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POWER TOOLS
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From circular saws to cordless drills, power tools simplify and speed up building and remodeling projects as well as general woodworking tasks. But when used inco...
The chainsaw—a portable power tool that cuts wood via a fast-moving chain that rotates around a guide bar—can make sh...
When his wife started her new job as an attorney, Mark Evitt took on a different role, too: househusband. Since he w...
If you’re looking to create a really smooth finish on woodwork, your best bet is to use a random orbital sander—a pow...
Do-it-yourself types depend on cement backer board for numerous projects, including tiled walls, flooring, and even c...
If you're a do-it-yourselfer and you're not familiar with oscillating tools, such as the type made famous by Dremel, ...
Provided you have the right tools, it's not difficult to drill through metal. But for the job to go smoothly and the ...
Just as cellular technology freed the telephone, the advent of lithium-ion batteries forever altered the landscape of...
When it comes to using reciprocating saws, choosing the right blade can make your jobs a lot easier. Among the many r...
Reciprocating saws—the ones with a motor and a thin, straight blade that juts back and forth—are one of the most usef...
Some folks swear by their wet saws for cutting tile, while others couldn’t bear to part with their trim router. But there's at least one power tool that any DIYer...
Although circular saws are one of the most useful tools you can have in your toolbox, they can also be one of the mos...
Here's some important safety tips to remember when you're using a circular saw. Remove jewelry and loose clothing fir...
For a saw that can handle the curves, look for a good saber saw. Sometimes called a jigsaw, it has a small blade that...
Because of the popularity of the Dremel rotary tool, most people perceive the Dremel brand as a bastion of the arts-a...
Sanding disks are prefabricated disks of abrasive paper. They can be mounted on a variety of tools, including the rad...
Names like orbital sander, pad sander, and oscillating sheet sander are used to identify finishing sanders. You'll fi...
The belt sander always seems to be in a hurry. When fitted with a coarse paper, it will sand away dense layers of pai...
The compressor is a machine that compresses the gases in the air around us to pressures greater than that of the norm...
The world of woodworking got along quite nicely, thank you very much, without the plate joiner. Yet making furniture ...
For those woodworkers for whom a molded edge, a contoured decorative curve, is the difference between a proper job an...
The planer is a tool for woodworkers who require large quantities of planed stock and who elect to buy it rough cut. ...
The very name speaks to the nature of this tool. If you aspire to be a joiner, a person who specializes in fastening ...
I've never seen the guy so angry: His wife used a favorite chisel to open a paint can and my friend Dominick took it ...
The bench grinder is to the workshop as the trainer is to the team. It doesn't run out on the field when a tool goes ...
The drill press is a fixed-in-place version of the simple hand drill with a worktable beneath. A hole at the center o...
There are always ongoing debates within a universe of people who are committed to their work. One such argument among...
This is a powerful cutting tool and must be used with proper respect and care. The Saw Table. Keep it clear of debris...
The jigsaw resembles the band saw in that the workpiece is presented to the blade atop a small table (nine inches by ...
Some cabinetmakers of distinction assert that the band saw is the single most important stationary tool in the worksh...
For many woodworkers, the single most important workshop tool is the table saw. Though it is most often referred to b...
In the thoroughly equipped workshop, there are more tools than you could shake a furring strip at. You know the works...
The router has, in recent years, become something of a must in the cabinetmaker's and even the finish carpenter's wor...
The electric drill is about as versatile as a tool can get. It drills holes of many kinds, of course, but it can sand...
Keyhole SawNot many years ago, I would see keyhole saws in use almost daily; now, for many carpenters, keyhole saws h...
A rule of thumb in the tool world is that the smaller the blade, the greater the variety of cuts. One tool that demon...
The circular saw was invented in England at the turn of the nineteenth century, though there is considerable disagree...
Your table saw can perform a remarkable number of tasks. There’s probably enough to fill a website, especially when a...
For on-site work, a portable table saw is more practical than larger, heavier table saws. It rips and crosscuts; it m...
One of the crowning achievements of many do-it-yourselfers is to purchase a stationary bench power tool. Unless you'r...
When you are cutting wood, one of the first decisions to make is what type of circular saw blade will give you the re...
Pneumatic nailers, known as nail guns, have changed the way builders work, and are as common on the job site nowadays...
Paint a house, fix a fender, build a deck, shingle a roof, pump air into your car's tires — you can do it all with th...
A power drill does more than just drill holes. With different attachments, it also drives screws, turns a sander, or ...
Cordless power tools, and now lithium-ion batteries, have revolutionized the home improvement world. But anyone who’s...
If those holiday gift cards are burning a hole in your pocket, a good circular saw is something you really shouldn't ...
Good sanding can make or break a woodworking project, so every do-it-yourselfer should have a power sander in the wor...
Why You'll Love It: The DeWalt 12v MAX Pivot Reciprocating Saw is the cordless little brother to the bigger, mor...
Why You'll Love It: The Hyperlock clamp delivers 1 ton of clamping force, while its Universal Accessory system let's ...
Why You'll Love It: The Ridgid 18v Compact Drill Driver and Impact Driver delivers outstanding performance,...
Why You'll Love It: This cordless grinder combines a 9,000 rpm motor, convenient paddle-switch, and tool-less accesso...
As time-saving tools go, it's hard to beat the pneumatic nailer; aka the nail gun. But before you run out to get one ...
You don't have to undertake too many do-it-yourself woodworking projects to understand that a table saw is a must-hav...
Did you know the right drill bit can make or break the job?LISTENListen to BOB VILA ON DRILL DRIVERS, or read text be...
Brushless motor technology has been around for a while, but only within the last couple years have power tool manufac...
Like everything with moving parts—your car, your computer, your body—your power tools will last longer and work bette...
Use a floor sander effectively in order to complete your hardwood refinishing project more quickly and easily.
I love wood. Maybe it’s the way the surface glows when sunlight suffuses the grain, lighting up any room with golden ...
The thickness planer is not the most versatile tool in your arsenal. In fact, it really only does one thing: it plane...
Tool Maintenance. Whatever your storage arrangements, keep your tools clean. After use, remove any sap or resins from...
There's nothing hard about wearing safety goggles or earplugs or a respirator when they are needed. The cost for such...
Spade bits, it seems, are always encountering nails, at least in the kinds of rough drilling chores that renovation w...
When I consider the assortment of power tools that I've purchased, collected and inherited over time, I am amazed tha...
Power drivers are, for practical purposes, redesigned and re-engineered electric drills. Drills and drivers look much...
I traveled to Milwaukee, WI, a couple weeks ago to visit the headquarters of the Milwaukee Electric Tool Corporation ...
Drilling isn't difficult and, at least in comparison to sawing, it isn't particularly dangerous. Still, skilled drill...
Bob meets up with Tim Woods (of the Internet Home Alliance) in the basement of the Quechee home to hear about the progress made integrating the connected home tec...
Bob goes up to the attic of the Victorian project house, where an ODL tubular skylight is being installed. Also, Bob looks back at the installation of windows on ...
Contractors put in the brick walkway. Forester Moulding and Lumber replicates the porch railings and balusters. Also, new security and sprinkler systems are insta...
Bob and homeowner Gavin repair and refinish a 75-year-old oak floor. Because the new patch floor panels have a different thickness from the original, a belt sande...
Bob joins contractor Bob Ryley and the tree removal specialist to discuss clearing the site. Special tips on chainsaw use and safety are provided.
Bob helps contractor Bob Ryley hand-craft a medicine cabinet using a radial arm saw, Dado blade, router, screws, and carpenter's glue.