One of the lesser known power tools is the anglegrinder. Most people associate it with flying sparks and heavyconstruction. Turns out an angle grinder is one of the most usefultools to have around the house. If you have ever used one, you'llnever want to go without one. Let's take a look at why anglegrinders are so useful.

Angle Grinders are grinding and cut-off tool

An angle grinder uses an abrasive disk to cut through material.Unlike the teeth of a saw blade, which take small savings, the gritof a grinding wheel slo

Choosing a reciprocating saw blade can be adifficult task. If you choose the wrong one, it will dull very fastand leave you without a blade in the middle of a job.If you are notcareful, you'll spend a lot of time purchasing replacement blades.Let's take a look at what's important when choosing a reciprocatingsaw blade.

Material Type

No single reciprocating saw blade can cut every type ofmaterial. The most important thing to do is to purchase a bladethat is rated for the material you want to cut. Trying to make acut w

The end of the year is a always a good time toreflect on the state of things. 2012 has been the year of thebrushless motor in the world of power tools. Motor technology isnot the only thing changing in 2012. The power tool market is morecompetitive than it has ever been. Many very capable companiesfight for our tool purchasing dollars. Let's take a look at thebest power tool manufacturers in the US in 2012.

The Big Three

The power tool market in the US is being dominated by the BigThree: And Milwaukee Tool, DeWalt, an

One of the most anticipated products for thehome this year has been the Nest thermostat. This device has easilybeen the most visible development in home technology in recentmemory. Everyone is talking about it.

Recently Nest released the second generation of the thermostat.Let's take a look at what this version can do and if itsperformance matches its good looks.

Difference between the Nest Gen1 and Gen2

The Gen2 Nest primarily represent an update in the manufacturingprocess. The new version is s

Makita's compact line has been a favorite amongcarpenters ever since it was created. The tools in this line aresmaller, more compact versions of the regular lineup(R5FZQ43AN86S). The LXFD01CW is the entry level drill/driver inthis lineup. It has been designed to make the best compromisebetween performance and size . Let's take a look what it can do inthe workshop.

The LXFD01CW Drill/Driver

The LXFD01CW is one of the power drill options in Makita's 18Vtool lineup. Being a compact tool, the drill is smaller than theful

Over the years Makita has built an impressivetool lineup for its excellent 18V battery system. This systemoffers more choices than any other battery system available today.The LXDT04CW impact driver fills the spot of the compact, yetpowerful everyday driver in the lineup. Let's take a look at how itdid in our shop.

The LXDT04CW impact driver

Unlike most Makita tools the LXDT04CW is styled in white insteadof the traditional turquoise. The LXDT04CW is part of Makita's"compact" line of tools, which are all designed in wh

2012 was the year that brought brushless motortechnology to the world of power tools. The new brushless modelsare being promoted by the manufactures as being significantlybetter than the brushed motors we have been using for decades. 50%more power, 130% longer life, ...Let's cut through all themarketing hype and take a look at what a brushless motor canactually do for you in your power tools.

What is a brushless motor?

For an electric motor to turn, the magnetic field in the motormust change. As the field changes the

Face frame cabinets have a long tradition in theUS. Their solid-wood show surface makes face frame cabinets apopular choice in high-end kitchens. A face frame cabinet takesmore time and materials to build than a frameless cabinet, but ithas an elegance that some customers crave. Let's take a look at howone of these cabinets is constructed.

Face frame cabinet

The face-frame cabinet gets its name from the solid frame thatis attached to the front face of the cabinet. This frame is bothdecorative and structural. The eleme

European style frameless cabinets are a commonsight in modern kitchens across America. Originally designed tomake kitchens cheaper, frameless cabinets are now considered to bemodern and stylish. Let's take a look at what it takes to build aframeless cabinet.

The Basics

A frameless cabinet consists of an open-front box reinforcedwith rails and a thin back. All components of the cabinet have beendesigned to allow for fast and economical industrial production.Frameless cabinets are both sturdy and make economical use of

The router I use most frequently in my shop isthe Bosch 1617EVS. I have given it little thought, because therouter always does what I need it to do.

The 1617 router series is one of the most widely used series ofrouters amongst woodworkers. The fixed base version in particularis universally lauded.A 1617 router found its way into my shop totake care of medium duty routing tasks. Let's take a look at thelegend that is the Bosch 1617 router.

Bosch 1617EVS Fixed Base Router

The Bosch 1617EVS is a fix