Fine Homebuilding Magazine

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Fine Homebuilding Magazine

THE FIRST TOOL YOU BUY

Best Tools • The experts at Fine Woodworking and Fine Homebuilding test hundreds of new tools each year. Here are some of our favorites from this year.

Power Tools

Cordless Sliders • Meet the new class of miter saws

Track Saws • These versatile tools make fast, precise cuts and weigh a lot less than your tablesaw

Cordless Multitools • Modern batteries make this problem-solving tool even more useful

Compact Routers • Choose the best tool for profiling, flush trimming, and mortising one-handed

Rotary Hammers • We test the handiest size of these masonry masters

Portable Compressors • The best models are quiet, durable, and easy to operate

TWIN-STACK COMPRESSORS WHAT WORKS? WHAT DOESN’T?

Machines

Benchtop Planers • The best machines produce smooth, parallel surfaces on your lumber

Choosing a Lathe • More money gets you more capacity and power, but great values exist at every level

Cabinet Saws for the Home Shop • Compact models give you the power and accuracy of a full-size saw for less

Dust Collection for the Small Shop • An effective and budget-conscious trio of solutions

Hand Tools

Essential Clamp Kit • What clamps to have and why you should have them

Jack Planes • From flattening to smoothing, the No. 5 handplane can do it all

Accessories

Dovetail Jigs • The best turn out beautiful, flawless joints in a jiffy

Essential Bandsaw Blades • With this basic kit, your bandsaw can tackle any task

Tablesaw Blades for Joinery • Go beyond the basic blade for better woodworking

Dado set • A dado set is a stack of blades that can be adjusted to cut wide, flat-bottomed notches (generally from ¼ in. to ¾ in. wide), ideal for grooves and dadoes. Two scoring blades go on the outside of the stack to score the edges and cut them cleanly. Flat-topped chipper blades are stacked between the scoring blades to hog out the majority of the waste. Most sets include shims for slight changes in the width of cut.

Box-joint set • The box-joint set includes two 8-in.-dia. blades that have flat-topped teeth. So they cut flat-bottomed kerfs, which is important when the front of the groove will show. You can buy a set that cuts 3/16-in. and 5/16-in. slots or one that cuts ¼-in. and ⅜-in. slots.

Flat-top rip blade • The flat-top rip blade has its teeth ground flat. These blades can be ground by a saw sharpener or bought new from companies such as Freud, Amana, and Forrest. They also come in heavy-duty versions for a slightly wider kerf.

Dovetail blade • The dovetail blade is a modified rip blade that has had all the teeth ground to a set angle that matches the angle of the tails. Saw sharpeners can grind rip blades down to these specifications, and companies like Forrest sell blades that are ready to use.

Gear for Drywall Finishing • Automatic tools produce better walls in less time

What Drill Bits Do You Really Need? • How to pick the right bit for every task