but never imitated. The Veritas Surface Clamp is an ingenious device. It allows you to put a holdfast-like clamp anywhere you can bore a 3/4"-diameter hole that is at least 5/8" deep. That simple trick lets you apply vertical clamping power in places no holdfast, hold-down or F-style clamp could ever go. For example, if you built a workbench with a complete set of cabinets below the benchtop, that usually prevents you from clamping things to the bench or from employing a holdfast. But the Veritas Surface Clamp works like a champ there.  The trickiness begins in the post that you insert into the hole. The Surface Clamp goes into the hole easily when loosened. Then you turn the brass clamp knob on the top and the two wedge-shaped pieces at the bottom of the post shift until the post is secure. The clamping action works remarkably fast and holds so well I couldn't pull the device from its hole when it was secured. Then you swing the arm into position and turn the brass clamp screw to tighten the pressure pad on your work. There is some more cleverness in the design here. The arm moves rapidly up and down the post until you start tightening the clamp screw – then the arm locks. This takes some getting used to – it's sort of like a Bessey K-body clamp where you have to lift the clamp handle as you advance the clamp screw. The Surface Clamp is – hands down – one of the coolest workbench accessories I've seen since I first used a traditional holdfast. It's that good.  I do have one minor complaint and a caution. First, the caution: The clamp has a higher profile than the Veritas Hold-Down or a traditional holdfast. So when you have the device secured into the leg of your workbench, you are more likely to run into it. So watch yourself at first. The complaint is the same one I have with the excellent Veritas Wonder Dog: I wish the thread on the clamping screw advanced faster. It's a bit slow, I'm a bit impatient or both are true. But overall, the Surface Clamp (a $59.50 bench accessory available only from Lee Valley Tools) is an extraordinary solution to many clamping problems at the bench and on workshop jigs. — Christopher Schwarz
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5/29/2007 11:43:22 AM (Eastern Daylight Time, UTC-04:00)
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Wednesday, May 16, 2007
Tool Test - Wenzloff & Sons Saws
From June 2006 Popular Woodworking
Wenzloff & Sons Backsaws Make the Cut
The hand-tool crowd lives and dies by the hand saw. But even for the rest of us, no matter how many electrons we consume in our shops (and I consume my fair share) we all need a couple decent hand saws for the all-too-common tricky cut.
Now we have one more choice when selecting the right saw. Veteran cabinetmaker Mike Wenzloff of Forest Grove, Ore., has recently taken up custom sawmaking as his primary business and his early offerings are excellent. Thanks to his long career as a professional woodworker, Wenzloff’s backsaws are exceptionally functional and a joy to use – the wood, split brass nuts and brass back are expertly finished to a high degree.
I test drove two of his adaptations of the now-vanished Disston No. 9 backsaw – one saw was filed with rip teeth and the other with crosscut teeth. The saws are surprisingly large (201⁄2" long) and heavy (11⁄2 pounds) – both attributes are assets to cutting fast and true. The saws are hand-sharpened and track a line quite well.
The crosscut saw had 14 points per inch; the rip saw had 11 ppi. If you need something different, just ask. Wenzloff makes this saw in a variety of lengths and with 9 to 15 ppi. There also are a variety of wood species you can choose for the handle.
And if the price of the No. 9 is too much, Wenzloff also sells the saw as a nearly finished kit for $110 – you essentially finish shaping the handle and fit it to the blade.In addition to the No. 9 saw, Wenzloff also makes pure custom saws and a halfback saw – a smallish panel saw with a short brass back. Wenzloff was tweaking the handle of that saw at press time; we’ll give you an update on that saw and its performance in a future issue.
The Wenzloff saws rank up there with other premium makers, including Lie-Nielsen, Adria and Gramercy Tools. And, as a bonus, you can get your saw easily customized to your liking. I think you’ll be as impressed with these saws as I was.
— Christopher Schwarz
More information on these saws from Wenzloff & Sons
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5/16/2007 11:34:03 AM (Eastern Daylight Time, UTC-04:00)
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Tool Test - Grizzly G0459 Drum Sander
From June 2006 Popular Woodworking
Grizzly’s Baby Drum Sander Rocks
Early in my career I was spoiled forever by a 42"-wide, three-head wide-belt sander. I can’t keep from comparing other sanders to that, and this new drum sander from Grizzly isn’t that kind of machine. But it is, without a doubt, the best value in a thicknessing sander suitable for small-shop use that I have seen. Many small-scale sanders use lightweight materials and leave one end of the machine open to gain width capacity. Grizzly has taken a different approach – keep it simple and solid. It has some limitations in capacity and precision, but considering performance and price, this is the machine I want in my shop.
 It won’t sand a wide tabletop or a wide assembled door, but it can sand the parts before you put things together. I’d rather put together good parts than risk making more work with an unpredictable machine. I found no sniping or variation across the width from the pieces I sanded with the G0459. It was hard to hit a precise thickness due to the flexibility in the hook-and-loop abrasives, but this flexibility eliminates many of the problems found in rigid drums. It’s a trade-off I’m willing to make.
Setup was minimal; I needed only to attach the crank handle and dust port. The drum and drive motors had plenty of power and changing the abrasives was simple and painless. The conveyor belt is the same rubber found on industrial machines, and the gear-driven four-post height adjustment operated smoothly.
The pluses outweigh the minuses, but it isn’t a perfect machine. I’d move the speed control to the same side as the other controls, and change the knob that holds the lid down. If the hood were extended down, the dust collection would be improved, and the requirement to tape the ends of the abrasive rolls doesn’t seem right. I can easily live with these shortcomings to gain the performance, ease of use and predictability of this machine.
— Robert Lang
More information on the drum sander from Grizzly
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5/16/2007 11:13:52 AM (Eastern Daylight Time, UTC-04:00)
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Tool Test - Quick Stop LP Drill Press Table
From June 2006 Popular Woodworking
Dead-on accuracy from a drill press table isn’t necessary for woodworkers. But it sure is nice to be able to hold your work securely, and have a fence that guides the work with convenient stops for repeated cuts. Drill-press manufacturers haven’t bothered to provide such an animal with their machines, so it’s up to us to add it after the fact.
Aftermarket drill press tables either go too far or not far enough. The Quick-Stop LP from Woodpeckers is just about right. Priced at $129 (which is a little higher than we’d prefer, but acceptable) you get a good-sized table with four T-track inserts (two with scales). The tracks support the included two hold-downs (nice, convenient and solid) and a just-right fence.
The fence is a good length for woodworking needs and isn’t so tall that it interferes with the drill press chuck or handles. While the fence provides the necessary height for most drill press activities, there are applications where a taller fence would be advantageous, such as mortising. In those instances an auxilliary fence can be added. The fence is easily adjusted to the left or right with quick-release cam locks and from front to back with knurled knobs. But my favorite features are the two 1"-wide flip stops – there when you need them, and out of the way easily when you don’t.
Every woodworking drill press should come from the manufacturer complete with a table like this. But until that happens, it’s nice to know that the Woodpeckers Quick-Stop table is there for us.
— David Thiel
More information on the drill press table from Woodpeckers
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5/16/2007 11:00:46 AM (Eastern Daylight Time, UTC-04:00)
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