Popular Woodworking 2005-08 № 149, страница 30
Tool Test continued from page 26 Shop Fox Overarm Router I'm a tool junkie, but I'll be the first to admit this overarm router doesn't belong in everyone's shop. But ... if you're doing any kind of repetitive pattern work, sign-making or just want to pretend you have a CNC router, then this is a really cool tool. The concept is very simple. A standard router body (it will accommodate most routers on the market) is mounted in a collar that is attached to dual cylindrical ways that are fitted with a pneumatic piston. A foot pedal connects to your air hose and controls the up-and-down motion of the sliding bracket. One of six different diameter pins is then inserted into the table to guide any pattern you'd like. The foot pedal leaves your hands free to control the movement of the pattern and your finished piece. An adjustable depth collar controls the depth the bit bites. This tool is fairly light (60 lbs.) and it mounts easily to a benchtop. Initial setup is important to ensure accurate alignment, but after that, it's a lot of fun and a tool that you'll find lots of excuses to use. — DT For more information, circle #183 on Free Information Card. SPECIFICATIONS Shop Fox Overarm Router (W1736) Street price: $595 Max stroke: 5V2" Throat capacity: 18" Collar sizes: 4V4", 3V2", 3V4" & 321/64" Performance: ••••O Price range: $$$$ Woodstock Int'l: 800-840-8420 or woodstockint.com Bosch Trimmer Not Just for Laminate Bosch has upgraded and redefined its line of trim routers to make them more durable and convenient for woodworking operations - though the tool was originally designed for the laminate-installation industry. The base is beefier and offers an easier fine-depth adjustment (one revolution is 3/64"), while still maintaining parallelism to the bit. A slick thread by-pass feature makes coarse height adjustments simple as well. A conventional spindle lock and single wrench replace the old two-wrench system (one wrench acted as a spindle lock). And an overmoulded contoured grip improves the tool's comfort when in use. The tools are available in a single-speed model (PR10E) or in a variable-speed model (PR20EVSK) as tested. A kit (PR20EVSNK, $199) includes the variable-speed router, an offset base, tilt base and underscribe guide. The 5.7-amp motor provides good power with soft starts. The variable speed is for larger profile bits - traditional trimmers run too fast for most profiles. A 10' rubber cord and edge guide are included. These are all good changes to an already good tool. PW — DT For more information, circle #184 on Free Information Card. SPECIFICATIONS Bosch PR20EVSK Palm Router Street price: $120 (PR10E: $99) Motor: 5.7 amp, 16,000 to 30,000 rpm Performance: ••••• Price range: $$$ Bosch: Tools: 877-267-2499 or boschtools.com REAL LENGTH PINNER A few years ago a new pneumatic tool was introduced that I fell in love with - the 23-gauge pinner. Significantly thinner than an 18-gauge brad, and headless, these tools made it possible to attach moulding quickly leaving such a small hole that it wasn't even worth putting putty on. One downside to the pinners was that because of the thinness of the pins, the longest fastener was only 1" in length. That's a decent length for many applications, but I kept finding places I would have liked to use a pin instead of a brad, but 1" was too short. Now Grex Power Tools has introduced the P630 pinner that fires 23-gauge headless pins up to 13/8" in length. This is very cool. We found the pinner to be well made with a small nose that makes positioning the fasteners easy. The magazine is also user-friendly, offering adjust-free fitting for any length pin. We tested the P630 in a variety of hard-and softwoods, and were pleased with the gun's ability to sink the full 13/s" length without pause. A double trigger safety adds a good layer of safety, without unduly interfering with operation. However, there is one drawback to my enthusiasm: As of our publication deadline, the P630 was retailing for about $225, which is about $100 more than the shorter-length competitors. For a distributor near you call Grex at 888-447-3926 or visit grexusa.com for more information. — DT ABOUT OUR TOOL RATINGS Performance is rated on a one-to-five scale. You won't see a low rating ("one or two") because we don't publicize inferior tools. "Five" indicates the leader in the category. Five dollar signs indicates highest price in the category. Three indicates an average price. If you have tool questions, call me at 513531-2690 ext. 1255, or e-mail me at david. thiel@fwpubs.com. Or visit our web site at popwood.com to sign up for our free e-mail newsletter. —David Thiel, senior editor 28 Popular Woodworking August 2005 |
