Popular Woodworking 2009-12 № 180, страница 44

VERITAS NX60 Block Plane

Veritas has a well-earned reputation for making excellent hand tools at reasonable prices, so some people thought this Canadian company had gone off the deep end when it introduced a $279 block plane.

We, however, love the thing. It is quite possibly one of the most curvaceous and beautiful block planes I've ever seen. The level of fit and finish (check out the elliptical knurling) is off the charts.

And we are also wild about the nickle-resist ductile iron in the plane's body. This makes the plane both durable and extremely corrosion resistant. And some of us like how shiny it is.

We now think that Lee Valley Tools sells the most complete range of one-handed planes, from its $39 "Little Victor" plane on up to this masterpiece of design and engineering. If you want the coolest-looking block plane in your city, call Lee Valley Tools.

ECCENTRIC TOOLWORKS Backsaws

This year I picked up a dovetail saw and carcase saw that blew me away. They were, compared to peers, the first among equals.

The backsaws from Andrew Lunn's Eccentric Toolworks are super-tuned jewels. They start more easily than any Western saw I've used - much like a Japanese saw. They Hy through stock with ease. They are extraordinarily balanced and leave but a whisper of a kerf behind.

And on top of all that, the saws have beautiful handmade touches (such as carving on the tote) that make them as nice to look at as they are to use.

Yes, these saws cost more than your typical premium Western saw. But the Eccentric saws are a bargain when you compare them to blacksmith-made saws from Japan, and they really do cut in that league, in my opinion.

Each saw is hand sharpened, set and tuned by Lunn until he is completely satisfied with its performance. There's a bit of a waiting list for Lunn's saws now that the word is out. You might want to get in line now because it's only going to get longer.

■ eccentricwoodcraft.com

GRIZZLY G0636X Band Saw

In the 14 years I've been with Popular Woodworking, we have been through more than a dozen band saws of all sizes and all makes. Though there were many good saws on that list, there was never one that we wanted to keep in our shop forever (like our old Powermatic 66 table saw).

This year, however, we brought the Grizzly G0636X band saw into our shop at the magazine and we are in heaven.

This 17" saw outclasses and out-cuts many of the more expensive saws out there. And - here's the important part - the saw stays in alignment better than any of the other saws we've tested over the years. One of the biggest Haws of many band saws is that you need to fuss with them a lot to really unlock their potential.

This saw's cast iron wheels are massive, the bearing guides are robust, the rack-and-pinion tilting table is a j oy. Everything that should be overbuilt, is overbuilt.

The saw has plenty of guts thanks to a 5-horsepower motor, has a 16" resaw capacity, a real monster of a fence and all the niceties you'd expect from a first-class machine: foot brake, rack-and-pinion guide adjustment, quick-release tension, and lots and lots of steel. The sucker weighs 675 pounds.

I doubt this bear will ever be allowed to leave our cave.

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