Popular Woodworking 2004-08 № 142, страница 26
Tool Test Lie-Nielsen Chisels: Best in the Western World Woodworkers are of two minds when it comes to buying chisels - some would consider $250 for a set of five to be outrageously expensive; others have spent a lot more than that to buy one Japanese chisel. No matter which camp you're in, the new Lie-Nielsen chisels are tools to be reckoned with. They are based on the classic Stanley 750 socket chisels (circa 1930-1969) with some important differences. The Lie-Nielsens are cryogenically treated A2 steel with American hornbeam handles. Without a doubt, these are the most balanced and finely finished chisels I have ever used. The handle pattern makes them ideal for both paring and light chopping, a rare quality in the chisel world. The bevels on the edges are perfectly ground close to the faces, making them perfect for cleaning out the waste between dovetails without dinging the joints' tails. Of course, most woodworkers want to know how durable the edges are. So I spent three days testing the Lie-Nielsens against new Western chisels from Ashley Iles ($25 - all prices are for one chisel), Barr ($80), Marples ($11) and Sorby ($33). Among Japanese chisels, I tested Matsumura blue-steels ($50), a dovetail chisel from Nishiki ($63) and a "presentation" chisel from Nishiki ($161). I also tested a vintage 750 and an early Buck Brothers. After much chopping and paring, the only chisels as durable as the Lie-Nielsens were the more expensive and more uncomfortable Barr and Nishiki dovetail chisels. All three stayed sharp through tremendous abuse. The Lie-Nielsens are being sold as a set of the five basic widths. Other sizes will be added shortly, as will mortising chisels. For woodworkers who want to buy one set of chisels in their lifetime and be done with it, look no further. — Christopher Schwarz For more information, circle #155 on Free information Card. specifications Lie-Nielsen Bevel-edge Chisels Street price: $250 for a set of five Sizes in set: Vs", V4", 3/s", V2", 3/4" Length: 9Vs" Performance: ••••• Price range: $$$ Lie-Nielsen Toolworks: 800-327-2520 or lie-nielsen.com Grizzly'sTricked-out Contractor Saw is a Real Bargain Usually when you're shopping for a "bargain" contractor saw, you end up sacrificing features such as cast-iron wings, a quality rip fence and a motor with real guts. Grizzly feels your pain, and the company has designed the G0444Z to make everything better. For about half of the typical cost of a premium contractor saw, you get two solid cast-iron wings, a front-locking T-style rip fence and a 2-horsepower motor. Add to this beefy cast-iron handles, a miter gauge with an adjustble-width bar that you can actually trust to make a square crosscut and an oversized "on/off" switch that's conveniently located and easy to find. Grizzly also included a 4" dust hood panel at the bottom of the saw for easy connection to your dust collector. Another nice addition is a quality throat insert (and a second insert for use with dado stack sets). And you can store your tools, miter gauge or fence right on the saw with some nice hanging hooks. There are some sacrifices, though. The saw is shipped without a blade, and while this upsets us, we think it's better than sending a substandard blade. The guard, while of good quality, is lacking an easy-on/easy-off mechanism that would make it convenient to use. (Other saws we've seen are similarly lacking.) In testing, we noted that even with the height wheel locked in place, we were able to raise and lower the blade with some effort. This gave us concern about the arbor's height changing during a tough cut. But after cutting a 5/8" x 5/8" dado in white oak with a dull dado stack, we put that worry to rest - the arbor stayed put. While that was an extreme test, we also made some test cuts with a general purpose blade (a good blade, which is a good use of the money you saved on the saw) and were pleased with the results. Ripping a 2"-thick white oak board, for example, didn't cause the motor to pause at all. So don't sacrifice performance for economy: Take a good long look at Grizzly's newest (and best) contractor saw. — David Thiel For more information, circle #156 on Free information Card. specifications Grizzly G0444Z Contractor Saw Street price: $525 (plus shipping) Motor: 2hp, wired for 220V Rip capacity: 30" Fence: Shop Fox, T-style Weight: 298 lbs. Performance: ••••Q Price range: $$ Grizzly Industrial: 800-523-4777 or grizzly.com 24 Popular Woodworking August 2004 |
