Popular Woodworking 2003-06 № 134, страница 30
Fein's Turbo III Vacuum a Whisper-quiet Performer Seven years ago I assumed all wet/dry vacuums were similar in quality, performance and ear-splitting volume. But when Fein Power Tools stopped by to show off a new random-orbit sander and vacuum, I discovered that not all vacuums are the same. Since that time there have been a few versions of the Fein vacuum, culminating in the current Turbo III model shown here. It's a little larger (14.5 gallon dry capacity), more powerful (125 cfm suction), impossibly quiet and still competitively priced compared to other high-end shop vacuums. With the auto-tool trigger, this vacuum is designed for more than keeping the shop tidy at the end of the day. In fact that's probably the least of its chores. The Turbo III, with its 5-micron filter, keeps our shop tidy before the dust hits the air. By hooking the vacuum to any number of dust-creating tools you can remove much of the unhealthy dust from the work process before it enters your shop or lungs. Plug a tool into the outlet on the vacuum and the Turbo III will switch on automatically when you start the tool. The low noise (a pleasant 57.8 dB) will actually catch you off guard the first couple of times. I've had to turn the tool off to make sure the vacuum was running - it's that quiet. When the tool is switched off, the vacuum runs for another few seconds to clear debris in the hose. You can easily turn the vacuum on manually using the sealed switches. The 16' rubber cord gives you lots of room to travel, and the 10' vacuum hose is built to take abuse. Oh, and if you just need to clean the workbench, shop or car, this vacuum has more than enough power to handle those tasks. If you want to go a little further and vacuum the house, Fein offers a vacuum wand and brush attachment for another $60. OK, $260 is a lot for a shop vacuum by itself, but when you consider the Turbo III as an integral air filtration tool for your shop, it's actually well priced. — David Thiel For more information, circle #162 on Free Information Card. SPECIFICATIONS Fein Turbo III Dust Extractor Street price: $259 - $285 Motor: 10 amps Features: 57.8 dB at 3V2 ft.; 14.5 gallon (dry) capacity, 12 gallons (wet); 5 mic. filtration; auto on/off function; 125 cfm air flow; 105" static water lift; 36 lbs. Performance: ••••O Price range: $$$$$ Fein Power Tools: 800-441-9878 or feinus.com Akeda Dovetail Jig Proves Adjustment-free Most of my experience with dovetail jigs included a great deal of fussing to set things up accurately. So Akeda's boast of being a "variable pitch dovetail jig that's completely free of adjustments" sounded a little too good to be true. Well, I was wrong. The jig comes fully assembled from the factory. Once it's out of the box, there's some required reading to understand the principle of the jig, but the mechanics are simple and nearly foolproof. In use, the pieces to be machined are held in place against either vertical or horizontal clamping bars that are tightened with a removable handle. Pin and tail guides are simply snapped in place where you want them. By adjusting a dovetail bit in your router, you can go to town making half-blind dovetails all day long. With a simple bit change you can make through-dovetails with similar ease. Even without making test pieces (I'm impatient) the Akeda jig cut tight, excellent dovetails. Understanding the pin and tail snap-in system has a learning curve, but after one drawer I felt confident enough to put aside the instruction book and grab the router. The basic Akeda jig provides everything you need (including a router template guide) for 7° through-and half-blind dovetails with adjustable spacing in Vs" increments. You can buy optional accessory packs to expand the variety to 9°, 11°, 14° and 20° dovetails. You also can make sliding dovetails and box joints with the j ig with the proper accessories. Another optional accessory pack allows you to hook a shop vacuum to the jig, which makes routing dovetails tidier. This is an accurate, easy-to-use dovetail jig that offers a good range of design versatility. At $299 ($550 with all the accessories) you get no-hassle joinery with a lot of options for a pretty reasonable price. - DT For more information, circle #163 on Free Information Card. SPECIFICATIONS Akeda DC-16 Dovetail Jig Street price: $299 Joints: Through, half-blind Capacity: Max 16" wide and 1" thick Spacing increment: 1/8" Dovetail angles: 7° Performance: ••••O Price range: $$$$$ Akeda Jigs: 877-387-6544 or akedajigs.com 28 Popular Woodworking June 2003 |
