More
Shaping and Surfacing
articles . . .
Portable Thickness Planers
Solid Surfacers: Test results for seven new planers.
TOOLS OF THE TRADE Magazine
(September 12, 2007)
Portable Planers
Ten 3-1/4-inch planers fit for flattening and trimming.
TOOLS OF THE TRADE Magazine
(June 4, 2007)
Routers
Two for One: Router conversion kits offer plunge- and fixed-base routers in one package.
TOOLS OF THE TRADE Magazine
(May 1, 2003)
Trim Routers
Super Size: Bigger isn't always better. For light routing, in fact, trim routers
TOOLS OF THE TRADE Magazine
(July 14, 2005)
3-HP Shapers
If you're serious about woodworking, you'll be adding a shaper to your shop floor. We tested five mid-size machines from 3 to 3.6 hp.
TOOLS OF THE TRADE Magazine
(April 1, 2004)
3x21-Inch Belt Sanders
No Pain, No Grain: These new belt sanders run smooth, straight, and clean and take some of the pain out of sanding.
TOOLS OF THE TRADE Magazine
(May 1, 2003)
6-Inch Right-Angle Sanders
From stripping varnish to fine sanding, right-angle sanders do it all.
TOOLS OF THE TRADE Magazine
(September 1, 2002)
Low-Angle Block Planes
Low-angle block planes are among the few edge tools still used every day. Here's how six models compare for quality and performance.
TOOLS OF THE TRADE Magazine
(May 1, 2002)
4-1/2-Inch Angle Grinders
Welders and auto body repair specialists have used angle grinders for years, but more masons, painters, and woodworkers are gearing up with these tools. Here's how nine new 4-1/2-inch models compare.
TOOLS OF THE TRADE Magazine
(November 1, 2001)
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The largest, most powerful routers you can buy are in the 3- to 3-1/4-hp class. If the motors were any larger, you couldn't run them on standard residential circuits. The most versatile of these machines are plunge routers. Their ability to plunge a bit into wood while the tool's base stays safely planted makes them essential for blind dadoes or any cutouts in the middle of a workpiece. Their plunge action also makes them the right tool for milling deep grooves or large edge profiles, because you can quickly cut with a series of smaller incremental passes, plunging the router slightly further down each time without changing the final depth setting. Finally, plunge routers cut deeper than fixed-base routers, so they are ideal for use in router tables; some even have special features to make them easier to adjust while upside down in a router table. 