The other day, Senior Editor Glen D. Huey came over to my desk with a small cordless drill/driver from Milwaukee Tools. Glen asked if I would try it out and write a review of it for an upcoming issue. I've been using similar driver/drills from Bosch for several months, and I like the concept of a small driver with good power and the new Lithium-ion battery technology. When I built custom cabinets on a daily basis, drilling holes and driving screws was probably the most repeated task. After lifting a relatively heavy 12v drill and driving tens of thousands of screws, my wrists have sustained some wear and tear, so for me, lighter is better.

Glen mentioned that he had heard one complaint about the new Milwaukee driver – that the forward and reverse switch was easy to bump inadvertently while using the drill. He picked up the drill and with his index finger on the trigger, showed me how the switch was up against his finger. I took the drill back, and held it the way I would in using it, with my middle finger on the trigger and my index finger extended. In the picture to the left, the switch is in between my two fingers.

Glen mentioned that he never held a drill that way, and I told him I always hold one that way. Becoming curious about the difference, we did what we normally do when we have a disagreement about techniques. We got everyone in the office involved, handing people the drill and trying to get them to take sides.

Legacy Planeworks officially opened its doors on Tuesday and began selling kits that allow a home woodworker with no metalworking experience to build an English-style shoulder plane with naval brass sides, a steel sole and an exotic wood infill.

The company currently offers two sizes of shoulder planes – 1" wide and 3/4" wide – with prices starting at $425. And two more infill kits are on the drawing board: a chariot plane and a Norris-style A6 smoothing plane with a mechanical blade adjuster, says Marty Sivar, one of the owners of the company.

The kits have been in development for many months, Sivar says, and the parts are so finely machined that you can literally snap the metal dovetails in place when you take the parts out of the box.

"We wanted to offer a refined kit," Sivar said today in a phone interview, "not something you had to spend hours prepping the parts for assembly and cleaning them up."

The kits come with all the metal components you need (even the drill bits for boring the wood components). The home planemaker will need a ball pien hammer, a steel plate (or anvil) and a handful of files to complete the project, Sivar says. Legacy Planeworks also sells all the files required for planemaking on its web site: legacyplanes.com.

Some woodworkers might remember the kits that were sold by Shepherd Tool, a Canadian company run by two partners outside Toronto. After Shepherd's early success with its first Spiers-style smoothing plane kits, the company ran into some rocky times and shuttered its doors in early 2006 with a crowd of angry customers who were upset about a variety of problems, from not being able to get technical questions answered, kits that were missing parts, and credit cards that were charged with merchandise never shipped.

Sivar was one of those angry customers of Shepherd, and he said he and his partner, Ernie Barber, have set out to make sure that Legacy Planeworks is everything that Shepherd Tool was not.

Sivar says that the company's web site will not sell you a kit unless there are more than two in stock, and that every order will be shipped within two or three days of it being placed. Plus, Sivar says that Legacy now has plenty of kits on hand to sell right away (one of them is heading for our office for a full review, by the way).

The kit components for a Legacy shoulder plane (both photos courtesy of Legacy Planeworks).

Every kit has a money-back guarantee and includes a 52-page instruction manual that includes many step photos that will walk the planemaker through the process. The manual, Sivar says, has taken a long time to develop and has been through many revisions to make the instructions as complete and foolproof as possible.

"I think our customers will be very satisfied from the minute they open the box," Sivar says.

Sivar has experience both as a woodworker and a metalworker. He started his career as a machinist and then went into the military. After a short stint as a corporate pilot, Sivar completed some marketing and management training and went to work for a petro-chemical company, where he is now an area manager and nearing retirement. Barber works in law enforcement and is an accomplished woodworker and carver who specializes in 18th-century furniture.

Sivar says all the plane components are going to be professionally made by other metalworking companies to Legacy's specifications; that will leave Sivar and Barber to focus on working with current customers and developing future products.

Personally, I'm quite pleased to see someone getting back into this business. I built several of the Shepherd kits, including a couple smoothing planes, a chariot plane, a shoulder plane and a panel plane. Despite the glitches (my kits were missing critical parts, too) the overall experience was fun and you learn a lot about plane mechanics by building one of the tools.

I think it's especially encouraging that Legacy has started out offering just the shoulder plane kit. Of all the kits I built, that one was the easiest to complete and will likely give would-be planemakers a good taste of the process.

In the coming weeks, I'll post photos of the new kit and my progress building it.

— Christopher Schwarz

Has Festool started something big? Is it a new revolution in woodworking? No, I’m not referring to the Domino. That’s old news. Today, I’m writing about Plunge Cut Saws – saws that have a riving knife and so much more.

When the Popular Woodworking team was in Las Vegas for AWFS (Association of Woodworking & Furnishings Suppliers®), we wrote about the invasion of riving knives. We specifically were discussing table saws. But, handheld circular plunge-cut saws fit the bill too.

At AWFS, we spent a great evening with Delta/Porter-Cable. After dinner and entertainment, we were allowed to look at and touch the new tools on display, and talk with company employees about them; these were tools not released at the time. One such tool was a plunge-cut saw. I held the tool in my hands and felt the balance, and looked at the plunge action of the blade. It was very similar to Festool’s TS55EQ saw and the plan was to release the new Delta/Porter-Cable version in Europe sometime in early 2008.

A few weeks ago, I had the opportunity to use a TS55EQ (325 British pounds, US$481) for some work around my shop at home. I was overwhelmed at the ability of the saw. The tool runs on a track which made my cuts on plywood dead straight, and the finish cut was smooth and clean. I was so impressed that I assembled my information and thoughts into a Tool Test column for the April 2008 issue of Popular Woodworking (due to ship to subscribers this week and on sale at newsstands Feb. 26.) I highly recommend the TS55EQ.

Today, it was brought to my attention that a couple other companies have released or are releasing a handheld plunge-cut saw to the market – the European market. Makita has a plunge-type saw out in the U.K. while a DeWalt version is “Coming Soon.” Are they worth the investment? And, how do they stack up to a Festool saw?

Makita has released the SP6000K. It’s a 165 mm plunge saw that boasts a 1300-watt motor and a 55mm (2-1/8") depth of cut at 90º.  The SP6000K1 includes a 1.4m (nearly 55") guide rail and is priced at 239 British pounds (US$354). Click here for information.

DeWalt ramps up the choices of the plunge-cut saw to work with other tools in the DeWalt line. You can get a plunge-cut saw (DC351KL) with a 28v Li-ion battery (DeWalt’s nano technology battery) an 18v battery comparable with Dewalt’s XRP line (DC352KB) or you can revert back to the old days and purchase a corded version (DWS520K). The only pricing I could find was for the DC351KL. DeWalt’s saw is priced at 509.79 British pounds (US$756.00). Click here for details.

We couldn’t get any information about possible U.S. release dates or how  sales are in the U.K. market. If and/or when we get more news, we’ll let you know. In the meantime, check out the new saws. Maybe your next circular saw should be one with a riving knife that runs on a track. I hope each company has a released planned for the U.S. market – I can’t wait to get hold of each of these new saws.

What do you think? Is this saw strictly for plywood and sheet goods? Or, can you see using this set-up for all your circular-saw needs. Post a comment, but keep your eyes open for more information.

–Glen D. Huey

Make sure you don’t miss the Spring 2008 issue – click here to order your charter subscription to Woodworking Magazine by February 1.
— Megan Fitzpatrick

Like most woodworkers, we here at Popular Woodworking are fond of our cordless drill/drivers. So when two officials from Jacobs Chuck Manufacturing Co. showed up in our offices last week to show off a new aftermarket keyless chuck, they had our complete attention.

And it didn't hurt that the Jacobs officials also turned their little demonstration into a contest among the editors. First a bit about the new SoftGrip chucks, then I'll tell you about the contest.

The SoftGrip chuck replaces your stock chuck on your cordless drill, no matter if it's a 3/8" or 1/2" chuck, single-sleeve or double-sleeve. There are a number of advantages to the SoftGrip that are both obvious and unexpected.

The chuck is noticeably easier to close than a hard metal or smooth plastic chuck. And that's thanks to its soft, nubby, almost gummy-worm-like feel. You can really get a grip on the chuck to close it on the bit, which is great for anyone who suffers from arthritis or anything else that reduces his or her grip.

The soft grip isn’t just something molded onto the outside of the chuck. It's integrated into the structure of the chuck using a proprietary double-injection molding process, according to Mike Goodson, the core products development manager for Jacobs.

What that means for you and me is that the soft surface isn't going to peel off in use.

The SoftGrip can be lighter in weight than your stock chuck. For example, our stock Makita chuck weighs 9.2 ounces and the SoftGrip 3000 series chuck for that drill weighs 5.6 ounces. That weight difference is noticeable when you hold the drill and can also increase your drill's run-time by about 10 percent, according to James Hou, the product marketing manager.

However, the weight savings are mostly in the SoftGrip 3000 series of chucks, which uses more aluminum in its construction. The industrial version of the SoftGrip, the 6000 series, has more steel in its construction, which of course adds weight. Our stock Hitachi chuck weighs 9.3 ounces. The SoftGrip 6000 replacement weighs 10.2 ounces.

The only other consideration with the SoftGrip is that you have to get your old chuck off. Sometimes this is easy, and sometimes it is not, as I found out as I replaced the chucks on several drills. Here's the drill (sorry 'bout that): Remove the screw inside the chuck that secures it to the drill motor. It's a reverse-thread screw, so it's righty-loosey. Then you chuck a large Allen wrench into the jaws of the drill and knock the Allen wrench with a hammer to spin the chuck counterclockwise. This loosens the chuck and you then unscrew it off. Adding the SoftGrip is even easier (instructions are included).

Clamping the drill to the bench made it much easier for one editor to remove the chuck.

I had no problems replacing the chuck on our Milwaukee and Hitachi drills. Our Makitas gave us a little bit of a fight, but after a few love taps the chuck came loose. But the Ridgid drill simply refused. Everyone tried it last week (we even fetched former Senior Editor David Thiel – a brute – to try it). This morning Senior Editor Robert W. Lang and I gave it another try.

We got the chuck off, along with the drill's clutch assembly, spilling ball bearings everywhere. Not good. Perhaps our chuck was torqued on by a particularly sprightly robot. Who knows? So do take care when removing your chuck.

Now about that contest: The Jacobs officials had each editor tighten a stock chuck and measured how much input torque he or she managed to apply to the chuck. Then each editor did the same test with a SoftGrip chuck and measured the input torque, which was much higher. That means the SoftGrip gives you a better grip for the same amount of work. Here are the before-and-after numbers – though I've changed the names to protect the editors' identities:

1. Editor with Ponytail: Stock chuck: 83.7 in./lbs.   SoftGrip: 88 in./lbs.
2. Editor with Gloves On: Stock chuck: 83.1 in./lbs.   SoftGrip: 175.2 in./lbs.
3. Editor with Fiery Hair and Temper: Stock chuck: 47 in./lbs.   SoftGrip: 69.4 in./lbs.
4. Editor with "Little Girl Hands:" Stock chuck: 89.5 in./lbs.   SoftGrip: 176.1 in./lbs.

Bottom line: We like these chucks and are now testing them for durability in the shop. The chucks are now available from Home Depot and Lowe's for about $25 to $32, depending on the model.

— Christopher Schwarz

I have a long-standing aversion to traditional psychiatric therapy – but I'm of mostly Irish descent, have red hair, and the temper that goes with it. So, to deal with aggression, I turn to DIY projects around the house (plus, I'm cheap, and refuse to set the thermostat above 60° despite our current 14° temperature in Cincinnati, so the work helps keep me warm).

My last project was redoing my 1970s-style bathroom (I posted a picture of the shower in an earlier entry here). But that's about finished (I still have some trim moulding to run, but I've managed to overlook that for some time now).

When I bought my 1895 house seven years ago, the first thing I planned to do was tear out the nasty green carpet in the living room and dejected-looking parquet in the dining room and hallway, and lay down new flooring. So finally, after seven years of kvetching about the ugly carpet and sad parquet, I got started on it last Sunday. I began in the dining room, and when I got down to the original pine flooring, I was very excited. As you can see in the picture at the top (along with the tiny Christmas tree I have yet to put away), it's actually in pretty good condition, and I was fairly certain it could be sanded, refinished and made to look right pretty. So I called my floor guy and made an appointment for him to come over and take a look (I hate sanding – my skinflint nature halts abruptly when it comes to doing things I despise).

Then, I got started in the living room, dutifully cutting the carpet into 4' pieces and rolling them per the specifications of our local trash collectors. Underneath was a layer of Masonite, so I pulled all that too, along with what seemed like thousands of nails. And then I hit a bad patch. A very bad patch – literally. But hey, I'm a novice woodworker – how hard can it be to tooth in replacement boards? Simply cut out the bad boards at the joists with a circ saw, clean up the ends of the cut with a chisel, and nail a proper patch into place.



Well, like most of my crazy undertakings, it turns out to be harder than I expected – mostly because I need 100-year-old boards, so they'll match. I've scavenged material from the third-floor closet, where I'll put in new replacement boards (no one will ever see those), and started to cut the patches to size. But, the third floor has only 3-1/4" boards, and the living room is a mix of 3-1/4" and 4-1/4". If anyone knows where I can find 25-35 board feet of 100-year-old pine floor boards, please let me know. And if anyone has the name of a good psychiatrist....

— Megan Fitzpatrick

p.s. For the record, I wore gloves. But there was no jointer in sight.