Latest Articles

I do a lot of hand shaping on the pieces I build—rounding corners, fairing transitions, and so on. To aid in this work, I recently picked up two half-round rasps from Kutzall—an 8" coarse and a 6" fine—to add to my collection of abrasive cutters. 

Most folks say “you get what you pay for” when discussing pricey items like hand and power tools. But this universal idiom also applies to the humble pencil. 

Kreg recently overhauled its line of pocket-hole jigs, and while the new 520 (#176181) and 720 (above) jigs replace the K4 and K5 in Kreg’s line, that doesn’t necessarily mean you should leave your current jig for a younger model. I took the 720 on a few dates and found something old and something new in this something blue. 

ISOtunes—a foremost manufacturer of Bluetooth (BT), OSHA-compliant hearing protection devices—has released a new version of their popular earbuds, as well as a set of over-the-ear muffs. 

Oneida recently came out with a wall-mounted version of their popular Dust Deputy dust separator. I’ve been a fan of these small portable cyclone systems since they appeared about 15 years ago. 

The name Skil conjures an image of the ubiquitous circular saw synonymous with the brand. What it doesn’t call to mind is routers. So when Woodcraft started carrying Skil routers, I was skeptical.

Canadian toolmaker JessEm has introduced a substantial sequel to their popular Mite-R-Excel table saw miter gauge. Impeccably made, this drool-worthy accessory is flush with well-designed features, and is one of the best accessories you can get for your table saw. 

New tools typically come with a few hex keys required for assembly and adjustment. If you collected and organized those Allen wrenches, you could probably get by without a dedicated set in your shop. The problem is that those cheap versions often strip easily and are too small to use comfortably. This set from Wera Tools solves all that. 

The benchtop jointer market is chock-full of 6" machines, but not many 8" models. RIKON Power Tools has addressed this lack with their new 20-800H 8" jointer. 

Not all of my assets for successful woodworking live in my tool cabinet. I hold this insulated tumbler on par with both my block plane and pocket square when it comes to shop efficiency.