product review

The Leigh VRS1200 Vac and Router Support Will Save You from Big Messes

January 15, 2021 By George Vondriska & filed under Blog, Product Review.

If you’ve got a Porter Cable dovetail jig and are tired of the incredible mess left behind every time you cut dovetails, you’re in luck. Leigh’s VRS1200, $99.99, catches chips at the source (that is, your dovetail jig) and grabs them before they end up all over you and your floor. The Vacuum and Router…

Product Review: Portamate PM-1800 – Panel Carrier

February 28, 2018 By Bruce Kieffer & filed under Buying Advice, Product Review, Skill Building.

This is an ingenious and invaluable back-saving tool for a one-person shop. It works better and easier than I imagined. Being able to maneuver sheet goods around my shop, and then flip them from vertical to horizontal, and do that all myself with very little effort is HUGE. There are other heavy-duty plywood carts available for large shop use, but those are big and expensive. This one is compact, folds flat for easy out of the way storage, and it's a real steal at around $100!

Tool Review: DeWalt DWS780 12” Dual Bevel Compound Miter Saw

October 12, 2016 By David Radtke & filed under Blog, Buying Advice, Product Review, Skill Building.

If you’re considering adding a new miter saw to your shop, don’t make a move until you’ve read this great product review of the DeWalt DWS780. Does it make the cut? Read on to find out. I’ve owned several miter saws in my woodworking career. In fact, when I started out in carpentry, we were…

Leigh Super FMT Frame Mortise and Tenon Jig Tool Review

March 12, 2014 By Seth Keller & filed under Buying Advice, Joinery, Product Review.

Accuracy and Repeatability The Leigh FMT Mortise and Tenon Jig is super fast at milling mortise and tenon joints. A little sibling to the industrially machined aluminum Leigh Pro FMT, this less expensive model is made out of 10 and 12 gauge bent and bolted steel. Arriving standard with the jig is a 5/16” spiral…

Wobble Dado Heads

July 15, 2013 By George Vondriska & filed under Buying Advice, Tool Education.

I find that I’m asked pretty frequently about wobble (adjustable) dado heads. You can’t blame folks for asking. A wobble head is a lot less expensive than a stackable head. So why don’t woodworkers use them much? About the Blade A wobble head consists of one blade mounted on a hub. Dialing the hub allows…

Rockler Cord and Hose Holder

July 10, 2013 By Staff & filed under Buying Advice, Product Review.

I love having dust collection connected to my portable power tools, but I hate tangling with the cords and hoses. Rockler’s new Cord and Hose Holder, $29.99, helps solve this problem. The Cord and Hose Holder is adjustable in height and rises to a maximum height of 40” above the bench. It’ll clamp to benches…

Tools We Love: A “Real” Burnisher Makes All the Difference

March 13, 2013 By Paul Mayer & filed under Buying Advice, Tool Education.

I tried my hand at using a cabinet scraper a couple years ago and was frustrated that in spite of my best efforts to roll a proper burr on its edge, I just couldn’t tune the scraper to produce more than dust and the occasional wimpy shaving. I followed all the instructions, and did everything…

Grizzly 8″ Jointer Model 490X Review: One Year Later

October 24, 2012 By Paul Mayer & filed under Buying Advice, Product Review.

Tool reviews are great as they help us make purchasing decisions, but what is normally missing is a retrospective view. Sure, it looked great in the initial evaluation, but how did it hold up in production, and how well did it meet the owner’s initial expectations over time? In that light, I wanted to provide…

Tools We Love: Dremel Multi-Max

December 27, 2011 By David Radtke & filed under Buying Advice, Tool Education.

I saw this tool demonstrated at a home center last year and bought it on the spot. I have to say the honeymoon is still going between me and this tool because I keep finding new tasks for it. I originally bought it to cut baseboard in place so I could butt built-in bookcases against…

New Low-Vibration, High-Quality Random Orbital Sander from Bosch

December 8, 2011 By Paul Mayer & filed under Buying Advice, Product Review.

Bosch ROS65VCL-6 Review In spite of the fact that I use a ROS quite a bit, and have had a love/hate relationship with this tool category. I enjoy the benefits of fast, swirl free sanding, but the gyroscope effect from most of the units that I have used leaves me feeling beat up after a…