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It looks like Porter-Cable has filled an RPM gap with their latest 7-1/4" circular saw. The PC15TCSMK looks to be Porter Cables blade-right replacement to the much loved MAG line. To be honest, I am a bit confused as to why the blade-right versions of the MAG saws were discontinued, while the blade-left models still remain; but I digress. Porter Cable does have a couple other blade-right saws on the market right now, but none of them offer the higher 5600 RPM's at 15 Amps the PC15TCSMK has to offer. Based on...

This might offend some of those die hard green mechine lovers, especially since this particular tool is not yet avaialbe in the USA, but the rest of us will have no problem seeing a Festool belt sander being used as a Festoolmobile. I wonder if Go-Carting is covered under the Festool warrenty? The retail price for a Festool riding belt sander: $670 - $950. Do you think this would do well in the power tool drag race?  

It is almost time for the 2nd Annual Power Tool Drag Races taking place in Columbus Ohio. I have never been to any of these races myself, but from the videos I have seen, they sure do look like fun. Think of it as pinewood derby races but for adults, and with more power. The Races will feature two classes: Stock (Single engine. Limited mods. Built on own) , and Top Fuel (Multi-motor. Open mods. Built on own). The Race will take place on Saturday August 21st 2010. Registration to enter is $25, and the Fans...

How often do you say to yourself, “If only I had a light on my jacket zipper, I could [insert fun task here]”? I know I say it at least 4 or 5 times a day. OK, maybe I have never said it, but I know that you know that a small flashlight on your zipper would come in handy. Having a light on hand - or in this case - on zipper, is more then just convenient, it could actually save your life. My Father was on a job a few years ago where some...

Is the EZ Sander really an easy sander? Well, kind of. It does make the task of changing paper easy, but it doesn't make the actual physical sanding process any easier; you will still need those little things called muscles for that. The EZ Sander works by wrapping a standard 2-1/2” x 14” belt sander belt over the expandable EZ Sander body. With a few turns of the side thumb wheel, the internal plungers of the EZ Sander expand forward to tension the belt. To remove the belt, you do the above steps in reverse....

No, the Hammer Bumper does not protect your hammer during unwanted accidents. It does, however, protect your striking surfaces from your hammer. The Hammer Bumper, quite simply, converts a hammer into a mallet. By slipping the Hammer Bumper over any hammer face that is 1-1/8” to 1-5/16” in diameter, you can turn that hard steel or titanium face into a much softer non-marking rubber face. Why would you want this? Well, instead of carrying around both a hammer and a mallet, you can now carry your hammer and a much smaller, much...

When you are on the job, do you like to do things the easy way, or the hard way? The fast way, or the slow way? Unless you work for the government, you would probably pick the fast and easy way. The new Speed Feed bits from Milwaukee were designed to be both faster and easier to use versus your typical spade bit, and are obviously not meant for government workers. “How much faster?” you ask. Up to 10x faster. I know what you are thinking; A cut that fast must leave a blowout on...

It only takes one slip to turn an otherwise great day into a horrible day spent in the ER. For the most part I have been able to stay clear of those nasty injuries – knock on wood – but accidents can happen at any time. The most obvious way I know of to keep all your body parts attached, is to keep them as far away from moving parts as possible. This is reason for push sticks, push blocks, etc; but for those extra small parts, the Rockler Small Piece Holder has you covered....

So you just finished outfitting your workshop; you have your drill press on one side of your workbench and your bench grinder on the other. Underneath you have quick access to your shop vacuum, and a roll away router table. Above is mounted a work light that shines brightly onto your work surface. But most importantly, you have plenty of room for your 500 watt stereo system. All is right with the world, that is, until you realize that your 1950's built garage turned workshop only has one electrical outlet. The above...

ThisIsCarpentry.com recently published a great article on a DIY cabinet jack system that I just love. If you have ever installed upper cabinets, you know you need some type support system to help you to get those cabinets exactly where you want them. For your everyday homeowner, you can get away with using a simple ledger board, but we pros need something that will not damaged the walls and can be used over and over again. There are many options including things as basic as 2x4 kickers all the way up to multi-hundred dollar cabinet lifts. But sometimes the...