None are built better … these are top notch and as good as it gets (and the price reflects it!). Treated right this is a tool that will out-live you without a doubt.

When I finally took the advice of a woodworking mentor and hunkered down to buy one, I was skeptical at best. Having never owned a Starrett tool, I couldn’t imagine anyone needed a combination square that cost more than $10 — wow, was I wrong.

Hindsight is 2020 and this is one of those moments where I look back and say “of course!”. At first it seems a bit silly to spend so much money on such a simple tool (some may say a ‘hunk of metal’), but in practice the tool is worth the dough. Let me explain …

A quality, well-made, precise tool is essential to accurately create anything in the shop. Sure one can use the $10 combination square, but there will be times when it’s accuracy (sometimes up to 1/16″ inaccurate) is not exact enough and proves only to offer unnecessary frustration. The Starrett square with it’s etched rule is dead-on accurate and sturdy (no sag or bending) … all of which adds up to better projects and better times in the shop.

If precision is your thing — or required in what you do — then you should own this tool. While it isn’t needed by everyone (like in construction), it’s a necessity in the furniture-makers wood shop.

Manufactured by Starrett, this combination square retails between $65-$75. Buy one at Amazon (link)

No related posts.

Related posts brought to you by Yet Another Related Posts Plugin.

The Ridgid Oscillating Edge Belt Spindle sander is designed for the woodworker.  It has an interchangeable shaft that can host various sizes of spindles, or take those out and it will server as a small oscillating edge sander.  Neat?  Oh yeah.  This machine takes the arm work out of edge sanding and removes machine marks with ease.

What’s Included:

Sander, bed assembly with 4″ x 24″ sanding belt, 1/2″ Sanding sleeve, 3/4″, 1″, 1-1/2″ and 2″ sanding sleeves and drums, drum washers and throat plates, operator’s manual

Ridgid, the company (link):

The company has been around since 1923 and is most well known for it’s fine line of pipe wrenches.  However, more recently the company delve into power tools and made a deal with Home Depot for distribution.  It’s well recognized orange color adorns the tools is a trademark in itself.

Design & Use:

The Ridgid Oscillating Edge Belt Spindle sander performs two functions, as stated obviously in the name — an edge belt sander and a spindle sander. As a woodworkers, you’ll use it to sand rough surfaces, create templates, clean up milling marks, and a variety of other tasks.  This is definitely not a machine for business, but around the home or small shop is a perfect fit.  With it’s toolless conversion from belt to spindle functions, you’ll find it to be no hassle at all and will actually get multiple uses out of this multi-function tool (can’t say that for most of them!).

- Finish – This is where the biggest complaint is going to come from … the finish of the “bed” itself.  It is lined with a gray colored coating, which looks nice but you’ll quickly be irritated by this.  Let me explain: When edge sanding or spindle sanding you’ll be moving boards with the larger, flat side face down (or up) on the table.  This causes friction with the table, which unforunately results in the gray coating wearing and leaving gray smudges all over the face of the board.  Though the gray is removed quickly with the touch of a hand-held sander, it’s rather annoying because it adds an extra step to each, and every board that touches the sander for any length of time.  A better design would have provided for a non-coated bed that didn’t wear, or a better quality coating.

- Power – Though only powered by a 3/8 HP, 5 Amps motor the sander easily sands both hardwoods and softwoods.  However, if you get a bit aggressive and start pushing, it will stall.  Large sanders of this type have larger motors and could handle this excess pressure, but this will will certainly slow, or stall, altogether.  But if you keep pressure steady and work with moderate pressure the sander will keep up well and provide superior results.

- Dust Collection – Using the built-in 2 1/2″ dust port  hooked up to a standard shop dust collector (they’d prefer a Ridgid one, but any will do), you will get pretty good results.  This is a messy machine making dangerous fine dust, so a vacuum is necessary.  Not only will a vacuum keep your shop clean, it will keep the sandpaper clean and less likely to clog and burn.  Overall dust collection is very good.

- Spindle Sanding – Using the round cylinders, which come in sleeve sizes of 1/2″, 3/4″, 1″, 1-1/2″, 2″, you will get fast, burn free finishes on edges, faces, contours, inside and outside curves just like they advertise — seriously.  The  The spindles move quick and the oscillating motion eliminates most of the risk for burning.

- Edge Sanding – Using the oscillating edge sander and it’s 4″ x 24″ belt is usually the way to go in my shop.  I find the curved ends to act much like a spindle, with the convenience of the flat edge.  Keep the sandpaper clean and you’ll get some mileage out of each piece.

- Accessory Storage – The carcass is designed with on-board storage for the accessories that come with the machine.  It will hold the drum, throat plates, and washers on the front, and the edge belt mechanism on the back.  This appears to be a good design, but in reality is where some of the design lacks.  The spindles sit loosely at the angle of the base and are not secured in any other way.  This means that when you move this fairly portable tool around, they fall out and roll all over the shop.  More irritating than anything else, it’s a design improvement that would help significantly (in fact, I’ve lost my smallest spindle due to this).

Purchasing Advice:

This is not the first tool any woodworker probably needs in the shop, but the time will come when you’ll find yourself in the market for an edge sander or spindle sander, or both.  When that time comes you’ll scour the market and quickly find that few offer the options of this tool in the $200 price range.  This tool has served me well and is a real pleasure to have in the shop and I would purchase it again.

Images:

The bed of the sander.  You can see the worn areas where the coating has come off (leaving marks on the wood that was in contact with it)

This is a close-up of the worn surface.

This shows the back of the machine where the edge sander attachment rests while using a spindle.

This is a close-up of the edge sander.  Looks like it’s time to clean my sandpaper!

This shows the orange plastic that wills the space unused by the spindle, and beneath where the dust is placed in contact with the vacuum.

With the plate removed, you can see how, and where, dust builds up.  Dust collection is rather good with this machine, but some fine dust will cake inside.

Here you can see where the vacuum connects.

The table tilts 0-48 degrees with detents at most popular angles (0, 15, 22.5, 30, 45).  The soft-coated knobs make the adjustment a breeze.

Here you can see the on-board storage.  The washers and drum adapters fit securely, but the spindles themselves are held in only with gravity and will pop out.

No related posts.

Related posts brought to you by Yet Another Related Posts Plugin.

What’s Included:

Packed in a simple cardboard-backed package, the Incra rules fly solo.  You’ll receive the rule assembled.  It’s made of a metal rule, two thumb screws and a small piece of t-track.

Incra, the company (link):

Not much information could be found about the company.  More will be made available as it is found.

Design & Use:

Simple elegance, the t-rule has become a favorite of mine.  Many times I walked right by it not taking a second look until a friend of mine was bragging about his.  I took the rule in hand along with a mechanical pencil and began to mark-out a tenon.  Previous to this product, most of my woodworking marks were made with a standard #2 pencil and my Starrett combination square — which is highly accurate, however  the pencil and human involved add to the inaccuracy.

With the Incra T-Rule and a human armed with a mechnical pencil, the chance of being inaccurate due to measure becomes significanly less.  This is because of the T-Rules design.  It provides small slots and holes throughout its length at every measurement down to 1/64″.

To use the T-Rule, simple hold the red T-track to the edge of the board, find the measure you want to mark, instead the writing end of the mechanical pencil in the slot/hole & mark.  You can also pull the T-Rule parallel to draw a longer, precise line.

Purchasing Advice:

If you are doing any kind of highly accurate woodworking, such as furniture making, Buy one.  Depending on the type of work you do, you may need a shorter one or a longer one … but trust me, you’ll find this tool indispensable for accurate marking.  Instead of making marks directly off the reference of another rule and saying to yourself “just cut a smidge to the right of that mark and you’ll be close” … use the T-Rule to make the measurement and simply cut to it!  It’s makes you more accurate, confident, and comfortable.

Images:

Marks are made with a mechanical pencil.

The measurement scale is clear to read and understand.

Marks are even available on the end of the rule.  This could be used for height adjustments (think blade height or router bit height)

The t-track and thumb screws that attach the rule.

No related posts.

Related posts brought to you by Yet Another Related Posts Plugin.

This Ryobi drill was cheap ($$).  Unfortunately, it is cheap (quality).  The battery charger is slow, the life of the battery is poor, and the power is just not there.

Ryobi does an excellent job and getting into the entry-level market and some of my experiences with their tools have been favorable, but not this one.  The drill was inadequate in every regard for a woodworking shop or serious DIYer.  And with the unreliable battery, I didn’t even feel comfortable giving it to my wife.

Maybe if the battery had been better would I rate it better, but it is what it is.

What’s Included:

The drill, a 7.2v rechargeable battery, and a simple plug-n-wire slow charger.

Ryobi, the company (link):

Directly from their website:

Ryobi Limited is a worldwide manufacturer of die castings, printing equipment, power tools and builders’ hardware, with group companies in Japan as well as the United States, Europe and China.

Design & Use:

This entry-level cordless drill is aimed at the infrequent home user rather than the woodworker or DIYer.  The overall design is impressive at the price point, and the finish is excellent.  Ryobi is good at tool design and usually puts the “little” features in their tools that some of the other companies just miss.

Unfortunately use was limited by the battery life.  Under normal use in my shop I was lucky to get 10 minutes of use before the drill could hardly turn.  From there you’d be looking at hours before the battery was ready again … unrealistic.

Purchasing Advice:

Spend a couple more bucks on something else.

Images:

Top View

Side View

The Trigger

The Chuck

The Battery (bottom)

No related posts.

Related posts brought to you by Yet Another Related Posts Plugin.

Wood is Good Co has done the craftsman a favor by combining a simple, elegant design along with a superior advancement in technology (the urethane) to create a friendly product that can take a beating in the shop.  This mallet scores well in my book.

What’s Included:

No box, no bag … well, nothing more than the mallet and a little label to identify it.

Wood Is Good Co, the company (link):

Straight from their website:

The  “Wood is Good Company”  has been manufacturing quality products for 20 years.  It is a division of Midwest Woodworkers, a retail store stocking large supplies of quality hardwoods, machines, hand tools, and other fine products for woodworkers, carvers, and turners.

Design & Use:

A urethane mallet is primarily used for pounding on tools that work on wood — it itself doesn’t actually do the work.  However, the user of the mallet can be (and in my shop is) used to actually do some mallet-to-wood work driving in wooden plugs and snugging together joints.

This mallet has a presumably Birch handle, though the manufacturer only claims it to be a “New England Hardwoods” handle (I assume this means whatever wood they have on hand).  It’s smooth to the touch and extremely comfortable in your hand.  The mallet reviewed is the 20oz model and is a bit larger in size, but for me seemingly a perfect fit.  The urethane is dense and handles the abuse — so well in fact, I started to think where else I could use that stuff.  My one complaint is a ridge that runs the perimeter of the urethane, probably from the molding process to create the mallet.  The entire mallet head is smooth, then this abrupt ridge lines the top.  If you try to use this in direct contact with wood it will mar the surface as if it were metal — not pretty.  However, that’s can be removed with some sandpaper (or a quick turn on the lathe, if you have one).

Overall this mallet performed better than expected.  My ol’ rubber mallet is probably going to be put to bed for a while, as I’m converting to this style.  It’s more comfortable to hold, comes in a variety of weights, and has a cool burned-in “Wood is Good” name on the end which always stirs up conversation in the shop.

Purchasing Advice:

Not sure that this is a “run out and get it” necessity for the general woodworker or DIYer, but I assume it’s a near must for a carver.  For those of use that are not carvers, I think this should be on the wish list though.  It’s an easy tool to pass by, and one you could do without … but why?  After a little shopping online you’ll probably find one for about $25-$30 — and at that price I’d recommend putting one on the workbench of most wood shops.

Other images:

Wood is Good Urethane Mallet (top view)

Wood is Good Urethane Mallet (bottom view)

The Ridge (top)

No related posts.

Related posts brought to you by Yet Another Related Posts Plugin.

Well, I have some good news for you. Regardless of whether you have or are going to purchase a table saw, one thing I do know.

You need to get yourself a Wixley digital Protractor and a Wixley digital angle meter. These two items turn even an El Cheapo table saw (like my 15 yr old Craftsman) into a precision cutting tool!

Once you have one each of these gauges, you can forget about the tiny gaps in your joints because the miter guage or the blade angle were off a little bit. These are turning out to be some of the most valuable tools in my shop, yet, they are inexpensive (especially when compared to the ever increasing cost of wood if you make a mistake).

Wixey makes several other gauges which might also be helpful. As and example, the Wixey digital height guage might be just the thing for doing precision routing or for setting saw blade height. I can not say enough about their stuff! My protractor and angle meter have been right on the money for accuracy and are available at a great price. I have been wondering if there is a negative to these gauges, and I just can not seem to come up with one, so, do yourself a favor and order one each!

I promise, you will be pleased with your investment if you do any cutting on a table saw. I have no connection with Wixey, and receive no compensation for sharing the above opinion.

No related posts.

Related posts brought to you by Yet Another Related Posts Plugin.

I’ve owned it now for about 6 months and I’m very pleased with it!  I love the variable speed feature!  It has many uses!

I have one other lathe, and considered getting two lathes instead of just the one Jet.  I wanted one lathe for small work (like pens etc.) and another with a 14” to 16” swing over the bed.  Well, after using a small lathe for a bit, and comparing it to my new Jet, it seems the larger lathes have less runout.  I use a Stronghold chuck and with #1 Jaws, I no longer need to worry about a small lathe.  The Jet seems to be bang on the money for small work.  The height is convenient for me, and the lathe seems to be very stable with large blocks mounted.

The design of the lathe handles/handle location, and the operation all seem very efficient, easy to use and a pleasure.  Not everything is rosy however.  I have found that the accessories available from Jet are limited.  Fortunately, the spindle (1 ¼”), tailstock (MT2), tool rest mount (1”) are all common and therefore, about any accessory desired is available from other vendors.

I have been asked on more than one occasion, “Do you think it is worth purchasing a lathe with variable speed control given the extra cost?”  Well, I guess everyone must answer that one by their own needs, but for me, I’ve learned two things: purchase the best tool you can afford, and still get the functionality you need, and then consider what not having the feature would cost you in time and flexibility.  For me, I had to save for about 18 months before I could get what I both “wanted, and needed” which are two different things.

I am not a professional turner, but I think the Jet would well serve either a hobbyist or a professional.  One thing I will mention……The Jet headstock does not swivel!  For some turners, this may be an issue, but for me, it is an advantage.  I like being able to slide the headstock and tailstock to the end of the bed for bowl turning.  I had thought that a swivel head would be more functional, but then realized: a swivel head only causes the turner to have more fixtures because of the new head angle.  If you swivel the head for example, you must have a tool rest which reaches out to the workpiece and around to the front.  By sliding the headstock and tailstock to the end of the bed, these extra tools are not required therefore leaving more money for other goodies!  Plus, at some point, the radius of the workpiece is larger than the swing over the bed.  Well, all I can say is……..Then you will need a self supporting/free standing tool rest.  However, this is true for a swivel head lathe as well……therefore, unless you are going to be turning huge pieces all the time, the Jet is still your best bet.  If it should be that the latter is the case, then what you need is a large lathe designed specifically for doing large bowls.

I am please with my Jet, and have no regrets about not going to a more expensive lathe or inexpensive lathe.  This one meets all my work requirements well.  I have turned vases, bowls, chair and table legs, platters and other items all with no issues.

I am currently doing segmented turning and use the lathe regularly.  My previous lathe just sits over on the side of my shop relegated to waiting patiently for me to have a second turning setup to make while I have one mounted on the Jet.  In the last 6 months, that has not happened and I may create a little shop space by selling it.  I can always turn that old lathe into some neato exotic wood to turn on my Jet!

No related posts.

Related posts brought to you by Yet Another Related Posts Plugin.

• The Shop Fox has equal or more power compared to other 12” disc sanders within its price range.
• The Sanding table tilt angle and distance from the sanding face is fairly easily adjusted.
• The dust port seems to work great when a shop vac is attached.
• The unit is fairly quiet.
• The miter table is flat.

On the downside:

• The miter slot in the table is not parallel to the in-board edge of the table, so if you want to set the miter slot parallel to the disc face, you must use either a jig or a dial indicator.
• The miter slot will NOT accept a standard 3/8” x ¾” miter slide.
• The Disc face to which the sanding disc attaches is not flat.

Either the motor has excessive runout, or the sanding disc face is bent causing the disc face to wobble back and forth/in and out (this is in the horizontal plane-towards and away from the sanding table) so that only the high point of the sanding surface actually cuts (unless a bunch of force is applied, and then it cuts unevenly). When combining the wobble, and the not flat sanding face, it makes it extremely difficult/impossible to do any setup for a precision angle (within 0.1 – 0.3+/- deg or 0.6 degrees total) to be sanded. Even if using a digital protractor, the wobble makes the angular setup within o.3 degree impossible.

No related posts.

Related posts brought to you by Yet Another Related Posts Plugin.

Both the stepped drill bit (TruFit) and the wooden dowels are well-made. The stepped bit is made from HSS (High Speed Steel) and if taken care of will last a long time while providing superior performance.

Interesting indeed, the Miller Dowel is a dowel system that is used from the outside of the project (a standard dowel is concealed between (inside) two pieces of wood). At first this sounds like a disadvantage, however it most certainly is not — instead it’s a creative alternative that can quickly add character and sophistication to virtually any project.

In a nutshell the Miller Dowel system works like this: A special stepped drill bit is used to make a perfectly sized hole between two boards. Next a Miller Dowel (a special stepped dowel sized exactly for the matched drill bit) is lathered-up with glue and hammered into the hole. A few taps to ensure a snug fit and any remainder is trimmed off with a flush cut saw and then sanded smooth. Quick, easy and painless! (Not to mention you get to use a hammer — which is always fun!)

The Miller Dowel system is a great alternative and a nice tool to have in the shop. It’s simple, fast and easy to use; it’s strong; it’s reasonably priced; and (in our opinion) it’s attractive. Though not the right answer in every situation (of course, nothing is), this system can be used far and wide in the shop to strengthen many types of joints (i.e. butt joints, dado joints, lap joints, etc).

If you favor quick & easy joinery, and don’t mind a decorative circle at each joint (the dowels head) … then the Miller Dowel is a great solution. It’s at a price range anyone can afford, requires nothing more than a standard hand-held drill and hammer, and makes even the most basic joint extremely strong.

Manufactured by Miller Dowel Company, these specialized dowels have a variety of buying options. From single bits to complete starter sets. The average price range I’ve seen has been between $15-$30 — depending on the size and quantity you buy. Buy a starter set online from Miller Dowel Company (link), Amazon (link), Woodcraft (link), or Klingspor’s (link).

No related posts.

Related posts brought to you by Yet Another Related Posts Plugin.

Picking up a pair of these pliers one is immediately reminded of how a quality hand tool should feel. The pliers feel solid and are designed with serrated teeth and patented, parallel, auto locking jaws. This combination of quality construction and good design make for a well-built tool.

There are plenty of one-trick ponies that aren’t worth their weight in pennies, but this tool stands apart from that crowd. While not a classical tool in the toolbox, the modern woodworker will be glad they have this tool the next time a pneumatic fastener shoots out the side of a drawer. What could be a disastrous mistake and time-consuming removal becomes nothing more than a small inconvenience with these pliers.

These pliers are the first in our review because they’ve been so helpful and reduced a lot of stress in my shop and around the house (especially if you are removing molding/baseboards!).

Instead of treating the family to dinner out one night this week, cook up something at home … then take that money savings & buy a pair of these for your toolbox — you won’t regret it when the time comes and you need them!

They also make a great gift! Everybody who sees them in action at my house usually says the same thing “Wow, I want that” … and usually they end up with a pair as a gift later in the year.

June 2009 Update – These pliers are still holding strong and remain a shop favorite.  I have run into some brad nails (shot with a pneumatic/air nailer) that would simply break off before the pliers could actually extract it.  This is really because of the low quality metal of the nail, but none-the-less worth noting.  These pliers work best when the fastener cooperates!

Manufactured by Jefferson Tool and priced between $25 – $30. Buy online from their website (link)

No related posts.

Related posts brought to you by Yet Another Related Posts Plugin.