Portable Power Tools

Do I Really Need an Impact Driver?

December 27, 2017 By Paul Mayer & filed under Buying Advice, More Portable Power Tools, Portable Power Tools, Tool Education.

Impact Driver vs Drill I’m going to spoil the ending. Yes you do need an impact driver, right away. Stop reading. Go to store. Buy an impact driver. Thank me later. If you feel the need to understand why, read on. Impact drivers are creating a lot of buzz on the internet these days, and…

Workaround: Cut Biscuit Grooves with a Router

September 6, 2017 By Bruce Kieffer & filed under Joinery, Portable Power Tools, Router, Skill Building.

So you need to cut a few biscuit grooves but don’t own a biscuit (plate) joiner — No problem, cutting the grooves with your router and a slot-cutter bit is easy. So I’ll bet you’re wondering if it’s so easy then why even own a biscuit joiner? Well there are pros and cons: Pros: Great…

Router Woodworking Basics: How to Use a Router

August 26, 2017 By George Vondriska & filed under Portable Power Tools, Router, Skill Building.

Want to use a router, but don’t know where to start? Learn how to use a router with these router woodworking techniques and tips. Boy, I use routers a lot. They can do so much. From adding a profile to an edge to cutting dovetail joints, a router is an incredibly versatile machine. But if…

Shop Accident Statistics and Woodworking Safety

March 9, 2015 By Andrew M & filed under Band Saw, Jointer, Miter Saw, Portable Power Tools, Portable Power Tools Safety, Power Tool Woodworking, Stationary Power Tools, Stationary Power Tools Safety, Table Saw, Woodworking Safety.

Every year, hospitals see injuries caused by woodworking tools in the emergency room. This includes professionals and hobbyists, students and homeowners. The types of injuries vary, as there are more ways to make mistakes in a woodshop than there are ways to plan ahead for them – precisely why they’re called accidents! In 2011, the…

Custom Cut Butterfly Joints

December 2, 2013 By Seth Keller & filed under Portable Power Tools, Router, Skill Building.

Handmade Graduated Butterflies Are Stunning The butterflies or ‘dutchmen’ embedded in this desktop are custom sized and cut on a bandsaw. Butterflies stabilize the crack and also provide a focal point on top of the desk to highlight your woodworking skills. When making butterfly joints, I tend to avoid templates available at woodworking stores. In…

Master the Jointer: Learn How to Use a Jointer

February 14, 2013 By Paul Mayer & filed under Jointer, Portable Power Tools, Skill Building, Stationary Power Tools.

Many woodworking projects require the ability to render a perfectly square edge on a board. There are many ways to perform this task, but nothing matches the performance, precision and repeatability delivered by the motorized jointer. Getting the jointer to deliver on its potential is not particularly difficult but, like most things, it requires proper…

Jointing with a Router

February 8, 2012 By Seth Keller & filed under Joinery, Portable Power Tools, Router, Skill Building.

Here’s the situation: Lumberyards and hobby/hardware stores often sell lumber S2S, which means the wide surfaces are jointed and planed, but the edges are rough from the sawmill or follow the shape of the tree. Do you pass these boards up because you don’t have a jointer? If you own a router, start buying that…

Using a Biscuit Joiner

November 2, 2010 By Paul Mayer & filed under Biscuit Jointer, Portable Power Tools, Power Tool Woodworking, Skill Building.

This is the first of a two-part series on the biscuit joiner. This article provides instruction on using a biscuit joiner, along with advice on setting up your machine, choosing the correct size biscuits, proper gluing techniques, and more. Woodworkers know that there are many approaches to joining two pieces of wood together. The key…

Accurately Routing Large Circles

August 24, 2010 By Jerry Seabaugh & filed under Portable Power Tools, Router, Skill Building.

The problem – a poorly framed hole. I’m sure most of us have seen or used a router mounted on a pivoting board or arm to cut circles. This past spring I was handed a difficult assignment. Some one needed to mount five, 20″ diameter Tiffany glass circles in the walls of a new restaurant.…

Creative Designs with Router Templates

January 23, 2009 By Jerry Seabaugh & filed under Portable Power Tools, Router, Skill Building.

Using a Router and Template to Make Creative Designs. I would like to share some thoughts about creating repetitive designs with a router and a template. To make a template, we embrace the skills of our ancestors – the pattern makers. I am referring to the folks who carved patterns by hand, before the age…