I
absolutely love this router. Not only because the plunging
action is smooth, or because the clear base allows me to see
what I'm doing, or because it fits securely in my hands. But
also because the dust collection really does work, and very well
at that. P-C offers dust collection attachments to their
routers, but they don't perform as good as this DeWalt DW621.
This
Bosch 3725DVS random orbital sander is great. The dust
collection works well, particularly hooked up to a vac, it's
just the right size and weight so as not to tire your arm but
still sand aggressively, and the H&L Velcro sanding discs
are easy to change. The rubberized and well-designed grips
feel comfortable as well. It's a winner!
This
woodworker's vise by Wilton is solid, quick to adjust,
pivots to accommodate angled objects, and has a pin that can
work with bench dogs to clamp objects down on your
workbench. The spindle is enclosed, it's built like a tank,
and you'll be passing it down to your woodworking
grandchildren and beyond.
Made
by General Tools, this 143 Digital Caliper is just great.
It'll measure depth, step, inside and outside diameters
with precision, and can measure in metric as well as
inches. It's really a great value and heck of a lot easier
to use than those manual calipers of old.
This
marking gauge uses a wheel to cut a crisp line for accurate
layouts of tenons and mortises. Unlike other marking knives and
gauges, this one won't follow the grain. It just feels good in
your hand and works quite well.
The
Forrest Dado King does for dados what the Forrest WWII blade
does for regular cuts. You can't buy a better performer for
chip-free, flat dados. With dado sets you get what you pay for
and over the life of your saw the price difference between this
set and a cheaper set is negligible. Go ahead and make the
investment and see if you aren't just entirely impressed.
A
ruler is a ruler is a ruler . . . unless it's a Bridge City
Tools ruler. This ruler's brass hook ensures your measurements
are exact from the board's edge, the black coating eliminates
glare and its triangular shape eliminates parallax errors and
is easy on the eyes. It's affordable too, so go ahead and
treat yourself.
I
wouldn't use any other general wood screw since I have tried
these Maxx screws from Rockler. They are self-drilling,
self-countersinking, compatible with both square and Philips
drivers and are available for both interior and exterior
applications. When you're tired of splitting wood, drilling
pilot holes and countersinking, you'll pick up a few bags of
these.
If
you own a Craftsman or other contractor table saw with one of
those small power switches nearly hidden under the front fence
rail, PLEASE BUY THIS SWITCH and replace yours!! It's easy to
turn off without fumbling and may just save you from that
unexpected trip to the E.R.
Sawdust
is a serious long-term hazard to your health, so you really
need an air cleaner in your shop to catch the finest, and most
dangerous, airborne particles. I picked Jet's air cleaner over
all of the rest. It runs quietly, has a remote control and 2,
4 or 8 hour timer to keep filtering the air long after you've
left the shop.
Sure
there are a few pretty nice biscuit joiners you can buy, but
the Porter-Cable 557 is the best. It's powerful, the bail is
attached to the fence, not the motor, and it offers a wide
range of cutting angles. Let your LOYL buy you one for your
birthday. You've earned it.
Nothing
does a better job at laying out an exact line around a corner or
an edge. Great for laying out mortises, tenons and a variety of
other joints. Keep one of these in your apron's pocket and
you'll be happy.
This
is the best glue bottle in the land. With a no-drip nozzle and
vacuum valve, your glue will always be ready to dispense
without wait or mess. On-board cap storage means you won't be
losing that either.
These
are ideal for storing sheets of sandpaper as well as random
orbital sander discs. There are plenty of pockets for any
number of grits, and the locking cover keeps dust from
settling in. You'll wonder how you did without it for so long.
