Handheld Woodworking Power Tools
Choose the Right Circular Saw
Carpenters and building contractors have used circular saws for years because of their speed and portability. This same versatile tool has numerous uses in the workshop. Learn the features that you should look for when choosing one of these useful handheld power woodworking tools.
Choosing a Cordless Drill
As technology has improved, cordless drills have become much more popular as woodworking tools. With improved battery life and torque, cordless drills are a viable option for nearly all hand held drilling tasks on any woodworking project. Learn the features you should consider when looking to buy a cordless drill for your wood shop.
Compact Power for Drilling & Driving
Cordless impact drivers have taken a prominent place among cordless woodworking tools, mainly because they pack a considerable amount of power into drilling and driving tasks without transferring the impact to the user. While some might consider an impact driver to be more of a construction tool than a fine woodworking tool, there are plenty of...
Jigsaws - What Features do you Really Need?
When you need to make curved cuts, few tools are as versatile as the jigsaw. With the proper blades, jigsaws can also be employed to cut metal, plastics and other materials. Learn the features you should look for when buying one of these useful woodworking tools.
Random Orbital Sanders
Technological advances in recent years have made Random Orbital Sanders a necessity in every wood shop. The random action of the sander makes most sanding a relatively quick chore, without creating scratches from the sanding action that other sanders leave behind. Learn the features you should look for when purchasing one of these versatile...
Sheet Sanders for Woodworking Projects
When preparing a woodworking project for finishing, you have a few choices in power sanders. You can choose a random orbital sander, belt sander or a sheet sander. In this article, we discuss the advantages of a sheet sander, including when you should use to complete your woodworking plans.
Stationary & Plunge Routers
Fixed base and plunge routers are typically considered to be among the favorite power tools used by woodworkers. The main reason is probably the versatility of a router, particularly when considering the variety of edge profiles that can be applied to an edge of a board with one or more router bits. In this article, learn some features to...
How to Use a Biscuit Cutter
A plate joiner is often referred to as a biscuit cutter, and while if has a single purpose, it performs that task with with incredible accuracy. Learn how to properly use a plate joiner, and the features you should look for when purchasing one of these handy woodworking tools.
Get the Most Out of Your Router
With a woodworking router and a few router bits, you can apply literally hundreds of various shapes to the edge of a board. Most router bits are versatile enough that they can be used fully or partially to help form these shapes. In these articles, learn how to get the most out of your fixed base or plunge router.
Jigsaws and Sabre Saws: What is the Difference?
Is there a difference between a jigsaw and a sabre saw? Learn the common explanations of both tools, and when you should use a sabre saw as opposed to a jigsaw.
Circular Saw Woodworking Tips
A circular saw is a absolute necessity for a carpenter on a construction site, but there are a number of uses for a circular saw in fine woodworking projects as well. For instance, when used with a straight-edge, a circular saw can cut sheet goods such as plywood as accurately (and with more ease) than a table saw. With special blades, a...
How to Use a Belt Sander
A belt sander is ideal for removing substantial amounts of material quickly. Belt sanders are larger than palm sanders or random orbital sanders, and require a bit of muscle to use properly. The belts are typically much more coarsely grained than finish sanders, and can grab and pull very easily. Additionally, they can rip through skin easily,...
How to Use an Oscillating Spindle Sander
An oscillating spindle sander is a type of drum sander where the drum rises and lowers as the drum spins. This oscillating motion exposes the entire drum to the wood being sanded, allowing for nearly the entire surface of the drum to be exposed evenly to the wood. This helps reduce grooves in the wood caused by the sandpaper, and allows the...
Reciprocating Saws
Reciprocating saws are powerful handheld tools that have a blade that cuts with a back-and-forth motion much like a jigsaw. Reciprocating saws are commonly used in remodeling projects, primarily due to their usefulness in cutting through wood, metal, plastic, PVC and more. The tool is perfect for cutting openings for windows and doors in an...
How to Use a Panel Saw for Cutting Plywood
A panel saw system can cut plywood as accurately as a table saw, without having to muscle the plywood through the table saw. Learn tips for using a panel saw for cutting sheet goods.