Gorilla seeks spacious quarters
Oneida’s 2 HP Dust Gorilla Portable Dust Collector
Midway between a fully ducted fixed dust-collection system and the much smaller vertical units on wheels stands the portable Dust Gorilla dust collector by Oneida Air Systems, Inc. With its 33 × 48" footprint and height of 77", this powerful mobile model needs room to move about, but given the appropriate space, the Gorilla will play nicely with your tablesaw, planer, jointer, or other sawdust and chip makers.
Typical of cyclone units, the Gorilla separates out the larger debris, depositing it in a 35-gallon dust drum. A built-in sensor and indicator light tell you when to empty the container. The GE H12 HEPA canister filter cleanses the air stream of finer particles. While large ports and hoses provide more airflow for more efficient dust and chip collection, I found the model’s 5"-diameter port a mismatch for my machines, all of which had standard 4"-diameter ports. The collector also required a 220-volt outlet, which kept it tethered to the one available outlet in my shop. That said, having the remote key fob switch saved countless steps.
Available at oneida-air.com $1,395
Tester: Joe Hurst-Wajszczuk
The tool with all the angles
BORA Angle Master Miter Duplicator
Recently, I tackled a deck railing job for the not-too-square deck off my kitchen. Wanting an easier way to capture the oddball cutting angles for the inside and outside corners, I turned to the BORA Angle Master Miter Duplicator made by Affinity Tool Works.
The tool’s two-sided scale gave me both the overall angle and the cut angle, but the tool’s real benefit is its ability to transfer miter angles directly to the saw. After locking the angle in place, I detached the tool’s right wing and then placed the Angle Master against the mitersaw’s blade to set the miter. In no time I made a series of tight joints for the rails.
Made from heavy-gauge plastic, the Angle Master captures internal or external angles from 70°-180° (miter angles from 35°-90°). While I found the graduated angle scale a little hard to read, the cutting-angle scale was fine. I also like that you can take one arm off and use the tool as a bevel gauge.
#153339 $59.99
Tester: George Snyder
Pen turner’s super assembler
Milescraft TurnersPress
Evolution has made yet another leap forward with this latest offering from Milescraft. The TurnersPress replaces former similar presses that suffered from slipping set screws and herky-jerky cam-action handle mechanisms that split the turned parts. Having turned over 500 pens, I was delighted at the tool’s sturdy construction and performance.
For starters, I found the spring-loaded self-feeding mandrel a real help in holding pen parts in place. The flip-over aluminum stops in combination with the micro-adjustable press pad let me fine-tune the press perfectly for the pen assembly for lengths up to 5 3⁄4". Having a solid (rather than some flimsy hollow) steel handle, along with the improved cam linkage, provided full control over its smooth pressing action, which can deliver up to 300 pounds of force. Perhaps the biggest surprise was the affordable price. (Note: I added the plywood base.)
#153375 $49.99
Tester: Shawn Staats
Nonslip grip for odd parts
Gyrojaw Vise Accessory
Every once in a while a clamping assignment comes along that defies your bench vise. While doing some hand-tool work on a set of tapered chair legs, I found that the parts slipped around when held in my woodworker’s vise. Then I happened onto the Gyrojaw. It’s a peculiar accessory developed primarily to grip odd-shaped objects. Measuring 2 × 3 1⁄4" and made from reinforced plastic, this product lets you apply friction and clamping pressure to tapered round and angled objects when teamed with your metal vise. The non-marring clamping surface includes a centered groove for corners, while the steel stud on the back side pivots to the needed angle for a nonslip grip.
#153257 $14.99
Tester: Brian Renner
