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I was under the impression that very cheap meters are not of absolute accuracy but are fairly consistent. Thus good for a series of checks to see if timber is still adjusting to its surroundings, but not very good at acurate % measure of a given species. I understand that cheaper 'pro' meters...

All the pix (routerbosss) are computer generated, it's not availabe till July/August in the US and may never be in the UK. I have both a router table and woodrat, later used for joint cutting. I have an Incra jig which works, but stays on the shelf. The 'rat is very versatile and will do what...

It's a pity that there is not more actual evidence relating to hand plane cutting action, but what there is does offer some useful clues. These suggest that, by and large, if you are taking 1 thou shavings, the cap iron must be set at this order of closeness to the cutting edge; 10 thou, say...

I use a back bevel on the LN No9, but confess I have not tried it on a bevel down plane. A 50 deg frog + very close set capiron is as far as I usually get; looks like I'll have to add another blade to my shopping list and give it a try!

I had a set of passable HSS 3-13x0.5mm lip/spur (Chinese?)from Woodcut, £14, before they packed up, but others since have been very badly ground. I recently sent back the Kalibers as all but one drill was ground with zero degrees of relief, so they would not cut. The common european carbon...

For the last strokes of precision filing I find it helpful to sit down so I can see the scribed line etc. (work then at eye level) Impulse hardened blades cannot be easily cut by the file so make a good template for tpi changes

Back bevels (on a bevel down blade) look like a spiffing wheeze, but I wonder if they are just the result of armchair day dreams. If you think you need a back bevel, then you also certainly need a close set capiron. By close set, the best eveidence appears to be just a few thou (about 4) from...

I have both books, full of good stuff. My saw is mounted in a big table so I can disect 8x4 sheets on my own. Setting up the big table took a while but you do it only once. The main drawback of modern DeWalts is the arm lock. If you swing the arm it doesn't return to quite the same place. Not a...

A good way to check how well built your router is, is to try to plunge it using only one handle (try each handle, too!). Any play in the bushes will show up, as the one handed plunge will cause the router to rack on the columns and stiffen up or jam making the plunge difficult. At the time I...

I have nothing but praise for the "Push and Clean" slightly smaller capacity Alto. I got mine from the Alto man at an Axminster show, about £170. I think the automatic cleaning version was about 400 quid then. Interestingly it looks rather similar to the Festool drywall sander vac..... The Alto...

I suppose it depends how much you want to spray. I think Highland were selling these at about $150 (this Finishline gun range has a lot of plastic I think) which is less than half the US price of one of their top line guns. They are aimed at users with very small compressors (ie not pros, unless...

DeVilbiss finishline includes some low consumption low pressure mid price guns which Highland Woodworking recon will work with 1 1/2 Hp compressors. The green Asturo draws between 4 and 5 cu ft min acording to setup.

Oil/water in sprayer air lines is not very helpful, and causes craters in the finish. As well as the general purpose filter under the regulator, fit a disposable swirl filter (Axminster) close to the gun.

I have a 110V DW 625 and 621 both bought in the US and running from a site transformer. Powerwise 2kW at 110V draws 2000/110=18.1 Amps so make sure the transformer can cope if you fit a really beefy motor. The US made 625 is labelled 15A so it's not as powerful as a 240V machine (2000W) A big...

There was mention of this last year (Tormek SE-76), as it is the first jig to reference from the face of the blade (not all backs flat, esp. Japanese) Just got mine from Axminster, for my Sheppach. Obviously a well thought out device, even grips narrow tools and short Japanese chisels well...

I got one about 8 years back from MM (about 150 quid) it was dreadful, runners supported inside by tiny lugs in the sheet steel about 3 x20 mm. Load with tools and they bend so the drawer drops off. You have to remove one drawer to see this, so don't buy without a good look. The more expensive...

Prices must be going up! I got some for jig making from B&Q last year at £35 a sheet, solid one side with patches on the other. No problems with unexpected voids and it was quite flat. Paid that for some 9mm Latvian last month. According to the importer "the Finns are now running all the Latvian...

Just bear in mind, that in none of these amusing anecdotes was the source of ignition being blasted with air travelling at over 100 mph. It's been prooved that spark ingnition in small extractors is extremely unlikely, but is never the less possible. Any ignition melts a hole in the bag and the...

Static can build up on plastic pipes, and some people used to suggest running an earth drain inside the pipe (outisde is no use at all) Even inside is of doubtful effect as pvc is such a good insulator. Soil pipe is fairly commonly used, (although I think HSE would like you to use earthed steel...

The Axminster lookalikes are very good, IF you get ones with a straight bar. Quite a lot of people have posted about faulty ones, the bar is twisted aliong the length. If the manufacturer gets this sorted - was it just a one off batch?? - they'd save you a few quid. My straight ones seem as good...