Innholdsfortegnelse for November/December 2024 i Popular Woodworking

I used to hate hanging objects, like power strips, that have hidden T-slots on the back. No matter how carefully I measured, I could never get the mounting screws in the right place on the wall. Then I realized that I could make a perfect full-size copy of the pattern on standard 8½" x 11" paper using my scanner and printer (a photocopy machine would work, too). I taped the pattern where I wanted to mount the power strip, drilled the holes, and set the screws. Shazam! It worked perfectly.…

A miter saw is a great tool to have in the shop and for home projects as well. The down fall of most miter saws, even when they’re paired with a miter saw stand, is that they lack sufficient support for making accurate, repeatable cuts on long material. That’s where the new EZ-Wings from Red House Tools really shines. The EZ-Wings, as you see in the photo above, are a support system for miter saws. The universal base attaches to any miter saw, and a micro-adjust bracket allows you to fine-tune the height of the wings to match your miter saw. When not in use, the wings can be quickly removed from the base (lower right photo) and stored in a convenient travel bag. Now, am I going to say…

A jigsaw is a great tool for all sorts of quick cuts in the shop. With that in mind, the ONE+ HP Compact Brushless Barrel Grip Jig Saw is just the right size to make it a go-to choice. The saw features speeds up to 3,200 SPM, a 1" stroke length, and four orbital settings. Ryobi claims it’s the most compact and lightest ONE+ jigsaw. Even among the many jigsaws I have, this is both the lightest and smallest overall. The size factor doesn’t compromise the functionality of the saw though. There’s a cast base and non-marring shoe, and the saw can tilt 45° in either direction. I appreciated that there’s an on/off switch on both sides of the saw, which is handy for left-handed folks. I will say that…

In my shop I have fairly high standards for a miter saw. It must be a dual bevel compound of course. And zero clearance is a must. I also like something that can be plugged in or run off battery power. And now I’m going to add to the list that it must be a 12" saw. The 36V MultiVolt™ 12" Dual Bevel Sliding Miter Saw with Torque Boost Technology from Metabo HPT checks everything on the list I’m looking for in a well-designed package. It can run on any 18V/36V MultiVolt battery, or can be paired with a plug-in adapter you can purchase separately. Mine spends most of the time plugged in, but it’s nice to run off a battery if I bring it inside for a home reno…

There are often times, where there’s simply no substitute for the right tool. A good scriber is one of those tools. Whether its leveling chair legs, scribing a cabinet, or any number of tasks, a quality scribe earns its keep here. Some of the best scribes I’ve found are from a company called Tooley Park, out of the UK. Tooley Park offers a variety of scribers for different applications. A few of the line can be seen below. The scribers from Tooley Park are machined out of aluminum, with a Delrin utensil holder. Depending on the style, either a threaded knob pinches the utensil, or a clamp squeezes the marking device. I like the fact that when I lock down the knobs (both on the pencil, and the angle adjustment),…

Over the years, I’ve found two opposing mindsets when it comes to miter saws. One group believes that, while miter saws are okay for trimming a house, they’re best reserved to whacking a board to shorter lengths before finish cutting it to size at the table saw. The other group, of which I’m a proud member, believes that a miter saw can be a precision cutting tool, if you take the time to set it up correctly, calibrate it, and take care in its use. Of course, this becomes a lot harder if you’re using a portable miter saw stand that gets set up and taken down every time you need to use it. With this in mind, as we started to plan our shop space, I knew that I…

Make a habit of applying finish to end grain first. Why? It’s all about avoiding drip shadows. Sounds creepy, doesn’t it? Here’s the deal: Let’s say you’re finishing a top. You’re merrily brushing the first coat of finish back and forth on the top’s surface, and some finish happens to drip down an edge, which you haven’t gotten to yet. If this edge is end grain, the finish will soak into the wood quite fast. If you don’t wipe off the drip right away, the finish that soaks in will darken that area. After you finish the entire edge, the original drip will still be visible as a dark shadow. If you finish the end grain first, drips aren’t a problem because they won’t soak in.…

I recently needed a jig to trace lathe turnings. I tried a variety of designs but none produced the accuracy or ease of operation that I wanted. While rummaging around my shop, I discovered an extra set of 10" ball bearing drawer slides left over from another project. I attached a single slide to a bracket and attached a pencil to the slide with a notched wood block and wing nut. The bracket fits in a dado in the jig’s base. The lathe turning is held between a couple of sharpened machine screws. The right holder is attached to a T-track with a T-bolt and knob so I can move it for different part lengths. To use the jig, I move the slide in and out against the turning while…

Several issues back, I introduced our readers to a new lineup of blades from Woodpeckers. Their Ultra-Shear blades are some of the best I’ve ever used. A few recent additions to the lineup are worthy of taking note of. If you take a look at the blade to the right, you’ll notice it has very large carbide teeth on it. That’s because this is Woodpecker’s ¼" flat top grooving blade. Woodpecker’s line of flat top blades include an ⅛", 3/16", and now a ¼" version. It’s important to note that these are all 10" blades, not an 8" dado blade. As a SawStop owner, I have to tell you that it’s a luxury to not have to change out cartridges when I need to cut an accurate ¼" groove or…

I have to confess this review is coming from a fairly biased space—the first generation ONE+ HP Compact Drill is probably my favorite drill I've ever owned. It was lightweight, powerful, perfectly balanced, and affordable. So you’ll have to trust me when I tell you the second gen model is just as good and then some. The hat trick that Ryobi has pulled off here is that the new drill is lighter, smaller, and more powerful. Plus, the kit with two batteries only costs $10 more than the last generation, which is especially nice when you consider inflation. None of that seems to come at the expense of quality either—the switches and clutch all snap and click like they should, the chuck feels high quality (for the price point) and…

As woodworkers, we have an affinity for hardwood. Cherry, walnut, maple, poplar and oak. Those species are what built America, and they hold a special place in our hearts. However, there’s a time and a place where it makes sense to bring in another material. Plywood is the most common. The laminated layers are stable, stay flat, and are cost effective when you have large parts. When I was searching for a solution to build the top of the Miter Saw Station (Page 52), my initial thought was plywood. However, when I made a call to my local lumber yard (Liberty Hardwood), they suggested a material called BauBuche. This product, of German make, is an interesting product with a lot of potential, so I thought I would share a bit…