Discover our picks for the 12 Best New Tools of 2009 in the December issue of Popular Woodworking – if you’re a subscriber, you should be getting the new issue any day now (it will be available on newsstands late next week).While I can’t reveal the Best New Tools here, I can tell you that it’s a good year for small makers (though some major manufacturers won kudos as well). Here’s one hint (for those of you who have been reading the blog throughout the year): Christopher Schwarz got the first of these in, and Glen Huey and I each placed an order within days of using Chris's (and in a reversal of traditional gender color dichotomies, mine is blue; Glen's is pin...er...red).Also in the December issue:• Compact 12-volt Drill/Drivers – we test six to see which one bores and screws the best – for the best price. (They’re pictured above, if you care to take a guess as to the Editor’s Choice winner.) And, read about 18v drill/drivers here to compare them to their smaller, lighter cousins – and see which is right for you.• An elegy for Sam Maloof – John Economaki writes about his friendship with this maker of iconic, elegant furniture• An elegy for James Krenov – Ron Hock remembers one of the most influential woodworking writers in recent history• Bibliophile’s Bookcase – This large, Shaker-inspired bookcase provides plenty of book storage, with two drawers to boot• Build a Boomerang – Making a boomerang (or a bunch of them) is simple and fast – and these fun projects will set your head spinning• Shooting Boards – Small work is safer and easier to size when you work with a handplane and a ell-made shooting board• Seamless Curved-panel Glue-ups – With careful layout, you’ll be able to hide seam on even the widest panels, even when the grain throws you a curve.Plus, an “I Can Do That” recycling station, an inside looks at a Pennsylvania Spice Box in Arts & Mysteries, finishing with Gel Varnish and much more.— Megan Fitzpatrick
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