Oneida –
What happens when dust collection technology is turned on its head? A giant impeller and motor are replaced by three smaller motors that work in tandem. The CFM of a dust collector is combined with the suction of an industrial vacuum. We did a more thorough write up of Oneidas Supercell in the June 2022 issue, but we had to include it here, too. This is a very useful and well-designed tool that can be used in a small shop. Weve used it for everything dust-collection-related over the last year and its performed admirably with both 4 duct and hose down to 1 dia. hose hooked to portable power tools.
You don’t need the same portability as the one shown here. Instead, save some money and buy a wall-mounted dust collection bin. It certainly has the power to act as a central collector in your home shop.
With the addition of its workstation, Shaper Origin was able to become a complete tool system this year. The Shaper Origin, by itself, is a great piece of technology-enabled routing. But the best part about it is the companion workstation that allows for jigging and repeatability.
Woodworkers who have a more traditional background can use the Shaper Origin to both work horizontally and vertically. They also get clear instructions on how to use the workstation. And, the workstation is key to cutting joinery for curved, angled and three-dimensionalwork of all kinds, which really starts to showcase just how powerful this tool really is.
Milwaukee
Milwaukee’s 18-volt cordless trim machine is the best we have ever seen. The brushless motor has plenty of power for all kinds of routing tasks-easing edges, roundovers and routing small channels. You can get it as a bare tool, or with an offset and plunge base. The included dust collection hood does a decent job of capturing dust and chips. The Milwaukee 18-volt battery will work, but we recommend the 5AH batteries. They offer the best balance of weight and runtime.
You will not regret buying a lathe with more length and swing. But finding space for a long tool in a shop can be tricky. With Rikons new design, you get the best of both worlds: a lathe with a 20 bed and 23/ swing and a 40 bed and 31/ swing. Coupled with a 3HP electronically controlled variable speed motor and tons of mass (it weighs in at more than 227 kg), it is a formidable machine that can do nearly any turning activity. Switching the bed from short to long or anywhere in between is easy, too: The bed extension is motorized and controlled by a knob next to the motor controls.
Woodpeckers-440
If youre drilling lots of holes in the shop, a drill press is indispensable. This specialized tool for metalworking is not ideal, however, it can be useful for woodworking. With Woodpeckers DP Pro drill press table, you can turn any drill press into a more precise woodworking machine, with all the workholding you need.
The fence and stops are great, but dust collection is the key to success. It can be placed around the bit built into the fence. Its a fantastic design for a machine thats notoriously difficult to get proper dust collection with.
Festool
Festools sanders and dust extractors are some of the best in the industry. Festools new CT15 dust extractor brings the companys legendary dust extraction to a new, more affordable price point. Its surprisingly quiet, features a HEPA filter and tool actuation. You do miss out on the bluetooth functionality and Systainer integration that comes with its more expensive extractors, but if you can live without those, its a very, very good dust extractor for connecting to all your portable power tools.
Rocker
Sometimes, jigging up your drill press to drill precise angles or getting a big piece of wood to balance on a tiny drill press table is just too much. Thats when many reach for a drill guide. Up until now, though, those guides left a lot to be desired.
Rocklers drill guides are made of metal (and other durable material) and lock at angles between 0 and 60. There is virtually no play in this mechanism. The beefy / Jacobs accepts up to 2/ dia. bits. The V-notches on the plate help you drill precise centers on dowels. And, for all you pen turners, theres an accessory designed for accurately drilling pen blanks. For a shop without a drill press (or room for one), or someone thats drilling lots of angled holes, this guide cant be beat.
Mood-Mizer
Most woodworkers will see a log along the roadside and consider turning it into lumber. With the introduction of Wood-Mizers new LX25 mill, the power to turn logs into lumber is now more affordable than ever.
First and foremost, the Wood-Mizer LX25 is made in the U.S.A. at the same factory its bigger brothers are built. The saw can handle logs up 26 inches in diameter and 12 inches in length. Additional 5 extensions are available to extend the mill’s length. A 7 HP Kohler gas engine powers the saw. You can also upgrade to a 9HP if needed.
A mill of this size and specs isnt going to compete with larger mills that let you mill hundreds of bdft per hour, but its more than capable for someone wanting to mill a few trees worth of logs on a weekend, or mill beams for your timberframe.
And, it retails for (and is priced at through the end of October). For a made in the U.S.A. sawmill, that price is hard to beat, especially when you start calculating how much money youve spent on lumber over the years.
Jorgensen –
After being purchased a few years back, Jorgensen has been gradually reintroducing its complete line of clamps, most recently being the E-Z HOLD expandable bar clamps. I tend to use a lot of F-style clamps and parallel jaw clamps in my work, but there are times when a trigger-driven quick release clamp makes woodworking easier.
Jorgensens EZ HOLD expandable bars clamps are available in 12-24 and 36 sizes. They can clamp up to 272kg. With a larger reach and double the clamping pressure of the companys other quick release bar clamps, these new clamps do things that other clamps of this design dont.
One of my favorite features is to be able to take off and flip the foot on the clamp, turning it into a spreader (which has saved my hide more than once). You can use the same mechanism to link multiple clamps together, too.
An aftermarket miter gauge for your table saw is one of the first upgrades we recommend. The Compass MG-36 miter gauge from Harvey Tools is the best. This miter gauge is a great choice because it has excellent fit and finish, accurate crosscut markings, and a long solid fence that can take accessories.
The locking mechanism, in particular, is a very interesting design. Its easy to lock and unlock with just two fingers, but also locks solidly in place at seven positive stops when you release the buttons. The large locking knob is able to handle all degrees between. The size and knurled aluminum body make it easy to lock down the fence tightly and securely. The fence expands up to 36 and includes a micro-adjustable flip stop. And, the track on top lets you add other accessories as needed. You can get it in imperial or metric sizes.
Fastcap per 4 pack
Bench dogs are a vital tool in woodworking. Fastcaps Bluedog, a unique design for a dog, is an excellent example of this. You can easily install one on any surface with a 2/ holesaw. And, with the press of a finger, you can dial in the exact height of the dog for different material thicknesses. Once you’re done, close the lid and your surface will be back to its original state. You can also adjust the angle of your dog’s mount by pivoting it.
I wouldnt go and replace the traditional dogs on my workbench with these, but for an assembly table or other auxiliary worksurface in your shop, Bluedogs are a great addition. Use them for holding work in place while sanding, routing and assembling furniture pieces. And because they install with just a hole saw, you can install them anywhere.
Harvey Woodworking now manages the production and distribution of Bridge City Tools, so John Economaki, the founder of the company can concentrate on the design and update of his iconic tools. Chopstick Master 2.0 is a perfect example. John has updated the original product to make it smaller, more intuitive, and easier for non-woodworkers to use.
Packaged with the jig, handplane, sharpening guide and a few blanks, youll be having fun and making useful products within minutes of opening the package. This package is a great way for new woodworkers and to share the joy of woodworking.
Titebond /gallon
Titebonds newest glue is a godsend for the person with a small shop and a lot of parts to glue up. This indoor (not water resistant or waterproof) glue was developed to increase production in a factory setting (and is only sold in gallon or larger quantities), but the primary benefit-shorter clamp time-has a place in the home shop, too. Because you only need to leave your parts in clamps for 15 minutes while the glue sets, you can unclamp and glue up your next set of parts. This glue really sped things up while gluing up a whole kitchens worth of doors, and we now keep a bottle on hand for other production-type work.
Woodpeckers –
Woodpeckers stainless-steel DelVe square is a great example of how many accurate layout tools you can fit in one tool. You get 90 and 45 references, along with an angle scale. The offset base gives you / on one side and / on the other side. The base measures exactly / wide by / thick. The blade is / thick, / wide. There are scribing guides every /. And theres a hole for centering a mark on a / thick board edge. And theyre sized for woodworking, in both 6 and 3 sizes (unlike other speed squares). They can be purchased individually or as a whole set.
Veritas
It takes some practice and skill to dial in the perfect edge on a scraper, but Veritass card scraper burnisher takes some of the guesswork out. The compact design is ideal for two-handed usage. Your thumb and fingers are kept close to the carbide burner so that you can feel the edge of the card scraper when you turn an angle. You won’t press too hard on your edge and cause damage, thanks to its small size. It is also less expensive than traditional burnishers.
Narex
You need good steel, good ergonomics, and the right shape to make a chisel.
The Narexs Richter chisels (named after the founder of the company, Vaclav Richter), deliver on all fronts and at a reasonable price.
Forged in the Czech Republic, the tools take a little bit of work to get them ready to work. They perform as well as any other brand in this price range once they are set up. The handles are comfortable and the steel is strong. Like all good tools, these chisels get out of the way and let you focus on the task at hand (and not on the tool).
Microjig
Microjigs dovetail clips have been a great tool for building jigs, and assembly tables. However, the newest version (AP Anti-Pivot) is a significant upgrade.
The clamps can still be used with a standard, or 14 dovetail track. This track is versatile enough to rout on virtually any surface. The anti-pivot coil spring (located just under the clamp arm) keeps the arm in place for repetitive clamp tasks. The groove in the new X-pad foot allows the clamp to exert both downward pressure and in-line pressure. This means that you can flatten your workpiece and push a joint together. Non-square stock can also be clamped by the v-groove.
Powermatic
The Powermatic lathe packs a lot of features in a small footprint. It is affordable and professional-quality. The 20 swing means you can turn big bowls and platters. You can customize the lathe to your specifications with the optional stand or outboard accessories. Pared with a speed controller and a 1HP motor, this lathe is made to turn beautiful bowls and platters. The lathe was designed for professional turners, but is affordable enough to be used by hobbyists. And, its still small enough to easily transport to shows and craft markets.
Product Recommendations
Here are some supplies and tools we find essential in our everyday work around the shop. We may receive a commission from sales referred by our links; however, we have carefully selected these products for their usefulness and quality.
