General Woodworking

Freud invited us to an early meeting to present a number of new woodworking related products. Some were router bit designs, some were geared to industrial consumers and one was a new machine designed to properly cut and position holes for dowel joinery, appropriately named a Doweling Joiner.

Dowels aren’t a new concept, but this machine is, at least to the United States market. The best way to explain this tool is to think a biscuit joiner, but for dowels. The tool operates in much the same way and is designed for many of the same uses, such as face-frame construction.

We feel this tool may have more of an impact in the kitchen cabinet area or for those building projects with adjustable shelves. The bits for this joiner are the same bits used in straight-line boring machines; they lock into the tool with set screws and are exactly 32mm or 1-1/4” apart.

Does 32mm sound familiar? That’s why we think kitchen cabinet builders might jump on this tool right away. The 32mm system is a complete European kitchen cabinet concept that’s been in this country for some time.

As for adjustable shelving, this Doweling Joiner is great for installing the 1/4” holes for shelf pins. This tool drills two holes at a time (one if you remove and work with a single drill bit) and uses two retractable pins that are fully adjustable to maintain alignment as the holes are drilled. Like a biscuit joiner, place the base of the tool against a straight edge to keep the holes in a line.

The Doweling Joiner has a 6.5-amp motor, drills for dowels that are from 3/16” to 1/2” (5mm – 12mm) and is adjustable for depth up to 1-3/8”. Look for this tool to sell for $329. We’ve been told the Doweling Joiner will be on the market very shortly. And we also noticed that Triton was showing a similar machine in its booth.

— Glen D. Huey

Two years ago if I would have mentioned the company Festool, more likely than not, you wouldn’t have known the name. Then the Domino was introduced and the name Festool jumped in popularity. The next year the company delivered two routers, the OF2200 and the MFK 700, along with Kapex, the Festool miter saw, and the company name is now well known throughout woodworking.

Of course Festool is here at the International Woodworking Fair. The main draw in the booth is the Kapex. That saw wasn’t at the big Las Vegas show last year. There wasn’t even a prototype to look at. So, even though we’ve all heard tons of information about this miter saw, this is the first look for many woodworkers.

For those of us covering the happenings at IWF, Festool scheduled appointments that were held outside the booth in a “secret” room. I think the team at Festool had a great idea. With scheduled appointments, the team met with everyone on a one-on-one basis to show us what was waiting in the wings from Festool – what the company planned to bring to the table in the next couple years. And we get to deliver to you that look into the future.

I’ve always heard Festool talk about “the system.” I knew a router or plunge-cut saw with a multi-function table (MFT) wasn’t the system. Today the concept of system came into focus. Festool envisions woodworkers setting up complete shops with Festool tools. That’s what was displayed in the secret room.

The big concept was a Compact Module system. The table for this system attaches to an MFT by way of the v-grooves along all edges. The top of the table, where you change plates in and out, is where the action takes place.

In one module the Festool team set up a router station. Simply mount a router on the bottom of a plate, flip the plate as you place it into the table and turn a normally hand-held tool into a router table. (That’s not a new concept until you add in a number of possible modules and plates, each with different tools). You can use an OF1400 up to and including the super-sized OF2200 routers and the setup comes complete with a fully functioning fence that allows quick-action movement for positioning and then a fine-tune adjustment so you can dial in the cut exactly.

Another module in the display held a Festool TS 55 EQ plunge-cut saw. Again the saw was attached to the plate then inverted and extended through the plate to form a small table saw. Included on this table saw was a fence ready to position and lock as needed, along with a see-through guard system and of course, a riving knife (which is part of the plunge-cut saw). The look and feel was that of a table saw.

What makes both these setups so cool is a sliding table that is positioned directly beside the saw and in front of the router. These sliders fasten to the Compact Module table using v-grooves and are very smooth in operation. Now you have a setup for crosscuts or, if the sliding attachment is used at the router module, you have a great way to mill the ends for rails and much more.

I think we can look for additional modules down the road. One that is in the works, but you might not see due to Underwriters Laboratory hurdles concerning guards, is a plate holding an inverted Festool jigsaw.

Also, Festool gave us a look at a couple new tools, one of which is a vacuum-clamping system. This system has a vacuum built into a systainer and it was as quiet as a church mouse. We could talk in normal volumes and easily hear what was said as the vacuum powered up to hold firm.

Attached to the vacuum is a stand that can be clamped to an MFT or can be held to a smooth tabletop via vacuum action at the base of each pod. At the top of the pods are interchangeable hard rubber-like platforms (four designs in all) that immediately grab most any surface. We watched as a rough-sawn, straight-from-the-sawmill chunk of mahogany was grabbed strong and tight. And with a smooth surface such as a piece of melamine, the hold was incredible. So incredible that using this as a mount for edge routing would be a walk in the park. Also, the platforms can be rotated and pivoted as needed bringing to mind the possibility of holding work while carving or shaping cabriole legs.

Additionally, Festool has two new T-handle drills about to hit the scene. These drills are well-balanced and very comfortable in your hands and there are interchangeable chucks designed for a variety of duties. The first is what Festool labeled a 12 + 3, which is equal to a 10.8-volt drill, and a 15 + 3 that’s equivalent to a 14.4-volt drill. Each drill comes with a lithium-ion battery made of the highest quality (what else would you expect from Festool?) and is backwards compatible with earlier Festool batteries and chargers. Look for these drills to come to market during the second quarter of 2009.

— Glen D. Huey

If you own a 14” band saw, then you know that you have a conundrum on your hands when you set it up.

You could leave it stock, which would allow you to cut material up to 6” thick. Or you could add a “riser block,” which allows you to cut stock up to 12” thick. Many woodworkers add the riser block in case they ever want to resaw veneer material on their machine. But adding a riser block has downsides: The machine is less stable, harder to tune and the longer blades cost more.

General International has developed a new band saw that allows you to have the best of both worlds. It’s a bit of a shock to see it work the first time. In essence, the spine of the band saw is like the post on a drill press. Turn a crank and you can raise the head up so you can resaw thick material with a 102”-long blade. Or crank it the other way so you can enjoy stable cuts with a 93”-long blade.

Changeover takes about two minutes, plus changing the blade on the machine. When we first saw this new saw at the International Woodworking Fair we just shook our heads thinking it was a gimmick. But after a moment of thought, we could see that it was a bright idea. Most woodworkers rarely use their band saw for resawing and would be best served by keeping their machine set low. But when you need to resaw, it’s a simple thing to raise the head and give yourself that extra capacity.

This band saw, which should be available this year, is fully loaded. It has a 1-1/2 hp motor, ball-bearing blade guides, cast-iron wheels, a laser, a rack-and-pinion table-tilt mechanism, rack-and-pinion guide adjustments, a quick-release blade-tensioning mechanism, wheel brush, a tall aluminum fence, two speeds and a nice one-piece base. The price? About $1,400.

— Christopher Schwarz

I got back to Cincinnati late Saturday after six days at the Marc Adams School of Woodworking, where Phil Lowe taught me and 11 others how to build a demilune table with a veneered apron. I promised to post a picture of my table today. The one you see above is Phil's. The one you see below (not quite completed...) is mine. 'Nuff said.

— Megan Fitzpatrick

How lucky are we? This issue of Popular Woodworking magazine has a second article written by Marc Spagnuolo, a.k.a., The Wood Whisperer. In this installment, Marc examines power-tool accessories. You might be surprised to find out what actually powers these accessories.
    
Have fun watching The Wood Whisperer, and if you didn’t catch his premiere video click here.

Click To Play


You can also watch this video at popularwoodworking.com/video.

–Glen D. Huey

The revival of the Arts & Crafts Movement isn’t just in the furniture store. Woodworkers of all levels of experience have named it one of their favorite styles to build in their workshops. Why? Clean lines and honest joinery.

So we've put together a new CD that features our 49 favorite articles from Popular Woodworking and Woodworking Magazine from the last decade that deal with this important furniture movement.

All of the articles on the CD are in pdf format, so you can view them on any computer with the free Acrobat Reader program. Plus you can print the articles out and take them to the shop when you're ready to build.

If you've never used any of our magazines' articles in pdf format, we'd like to give you a sample for free. We think you'll be pleased. To give it a try, simply click on the link below to download the complete plans for Gustav Stickley's No. 72 Magazine Cabinet, a very popular project from our April 2003 issue.

Magazine_Cabinet.pdf (1.66 MB)

Here's what else you'll find on this CD, which is available in our store for $15 (that includes free shipping in the United States).

■ 42 Furniture Projects: We feature comprehensive plans and cutting lists for a complete suite of furniture for your home, including two Morris chairs, sideboards, side tables, bookshelves, outdoor furniture as well as home accessories, including lamps and wastebaskets. Every project includes step-by-step instruction and measured drawings.

■ 7 Technique Articles: Arts & Crafts furniture uses straightforward joinery like the mighty mortise and tenon. We show you a wide variety of ways to cut this essential joint, plus articles on achieving an Arts & Crafts finish with home-center materials and detailed plans for the jigs and fixtures that will make your shop time more efficient.

This CD is in stock and ready to ship. To order your copy, visit our store today.

— Christopher Schwarz

Friday, my fellow students and I got into a very sticky situation. That hide glue that Phil Lowe had us start cooking on Monday finally came into play. But first, we were directed to glue up our tabletops with a spring joint. I was elated – I actually knew how to do this (the first thing about which I felt truly confident all week). But after the glue set, Phil told us to flatten the top. With a smooth plane. My kingdom for a No. 5.

He then proceeded to use an 1-1/4” chisel to very quickly cut a deep chamfer on the underside of his top, then cleaned it up with a spokeshave in just a few minutes. Very impressive. My top isn’t ready for a chamfer. It isn’t yet flat (but it sure is thinner). I’ll have to go in before class on Saturday to finish planing and scraping, before I can band saw the edge, clean it up and cut the chamfer. Our final task before packing up will be to attach the top with buttons, and I want to get that accomplished – in large part so the top of my wonky bridle joints are covered up, and the guys won’t have an immediate and obvious target for mirth.

So I set my top aside as we moved onto veneer. This was a lot of fun – and a hot sticky mess. After cutting the veneer pieces a little oversized, I opened the glue pot and swatted at the dozens of flies that immediately converged on my bench, glue pot, arms and substrate. Then I painted a layer of glue onto the bricked poplar substrate, laid down the veneer strip, added another layer of glue, then squeegeed it off the top and out from the bottom with a veneer hammer (a heavy hunk of metal with a 3” - 4” rolled edge and a handle – it has nothing to do with hammering). The glue tacks very quickly – to everything. While squeegee-ing in the demo, Phil scooped and scraped the excess neatly into his palm and calmly and cleanly returned it to the glue pot.  While we were all squeegee-ing, we scooped and scraped the excess into and onto everything around us (my marking knife was at one point firmly attached to my forearm). But hide glue is easy to clean up – just a little hot water and my tools (and my forearm) were clean.

On Saturday, we’ll add the banding, and hopefully get through assembly. I’ll post of picture of my finished project on Monday – or at least a picture of however finished it may be. But I guarantee those bridle joints won’t be visible.

– Megan Fitzpatrick

Read Part 1 of this series here. And Part 2 is here. Part 3 is here. Part 4 is here.

Today, Phil Lowe set up a jig to waste out the front side of the bridle joint that the leg sleeves over in our demilune tables, and a niggling thought crept in to my head. Did I really keep the screws out of the leg locations when bricking the rim? I think I did, but… The last thing I wanted to do was hit a screw and set off the Saw Stop. For one thing, the Marc Adams School of Woodworking has only the one dado stack at the moment, and I didn’t want to keep anyone else in the class from getting their work accomplished. And it would be really embarrassing.

Just in case, I moved to the end of the line. I figured if I did set it off, I could handle the embarrassment – as long as I didn’t hold anyone else up. But as I waited, I decided I’d best chop out the waste by hand. The longer I stood there, the more I convinced myself that I’d misplaced a screw. But my handsaw skills are, shall we say, in the developmental stage. So at Phil’s suggestion, I clamped a guide block along my scribed line, and kept the saw blade pressed flat to that "training wheel" as I cut down to the shoulders at each location. Then I chiseled out the waste and flattened the bottom with a shoulder plane. Of course, there was nary a screw in sight.

This was the first time I’d used a chisel for precision work other than dovetails. Dovetails are small. This joint is not. I’ve struggled with getting things flat and even, and squaring the shoulders (among other things). Phil makes it look so easy.

I knew coming into this class that I was jumping into the deep end. In theory, I know why the blade is cambered in a smooth plane, and how to use that plane. I’ve read reams on how to hold and use a handsaw. I’ve watched editor Christopher Schwarz demonstrate plane us, and the three classes of saw cuts – more than once. (Chris makes it look easy, too). Heck – Chris has even stuck a plane in my hand and given me a lesson on its use. But I didn’t pick up the plane again until this class. Using these tools with purpose is very different than reading about it, watching someone do it, or taking a few desultory swipes at a board – no matter how good the instructor. Use it or lose it.

My table might approach mediocrity. My cuts aren’t great, my tenons are loose, and I got so excited about my plane shavings that I was overzealous – the ankles on my tapered table legs are very delicate indeed. But it will be the best darn demilune table I’ve ever built. The next one will be even better – and will use no screws at all.

— Megan Fitzpatrick

Read Part 1 of this series here. And Part 2 is here. Part 3 is here.

As I mentioned in my entry from yesterday, my first order of business this morning (after stirring in the skin at the top of the glue pot -- blech) was to band saw away the waste on the inside of my bricked rim. I wanted to go early and get that out of the way, but at Marc Adams' school, power machinery can be used only between 8 a.m. and 6 p.m. Those are the hours when a staff member is on hand to supervise.

Marc has been running his school since 1994, and in that time, there's been not one major accident on any machinery. That's because safety is of paramount importance to Marc and his staff. Exposure to blades is limited as much as possible by featherboards, hold-downs, shields, fences, sleds and more. As you can see in the picture at the top, in order to cut our table rim's tenon cheeks on the table saw, we had to keep our hands well above the blade in order to secure the workpiece against the jig attached to the miter gauge.

If there's a way to make the operation safe, Marc and his staff have found it, and they're adamant that while at the school, students and instructors follow their proven safety procedures. And they watch like hawks to ensure that happens. This can be frustrating at times -- but it also means that students go home not only with a great woodworking experience, but with all the digits with which they arrived.

On Wednesday, for example, we were crosscutting legs to length at the table saw. Two stops were set up to the left and right of the blade, attached to a sled. Plus a Lexan shield covered the blade. In order to get our leg stock into position, the sled had to be pulled far enough back to allow access to the table under the shield. And though we had a number of small offcuts, the shield prevented anyone from reaching too close (3" minimum) to the spinning blade. It seemed tedious to maneuver the pieces under the angled shield, but it caused the operation to be performed slowly and meticulously. As one of our class assistants, Doug Dale, said, "Often, the safest way is also the most accurate."

It's a great lesson, one I'll keep in mind when I get back to our shop. Now if only there were a Lexan shield to keep me from cutting into my tenons with a handsaw.

— Megan Fitzpatrick

Read Part 1 of this series here. And Part 2 is here.

To start off the second day in Phil Lowe's "Building a Demilune Table" class, we rub jointed 34 pieces with 15° angles on each end into chevrons (shown above). I thought I knew how to smear on glue and rub two pieces of wood together, but Phil showed us how to first size the end grain with a very thin layer of glue rubbed in to fill in the xylem and phloem. That, Phil says, keeps the glue used in the rub joint from being sucked up into the end grain and makes the resulting joint stronger.

After our 17 chevrons were made, we screwed and glued six of them around the edge of the pattern we routed yesterday (being careful to keep screws out of the leg-joint areas). Then, we cut close to the pattern edge on the band saw, and touched up any wonky spots with a spokeshave. Let's just say I got some spokeshave practice. The final step for each layer was to pattern shape it on the router table. The rim was built up with three more bricked layers of chevrons and half pieces, sawing (spokeshaving) and routing each layer as we went.

The most exciting moment of the day for me (and no doubt for many of the class members), was unscrewing the rim from the pattern and seeing the shape emerge. That poplar sure is pretty – but I suspect I'll like the bird's-eye maple veneer even more. We scribed lines back from the front edge, and some people have already cut away the waste from the back. I was at the end of the line at the band saw and there's no power-tool use after 6 p.m. at the Marc Adams School of Woodworking (more on that tomorrow). So my first task on Wednesday (after plugging in the glue pot for delightful olfactory ambiance), will be to remove that waste. Then it's on to planing the tapers on the legs.

Read Part 1 of this series here.

— Megan Fitzpatrick

Many talented and able photographers have published photographs of the work of Charles and Henry Greene. I own most of the books and have spent many hours studying these, as well as images online. I usually feel some frustration because what I really want to see is often missed. I'm one of those guys that lags behind on historic home tours, down on my knees or laying on my back to get a close look at how things go together. The docent gets frustrated, the security guard gets ready to move in, but the other woodworkers understand.

The series of articles by David Mathias on Greene and Greene feature photos that are different than any that I have ever seen. The first article, the August 2008 issue of Popular Woodworking presented an overview of the style. The second article, in the October 2008 issue focuses on the furniture and joinery details. The October issue is due from the printer any time now, and will soon be on its way to subscribers. As was the case in August, we had more photos than we had room for in print, so we are putting the extras online in PDF format.

My favorite thing about these photos is the point of view and attention to detail that comes from having a fellow woodworker behind the camera. Several of the photos are of familiar pieces, but you will see construction details you haven't seen before. Many of the photos are of objects that are rarely if ever seen. This is a rare opportunity to get a closer look at an amazing body of work, through the eyes of someone who knows what you want to see.

Click the link below to download the PDF slide show of additional photos.
0810GnGSlides.pdf (1.45 MB)

The slide show from the August article is available by clicking here

--Bob Lang

Monday morning, I left my house at 5:30 a.m. to drive to Franklin, Ind., to the Marc Adams School of Woodworking. I had to be there by 8 a.m., and while it’s only an hour-and-a-half drive or so from Cincinnati (if one drives too fast, as I am wont to), I tend to get lost. And I got lost. Twice. But, I made it by 7:30, and I had my bench set up by the 8 a.m. start.

I’m taking Phil Lowe’s “Building a Demilune Table” class. Not only is it my first foray into curved work, I’ll also learn to hammer veneer. I’m using mahogany for the legs and top, and bird’s-eye maple veneer will be applied (along with banding of a species yet-to-be-determined)to a substrate of poplar. Monday, each class member cut a series of short pieces of secondary wood, which will be bricked to make the curved substrate for the apron (we’ll pattern rout to an MDF template once the polygon is assembled).

While all of this is new and exciting, what I found most revelatory was the planning process. On a piece of butcher paper, using only a T-square, two triangles, a 6” rule and trammel points, Phil produced beautiful full-size orthographic and isometric drawings of our project in less than two hours – all with seemingly no math. I must learn this.

Not so exciting? Prepping for hammer veneering. While I’m delighted to be learning this traditional skill, Phil prefers his hide glue well done. So although we won’t be dipping into the glue pots for at least another day, the redolent scent of cooking collagen hangs in the air. That ought to go well with breakfast.

— Megan Fitzpatrick

Read part 2 by clicking here.

Broken baseball bats are becoming so commonplace that Major League Baseball has undertaken a study to determine what’s behind this growing phenomenon.  The concern, of course, is the busted barrel-end is hurtling into crowds – not to mention million-dollar players – and posing a serious safety hazard. Baseball czar Bud Selig wants to know what’s going on so he’s collecting every chipped, broken and cracked bat and shipping them off to the University of Wisconsin’s Forest Products Laboratory to have them studied.

Reading news reports on the subject can be entertaining for people who’ve been around and worked wood for a while. For example, I learned the problem is due to the increased use of maple instead of ash. Maple bats break clean in two while ash bats just crack or splinter. OK, I can buy that. We all know ash is a good choice for bending while maple would be avoided. But when players and other clubhouse types weigh in on the “why,” it seems maple has no “grain” while ash does. I thought all wood had grain. Here’s another: switch to beech, which I read is a hybrid between maple and ash that’s imported from Europe. Learn something new every day!

Hitters are notoriously superstitious about their bats as they seek every advantage to improve their stats. The move to maple got serious after Barry Bonds made the change and hit 49 homers in 2000 and 73 in 2001 (and we all thought there were other factors at play!). Today, some 48 percent of MLB bats are maple with a typical bat fetching $58; ash bats are significantly less at $45. That adds up when you figure the team buys 11 to 12 dozen bats for each player each season.

So is the broken bat mystery merely a question of maple vs. ash? As a woodworker, I doubt it. I will concede that the safety question is best answered with the choice of ash over maple because I’d bet the ash will be far less likely to break in two and send a hurtling projectile. More likely, ash will just crack or splinter.

No, I believe the scientists at the Forest Products Laboratory will conclude the breakage epidemic is due to the shape of bats today and the relationship between its weight and length. Players’ preferences today are bats that are longer and weigh less with a thinner handle and bigger business end.  This preference is a result of the widespread use of aluminum bats on the college circuit that have this shape, and lots of MLB players are from the college ranks. Used to be, most bats were made with weight about equal to the length; a 32” bat usually weighed close to 32 ounces. Today’s bats are often longer, 34” inches, and weigh between 30 and 32 ounces. And to make the handles thinner, some players are shaving them. Can’t you imagine the MLB clubhouse equipped with a Brian Boggs shavehorse and set of spokeshaves?

Given these guys probably lack much woodworking know-how, I have this mental image of the rookie hearing about shaving the handle to improve his performance. I see this kid with his bat all lathered up and his razor stropped and ready to shave. That cracks me up!

–Steve Shanesy, publisher & editorial director
  photos courtesy of MLB Advanced Media

Last October, David Mathias reported from Pasadena's Craftsman Weekend with photos and first hand accounts of the events. The only criticism we received was that these reports were too late for those who wanted to attend. Consider this as a wake up call, this year's events have been announced, and tickets go on sale in a few days. If you're a fan of the work of Greene & Greene, you'll want to be there. This is also the one hundredth anniversary of the Gamble House, and there are a number of special events taking place to commemorate this milestone.

(photo above by Darrell Peart)
We couldn't keep David here in Ohio, and last March he returned to California, camera in hand to take the photos we're featuring in a special three-part series of articles on Greene and Greene. If you've seen the August issue of Popular Woodworking you've seen part one, along with an online slide show of detail photos we couldn't squeeze into the printed magazine. The second article, coming in the October issue will show details of Greene and Greene furniture that have never been published before. The picture above is one example, and once again additional photos will appear online when the article is published.

David also traveled to several museums, tracking down original pieces of Greene and Greene furniture, such as this table from the Blacker House. If you're wondering how the table extension mechanism works, we'll be showing a photo from below. You can always tell the woodworkers when you visit a museum or old house, they are the ones with dust on their knees and backs from crawling on the floor to get a better look. This article is the next best thing to seeing this amazing furniture in person, and you won't have to worry about setting off an alarm, or having a security guard escort you to the nearest exit.

If you'd rather see things in person, or want more information on Greene and Greene, David put together a resource list, which you can download by clicking on this link.
GNGWWResource.pdf (48.49 KB)
That should keep you busy until the October issue arrives. If you're looking for more, try a search on "Greene and Greene" here on the blog, or on the main Popular Woodworking web site.

--Bob Lang

The next issue of Popular Woodworking will be heading into mailboxes in the next two weeks, so we thought we'd give you a quick look at what you can expect inside.

21st-Century Workbench: For at least a year, Senior Editor Robert W. Lang has been working diligently on plans for a new kind of workbench that blends the best of modern and ancient designs. He succeeded beyond my expectations. This bench performs all the workholding tasks for power or hand tools. It's simple to build. It knocks down in less than 10 minutes (we timed it). And it looks great. We were so impressed with the design that we've even made a complete hour-long DVD of the construction process. We'll tell you more about the DVD when the issue comes out.

Tool Test: Random-orbit Sanders: If you own only one sander, it should be a random-orbit tool. But which one? Senior Editor Glen D. Huey tested nine popular brands in our shop here and found one tool that we liked better than all the rest. Here's the best thing: It's definitely not the most expensive in the test.

Details & Joinery of Greene & Greene: Trust me on this – the joinery and level of detail found on Greene & Greene-style pieces is far beyond what is typically done in today's shops. We sent woodworker David Mathias to the West Coast to get inside the casework and under the tables to reveal the inspiring level of work found in these masterpieces. Read the first installment in this series here.

Taming Handplane Tear-out: Battling tear-out is one of the most vexing things about using a handplane. Everyone has an opinion about what reduces it, but not all these strategies work all the time. We investigate.

Layout Tools: Michael Dunbar surveys the 16 tools you need for accurate layout in any shop. With his typical practical approach, Dunbar shows you how you don't have to spend a small fortune to do precision layout work.

Marc Adams on Table Saws: The table saw is the most used (and misused) tool in the American workshop. Marc Adams shows you how to set up and use your machine so you get accurate results without becoming one of the thousands of casualties each year. You can read another installment in Adams's series on safety here.

Arts & Mysteries: Adam Cherubini builds a 17th-century "joynt forme," a type of low seating bench with turned legs. Adam gives you hints on angled mortises and riving your materials using traditional methods.

The Wood Whisperer: Marc Spagnuolo runs a power-tool shop, but he uses hand tools to improve his joinery. He shows you how.

Flexner on Finishing: Bob Flexner takes on the common perception that shellac is best used a sealer when finishing. He shows you how you might be making your finishing harder than it has to be. Read more of Bob's articles here.

— Christopher Schwarz

Porter-Cable (PC) held a press event in New York on Tuesday. The event was to introduce new tools, both cordless and corded. After the release, we were invited to attend a Yankees baseball game. (I know it’s a dirty job, but I don’t mind taking one for the team.)

Let’s talk tools. PC introduced a line of tools that will be sold at many regular dealers, but the only home center where these tools will be found is Lowe's. The majority of the line, due out in November 2008, focuses on 18V cordless tools in nickel cadmium (Ni-Cad), with one using lithium ion (Li-ion).

In this category the company is bringing out a four pack of tools that includes a drill/driver with a 1/2" chuck, a 6-1/2" circular saw, a reciprocating saw and a flashlight ($150). A second group of tools is a two pack that includes the drill/driver and the circular saw ($110). Each package has a charger and two batteries as well as other miscellaneous parts including a saw blade, bit tips and a soft-sided carrying case. Interestingly, PC decided to stay with Ni-Cad for these tools although they are compatible with the 18V Li-ion batteries too. In addition, Porter-Cable introduced a hammer-drill kit (the tool plus two batteries and a charger) expected to retail for $140.

If lithium power is your choice, PC is bringing out a drill/driver kit. The drill features a 1/2" metal chuck and a 24-position clutch with a two-speed gearbox. The kit also includes two batteries and a charger ($180). The batteries are P1-level batteries with a 1.1 amp hour rating.

The kit prices look pretty good for PC tools and each of these tools will be available individually. I had the tools in my hands at the event, but didn’t have time to get a good look at each. My question is this: Why continue to use Ni-cad technology when most others are using, and consumers are knowledgeable about, Li-ion? My best guess about the battery choice is that the older technology allows the company to hit specific price points that enticed Lowe’s to the table. I can’t think of another reason to stick with Ni-cad when the buying public is changing gears to accept Li-ion-powered tools.

When PC Vice-President Dan Gregory said DeWalt tools were their professional-line tools, I was astounded, as were others. He explained that PC is attempting to position these tools for tradesman – an area of the market that PC feels is full of value-conscientious, value-driven buyers. PC is being sandwiched between Black & Decker (at the low end) and DeWalt (the high end). I’ve always thought my Porter-Cable routers and PC sanders were better than the DeWalt counterparts.

So what’s to happen to the regular Porter-Cable tools that we all know today? As for the existing tools PC has produced for years (the routers and random orbit sanders), I’ve been told the company doesn’t plan to change them at all. I hope we see packaging that differentiates between the new line and the company’s current tools.

In addition to the new tools mentioned above, Porter-Cable introduced a battery-powered, 6-1/2" circular saw with a laser that was pretty cool. It was priced at $60, but you also have to buy a battery and charger. New in corded tools: hammer drills, reciprocating saws, small angle grinders, 1/2"-chuck drill/drivers and laser-equipped circular saws. For the suggested retail price for the kits or for individual tools, open the PDF below.

—Glen D. Huey

PCPrices.pdf (3.46 MB)