Every woodworker has a set of reference materialhe or she turns to when designing a project. Few books are goodenough to stay in this collection for very long. IllustratedCabinetmaking15652336971981[/author]
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The Hingmy - Review
Makita 9557PB Grinder Review
by Lorenz Prem on 10-16-2012 4:15 pm
Large grinders are powerful machines. Afterusing one the smaller grinders feel underpowered and fragile.Makita designed the 9557PB to break this pattern.
The 9557PB is a small grinder with a large motor. It can dosmall work with the power and speed provided by a full sizegrinder. Let's take a look at what the 9557PB brings to thetable.
The Design
The Makita 9557PB is a small 4 1/2" angle grinder. Makita wantsthe 9557PB to fill in where larger grinders would be toocumbersome. Following the standar
...Craftsman 17310 Drill/Driver Review
by Lorenz Prem on 10-07-2012 3:37 pm
Craftsman power tools are a very common sight inhomes around America. The 17310 Drill/Driver is Craftsman's heavyduty cordless tool for drilling and driving. It's aimed at theeducated consumer who demands quality and performance at areasonable price. Let's take a look at how well the 17310 satisfieswhen being judged on these criteria.
The Design
The Craftsman 17310 is a generic pistol grip design. The motorand clutch assembly at the top are counter-balanced by the batterypack the bottom end of the grip. The tool is so
...Ryobi CSB133L Circular Saw Review
by Lorenz Prem on 10-05-2012 12:02 pm
One of the most popular entry level saws on themarket today is the Ryobi CSB132L. This saw is available almostanywhere. You can pick one up at the big box stores for very littlemoney. So little money in fact, that the CSB132L looks like a dealtoo good to be true.
We know the Ryobi CSB132L is a cheap saw, but can it produce acut?. Let's take a look.
Build quality
The body of the CSB132L is made from hard plastic. The plasticis hard wearing, thick, and tough. Holding the tools in your handsleaves a
...Milwaukee Sawzall 6509-31 Review
by Lorenz Prem on 09-29-2012 10:42 pm
The Milwaukee Sawzall line has built a largefollowing amongst contractors and professionals. Some say theSawzall line of saws is the best designed line of saws availabletoday.
The 6509-22 is one of the smallest Sawzalls available. It hasbeen designed to emphasize control and cut quality over speed andraw power. Let's take a look at how well it did in our test.
Build quality
The 6509-22, just like all Milwaukee Sawzall saws, has beendesign and built for the job site. It's
...DeWalt DW621 Plunge Router Review
by Lorenz Prem on 09-21-2012 9:36 pm
The DW621 is DeWalt's general purpose plungerouter. It was designed to handle most routing tasks in the shop.Not only can it be used as a plunge router, but due to itsrelatively small size, it can also be used as a fixed based router.Add built-in dust collection to the package and we have onepowerful router. Let's take a look at how it performed in myshop.
Motor
The DW621 has a 2HP motor. This puts the router into themid-size category. During a cut the router certainly feelspowerful. I have not encountered a situatio
...DeWalt DW368 Circular Saw Review
by Lorenz Prem on 09-20-2012 12:50 pm
Every DIYer and professional alike needs a goodcircular saw. The DW368 takes the spot of the small-size performerin DeWalt lineup of circular saws. It is an entry level saw with afew advanced features that are designed to make the saw perform.Let's take a look at what DeWalt created for us.
Base plate
The base plate is made from magnesium. Magnesium is lighter thanmetal, and more durable. DeWalt claims that the plate does not warpor dent. The designers added webbing all through the plate, whichseems to support that cl
...DeWalt DW304PK Reciprocating Saw Review
by Lorenz Prem on 09-11-2012 2:16 pm
The DW304PK is the smallest of DeWaltreciprocating saws. It lacks a few of the features of its biggerbrothers, but it is still a very powerful and capable reciprocatingsaw.
I have the DW303, the predecessor to the DW304PK. Its nearlyidentical to the new DW304PK. Let's take a look at what makes theDW304PK work.
The Design
The DW304PK has a fixed, metal head married to a 10amp motor.It's clearly a tool for demolition rather than the finesse. Theblade can be mounted either vertically or horizontally
...KP Industries Pro Ultra Flex III Review
by Lorenz Prem on 08-08-2012 5:32 pm
Knee pads are an essential part of your DIY toolchest. If you have ever spent a whole day laying tile or flooring,you know about carpenter's knee syndrome. Spending a long timekneeling can make the knee swell up. Let's take a look at whatmakes knee pads a good pair of knee pads.
Ergonomic Issues
The main problem with knee pads is the fit. Ideally the wearerdoes not notice that he is wearing knee pads. While walking aroundthe knee pads should be out of mind. When kneeling the knee padsshould be supporting the user's kn
...Dewalt DWHTHT450 Hammer Tacker Review
by Lorenz Prem on 02-15-2012 1:47 pm
Hammer tackers are fickle things. They have atendency to jam and be a nuisance on the jobsite. I finally hadenough and bought the
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Recent Reviews
"Drill/driver OK, reciprocating and circular saws are junk. No torque, circular saw won't cut thru a 2x4, reciprocating won't cut a 4x4 without bogging."
"Indeed, this one is the best 12V driver. Get it. You will not be disappointed."
"I use this one for heavy work. It can do it all. None better."
"Great driver with only minor issues. App is limited. The last gen is almost as good, yet a lot cheaper."
"This saw replaced a Delta Unisaw in my shop. It's rock solid, powerful, and well made. Fence rivals Biesemeyer or Unifence. Worth the price, IMHO."
"Excellent performance but tough to use at high speed with soft wood, tends to drive too deep before impact kicks in."
"This is my only true drill. The key-less chuck works flawlessly as does the power/speed switch which is handy for drilling various density material."
"A quality sander that performs well day in and day out. Not the best dust bag, that's minor for me. Fits well in my hand and no fatigue with prolonged use."
"A good option for those looking for their first saw, or those looking to upgrade from a "portable" job site saw. Buy a decent blade and you'll be happy."