Popular Woodworking 2002-12 № 131, страница 42
Ryobi's $100 Router is Loaded with Features A while back Ryobi began introducing power tools with a $100-or-less price tag on nearly everything. Some of those initial tools left us wanting, but this year's crop is pretty impressive. And one of the best new tools in Ryobi's crop is the router shown at left. The RE180PL offers a 10-amp motor with soft start and electronically controlled variable speed (15,000 to 23,000 rpm). The electronic control maintains a constant speed under load. It also comes with both and V2" collets, a spindle lock, decent plunge action and depth adjustment. All these features are yours for $100. Now we're not going to tell you that this router is the best one on the market. But with these features, usually found only on professional routers, packaged in a tool that performs well for only $100, this is pretty impressive. If you're a beginning woodworker looking for the router to start with, this is a great bargain and a good tool value. In fact, if you're an experienced woodworker just looking for an extra router, buying the RE180PL is money well spent. Are you still not convinced this router is a great deal? How about a two-year warranty and a 30-day, no-risk satisfaction guarantee? Did I mention it's only $100? Contact Ryobi at 800-525-2579 or ryobitooIs.com Grizzly's Tricked-out, 14" Band Saw Bargain Wow, a new 14" band saw! Well, that was my initial reaction until I received the details. Grizzly's new G0555 model is something to talk about. Built on the standard cast iron 14" band saw frame, Grizzly has upgraded it to a two-speed, 1 hp motor, added a semi-enclosed base for stability, and added a well-designed rip fence. Then the engineers went and added a quick-release tensioning arm, making blade changes much easier, and a 4" dust port for better dust collection. And then there's the upper and lower ball-bearing guides. Very nice. OK, that's all well and good, but other manufacturers have that, right? Not priced at $375 they don't! And the saw will still take a 6" riser block ($50), increasing the resaw capacity to 12". Yes, you're going to pay $55 shipping unless you swing by a Grizzly retail store. Either way you go, this is a lot of saw for the money. Always one to look a gift horse in the mouth, we decided to not take this saw at face value and see how it performed. The motor did a decent job standing up to a faster-than-necessary feed rate in hard maple. As with all band saws, we recommend a premium blade to improve the cut of the G0555. But for the money, this saw performed as expected and promised. There may be better 14" band saws out there, but not anywhere near this price. Contact Grizzly at 800-523-4777 or grizzly.com Jesada's 17th Century Profiles - 21st-century Technology Ogee & bead bit It's embarrassing to admit, but even with as many router bits as we have in our shop, there are times when I'm building something special where a roman ogee just isn't good enough. Our ancestors had the answer to this problem with hundreds of moulding planes. The clever folks at Jesada were able to recreate some actual mouldings from English antiques and now offer them as a set. While these new 17th century router bit profiles aren't the least expensive way to be creative, they offer some great-looking profiles, as well as variations on familiar profiles, to jazz-up your next project. A complete set of all 11 bits (and there's another set in the works) is $375. Individually, the bits run from $21.90 to $49.90. We think this is money well spent, as we've come to respect Jesada for the quality of its tooling, no matter what the profile. So if you're looking for something special or for something very traditional, check out the newest look in router profiles. Ogee panel moulding bit Contact Jesada at 800-531-5559 or jesada.com 43 |
