Popular Woodworking 2008-12 № 173, страница 22

« Tool Test •

CONTINUED fROM PACf 38

Woodpeckers Saw Gauge

If you not ice a substantial amount of burning as you rip or crosscut with your table saw, you have a problem. Problems with table saws generally fall into two categories: problems with the saw blade or problems with the fence. More often than not, these issues relate to alignment problems.

Either scenario requires you to make fine adjustments. And in the past, at least for me, that meant a dial indicator with all the bars and magnetic bases - magnets that had to be turned on to hold and turned off to be adjusted. Now, that's in the past.

Snappy setup. Tool-free assembly makes this instrument simple to use.

Triton TC36LS Screwdriver

Triton TC36LS 3.6 Volt Lithium-ion Screwdriver

T i ny Li t h i u m- ion cord less sc re wd r i ve rs a re breeding like feral cats in the Popular Woodworking shop t hese d ays. This lit tie hex- d rive Triton, at just 3.6 volts and lessthan 1 pound, is the runt of the litter (most of the small drivers on our benchesare 12vor lO.Bv). But like many runts, this baby is awfully cute, and it's one we're going to want to keep around.

Unlike its slightly larger brethren, the Triton driver doesn't have a removable battery (which means there's no bulky charger of which to keep track). Instead, the cord attaches to the tool, and simply plugs into the wall. The charge time is a bit long at 3-5 hours, but not out oflinc with other tools of this price. And because of the Li-ion technology, the battery holds the charge when the tool is not in use, so it's ready when you are.

The small pistol grip (5³/«" at the widest point) fits quite comfortably into my child-sized hands, and the forward/reverse switch isa thumb's reach at the top of the tool, though the action on it isa little stiff. Sliding driver tips in and out is literally a snap.

Because of its size, this tool can get into places many drivers can't - it's smaller than the average hand size in our shop - and a magnetic extension piece allows for even longer reaches.

This screwdriver would be a great choice when tightening a few odd screws around the shop or for any jobs that involve an out-of-the-way reach, such as working inside a cabinet. It's also the perfect size to stuff into your pocket (or pocketbook) for any unexpected needs or an installation job.

In addition lo the extension piece, ihe kit comes with 17 common driver tips in assorted sizes, including four flathcads, three Phillips, two Robertsons (square) drives, four hex drives and four Torx drives. And although this Triton shouldn't be your go-to tool for heavy drilling, 1 easily drilled a couple ⁵/64" and V32" holes in yellow pine and poplar ... before I snapped my boss' new V32" quick-change drill bit in jatoba (so much for a complete set of bits in the shop). PW

— Megan Fitzpatrick

Triton-888-874-8661 or

tritonwoodworking.com Street price ■ $36

for more information, circle J161 on Tree Information Card.

The Saw Gauge, by Woodpeckers, takes the hassle out of the alignment of table saw arbors, blades and fences. Setup of the tool is easy and quick. Place the two small pins against the walls of your miter gauge slot, position the cradle (a larger cylinder) on top of those pins- the cradle actually locks over the pins, ihen on lop of the cradle goes the gauge body, ready to read any small variations. The gauge automatically aligns and adjusts to your miier gauge slot, be il a standard or something different, as in older saws.

Saw Gauge has a saw-tooth design, a stair step if you will, on the bottom of the tool that allows you to position the gauge body at six di fferent settings to achieve the optimal position of the dial indicator.

Once assembled, the unit slides as one, which makes checking your blade in a couple locations or finding the toe-in or loe-out ol your fence very simple and precise.

Woodpeckers ■ 800-752-0725 or

woodpeck.com Street price - $99.95

for more information, circle 1160 on tree Information Card.

Quality of construction is another nice feature on this tool. The body is anodized aluminum with the remaining parts all steel. And you could remove the dial indicator from ihe body for additional uses if you desire.

—GH

40 ■ Popul ar Woodworking December 2008