Popular Woodworking 2009-06 № 176, страница 19

Woodpeckers PRL-V2 Pri

Routers pcrformakt of workinthc shop, but handheld routers are only part of the story. You can perform even more ope rat ions ifyou labk-mount your router - but lhat setup is not beneficial ifyou have to remove the tool for bit changes, and height adjust mcnts arc-not always easily made A good router lift is the answer.

Woodpeckers' PRL-V2 (Precision Router Lift-V2) tsa United States-made lift (designed for a Porter-table 7518 router, but adaptable to several router motors) that's built with the end-user In mind. There are two small adjustable side plungers that prov ide a perfect lit to the table opening, even if your routing abilitiesare suspect

Also, there's a spring-assisted lift wrench -it's really more like a handle - that makes quick adjustments with ease. Slide the wrench into the lift, twist your wrist and watch the router and lift surface like a toy submarine In the hat htub. Noother lift Is as fast to bring the collet fully above the table for router-bit changes.

Use the wrench to make coarse height

cision Router Lift

adjustments, then use the tooless micio-adjust wheel to fine-tune the setup. That's right - a wheel. The PRI.-V2 is t he first major router lift to employ a wheel to make file adjustments. With ihc glass-filled nylon gears housed in an enclosed compartment away from dust .thumb pressure Is all H takes to lift or kiwer the router bit. Tighten a set-screw and the wheel locks tight, but doing so is not necessary unless your router has excessive vibration problems.

A scale used in conjunction wilh t ie wheel for precise routing Is marked with .002"-incremeni measurements.or one complete revolution equals '/l6*. This is especially helpful if you need totweak the bitto make accurate lieight modifications.

Included with the PKI.-V2 is the lift, kft wrench, Allen wrench, brass starling pin, three twist-lock rings and a spanner. And ifyou need toclosc in a link tighter to your router bits. Woodpeckers has a set of eight iwist-krck ringstofii the PRI.-V2. Made frcm anodized aluminum the rings cost $85. in phenolic the rings will set you back $60.

Precision Router Lift-V2

Woodpeckers • 000-752-0725 or Street price • S300

With ihls router lift. youll look forward to router operations and get tons more use from your router.

—CM

Ashley lies Mk2 Bevel-edge Chisels

My first great set of chisels was made by-Ashley lies, a small manufacturer with deep roots in the toolmakinghistory of Sheffield. England. The steel was easy lo sharpen and held itsedfy tenaciously My only complaints were that thechisels were top-lteavy and the bevels on t he long edges w ere a bit bucky.

Duringthelast 10 years. Ashley lies has been refining its line of bench chisels, and

The Mk2 bevel-edge chisels are made using oil-hardened high-carbon steel, which iseasy to sharpen and ideal for lower sharp-cningangks, such as 20° and 25°. The steel is quite hard at61 on the Rockwell "C" scak. hut not too hard. Asa result the tools can take quite a beating.

The set of chisels I examined were accurately ground - ihc bevels on the long edges were razor thin. So these tools are ideal for sneaking into acute comers.

Spcakingofgrinding.ihctootswercfairty casy lo scl up. The unbeveled faces of ihc tools were quick to polish - they weren't as

at a low angk- for paring. And these are the

The Mk2s arc reasonably priced for an English tool of thisqualiiy that will last several lifetimes. A bask set of four is $111.

—Chrisiophfr Schwurt

quick as a Lie-Nielsen chisel, but nothhg is. in my experience.

The bubinga hand les arc nice. They re not too big in your palm or top-heavy wbrn chopping out dovetails.

One of i he ot her great feat ures of i ic Mk2 chisels is thai they are available in a full range of sizes, from all the way up lo 2*. I think every hand-tool woodworker can benefit from a wide chisel sharpened