Popular Woodworking 2006-12 № 159, страница 18

Tool Test

Lie-Nielsen Floats

Planemakers have long used floats to shape and true the critical surfaces of wooden handplanes. But cabinetmakers also used floats, and after several months of using floats made by Lie-Nielsen Toolworks, I understand why.

These tools are a cross between a rasp, a saw and a scraper. The teeth shape curved and flat surfaces quickly, but the tools leave a polished surface behind. And the stiff steel bodies and wide cutting area of the tools allow you to accurately trim mortises and tenons. The tools make beautiful chamfers, as well.

I tried a set of floats made for planemak-ers (these tools were developed with Clark & Williams planemakers) and was impressed by the long, rectangular bed float, which can smooth a cabriole leg and true a through-mortise. One of the small cheek floats works on the pull stroke and cleans up blind mortises with ease. And the edge floats worked well

SPECIFICATIONS

Lie-Nielsen Planemaker's Floats Street price: $40 to $50 each Steel: S-7 tool steel, Rc 51-52 Handles: Maple Performance: ••••• Price range: $$

Lie-Nielsen Toolworks: 800-327-2520 or lie-nielsen.com

for squaring up routed corners of through-mortises. These are excellent, well-made tools and highly recommended. — CS For more information, circle # 177 on Free Information Card.

Router-Ease Guide

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Making dados for casework starts with the choice of using the table saw or the router. If you prefer the router, you've probably cobbled together a lot of jigs to keep the router square and put the dado in the right spot.

The Router-Ease Guide aims to replace those jigs with one multipurpose guide system. It consists of several aluminum extrusions and molded plastic connectors. The connectors allow you to adjust the aluminum guides to make through and stopped dados, or square cutouts. Because of the height of the extrusions, you need to replace the baseplate of your router with the thicker version that comes with the guide.

We tested the 36" model and found it square and accurate. The kit includes a sizing block that makes it simple to set the jig for dados that fit undersized plywood. While setting the width is easy, locating it on the work and clamping the work to the j ig is awkward.

SPECIFICATIONS

Router-Ease Guide

Street price: $175-$215

Router guide: Adjustable extrusions

Set-up blocks: Reference to set cuts

X and Y adjustablity: Allows four-sided cuts

Performance: •••OO

Price range: $$$$$

Company: 508-763-4136 or

RouterEaseGuide.com

You also need to keep the same edge of the base against the fence for consistent results. PW

— RL

For more information, circle # 175 on Free Information Card.

GRAMERCY TOOLS FINISHING BRUSHES

First of all, these are very good brushes. I used the 2" version ($34.95) to apply three coats of shellac to the Whale Tail Shelves in this issue (page 40). The brush held an ample load of shellac which meant I didn't waste time with constant dipping (important when working with fast-drying finishes), shedding was minimal and brush marks were non-existent.

But what's really great about these brushes is the story behind them. Joel Moskowitz and his team at Tools for Working Wood simply couldn't find a finishing brush they liked, so they decided to make one. First, the team delved into all extant texts on traditional brushes and brushmaking techniques ... that took about five minutes. So, they bought and used all the brushes on the market to see what worked, what didn't, and how they could improve on what's available.

What they developed are 100-percent European Ox Hair brushes, which are handmade in New York by one of the few remaining brushmakers in the country. And they've captured the arcane craft on video; download it and find out more about the process at toolsforworkingwood.com.

—Megan Fitzpatrick

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. 1407, or e-mail me at chris. schwarz@fwpubs.com. Or visit our web site at popularwoodworking.com to sign up for our free e-mail newsletter.

— Christopher Schwarz, editor

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Popular Woodworking December 2006