Popular Woodworking 2005-10 № 150, страница 34
Tool Test Jet Parallel Jaw Clamps When Jet announced its new line of parallel jaw clamps, I asked if they would be less expensive. Company officials said, "No, but they'll be better." I was skeptical, but the company proved good to its word. The clamps offer accurate parallel clamping along the length of the j aw, with plenty of clamping power for any woodworking task. As for durability, we drop-tested the clamps from bench height a number of times, aiming for the more fragile corners. We scuffed the plastic, but didn't crack one. The clamping jaws (a non-marring resin) are oversized and they've added a scale to the beefy steel I-beam bar that gives you a rough idea of how far the clamps need to be opened for the project at hand, which is handy. The oversized pads also give you nearly V4" on either side of the bar making it possible to glue up panels using the edge of the jaw while still maintaining a solid parallel grip. The more significant upgrade is a Slide-Glide Trigger that holds the clamping jaw in place on the bar even when the clamp is in a vertical position. The jaw won't slide down without releasing the trigger, which is nice. Jet also added an oversized handle that makes gripping and tightening the handle comfortable and easy. The clamps also function as spreaders and have a moveable stand to hold the clamp's bar horizontal when clamping smaller objects. Another feature is the threaded inserts in the movable stand and the stationary jaw. These tie in with bench dog accessories that let you mount the clamps to your bench for easier panel glue-ups. We're looking forward to testing these clamps over time, but we're impressed with the quality and upgraded features. — David Thiel For more information, circle #182 on Free Information Card. SPECIFICATIONS Jet Parallel Clamp List prices: $33 - $70 Sizes: 12", 24", 31", 40", 50", 60", 82", 98" Jaw size: 13/4" x 6" (4" depth) Stated clamping pressure: 1,000 lbs. Performance: ••••• Price range: $$$$$ Jet Tool: 800-274-6848 or wmhtoolgroup.com Lee Valley Mk.II Honing Guide is Near Perfect Allow me to skip to the bottom line here and say that the Veritas Mk.II Honing Guide is the most thoughtful, accurate and well-made honing guide for sharpening chisels and straight plane irons I've ever used. If you like honing guides, you'll be thrilled by this one. If you don't like them, this one might convert you. Its true genius lies in the fact that you have complete control over the exact angle you're sharpening at. The registration jig, which hitches to the front of the guide while you're setting the blade, allows you to set sharpening angles anywhere from 10° (for back-bevels) all the way up to 54° (for wild-grained woods). And the jig measures off the unbeveled face of the chisel or plane iron. Other jigs register off the beveled face, which complicates setting your angles with thick plane blades in particular. The Veritas nullifies this problem and makes sharpening to any angle a repeat-able process. Another advantage of the registration j ig is that it also squares the tool in the honing guide, and it does this quite well. I found that the jig could easily secure and sharpen almost any tool, from narrow triangular chisels to scraper plane irons. Other nice features include the fact that you can raise the roller up 1° or 2° to add a quick micro-bevel to an edge. And the honing guide is comfortable to hold. At first glance, the whole rig looks quite complex, but I actually found it intuitive to use and went right to work without even reading the guide's manual (I did read the manual eventually; it's short and sweet). My only wish is that the guide could be used to sharpen a camber on plane irons using finger-point pressure. The roller is j ust too wide and always creates a straight edge. There are ways around this (wrapping a narrow piece of tape around the roller's midsection; placing a ^"-wide piece of cardboard on the stone), though you might want to keep your cheap side-clamp honing guide for touching up smoothing plane irons. Otherwise, this guide is just what I've always wanted a sharpening jig to be. — Christopher Schwarz For more information, circle # 179 on Free Information Card. SPECIFICATIONS Veritas Mk.II Honing Guide Street price: $48.50 (#05M09.01) Max blade size: 15/32" thick, 27/8" wide Roller width: 2" Performance: ••••• Price range: $$$$ Lee Valley Tools: 800-871 -8158 or leevalley.com 32 Popular Woodworking October 2005 |
