5 comments about Wolfcraft 3751405 Dowel Pro Doweling Jig Kit.

1. This Dowel Pro Jig produces excellent results. My son and I have both used it numerous times. The resulting joints are right-on, flat and without joint seams, almost no surface planing required at all. Our results are really much better than that achieved using biscuits. I've been using dowels for joints for many years and my son was rather dubious at first. One table top later, and he now thinks as I do. This jig is excellent. My only quibble is that I wish that the knob handles were a bit larger.
   I have three other jigs for doweling, but this one is the best. For quick and dirty work, I do use dowel centers at times though. This is also faster than biscuits.



2. I read one bad review and can only assume the buyer was expecting something much different that what was advertised. I have used this a couple of times to join narrow (1.5 inch by 2 inch) maple boards to make wide kitchen cutting boards and it does a good job. Even with some of the boards a little less than straight, I was able to get a good flat joint. I recently used it to join some "off the shelf" fir 1x12s to make the top and sides for a corner television table. After a minimum of sanding and a little spray paint, the joints were invisible.
   As for drilling the holes correctly, I had no problem at all.
   Having said all of this, I still would not give up my biscuit cutter/joiner.



3. This is an excellent tool. It is accurate and easy to use. You need to make sure you clamp it well. The holes are arranged in pairs and by size (top/bottom), like a mirror image for each size. Say you are drilling 5/16" holes. Clamp both boards simultaneously, aligned them as you would like them to be. Drill both 5/16" boards consecutively top/bottom, or viceversa) and you cannot go wrong. It is very easy and straight forward. As, I said this tool works great. You can also buy their drill bits, which are very reasonably priced ($5) and come with a certer point and a few dowels. I did not give it five stars because of the small knob. I think it should be a little larger, as another reviewer pointed out. Minor thing. I did not have any difficulty using it. Go for it.



4. This product worked as advertised. I used it to drill line-up holes in an extension table. It has 2 leafs and 4 holes along each edge. To ensure interchangeability the holes had to line up precisely, and they did. Amazon also had the best price.



5. Great product. I've had trouble drilling dowels, and then successfully mating with an adjacent board. This takes out all the guess work, allowing fast drilling, alignment, and gluing of two boards. No more wasted wood due to incorrect measurements or imperfect perpendicular drilling. Quick and easy... the way it should be.

5 comments about Jet 709563 CB-5 Clear Plastic Collection Bag, 5-Pack.

1. These clear bags work very well on my Jet DC-1200CK, but they are way too expensive. Thus the reason for only two stars. If one is willing to purchase a carton of 100 bags it's much cheaper to use a company like ULINE at www.uline.com (I have no vested interest in ULINE, but did a simple search for similar bags).



2. For the price these should really be constructed better. A recent box had two that split along the bottom seam, and two that punctured within a few days of installing. The punctures were from debris sucked into the collector, not from anything hitting the bag externally. Unfortunately you usually find the hole(s) after you realize your shop is getting 'foggy'. Hours spent cleaning sawdust off everything is better spent making more.



3. these are nothing than extreemely high priced trash bags. there is no way of using them on a dust collector. Other than dumping the dust collector bag into them. Why would JET offer them to their customers as dust collection bags I don't know. A waste of money.



4. This collector has performed flawlessly for me for years. It has enough power to run a fully piped home workshop. I have about about 10 collection points and get good dust removal.



5. These bags are too expensive. I went down to the local hardware store and bought a box of 20 "contractors" cleanup bagss for thirteen dollars. They are made of heavy duty (black) plastic, and they fit into the dust collector (actually they are a little long, but if you overlap them over the retaining ring by a foot, they work well). They are sturdy and hold up well. I have been doing this with my dust collector for the last year and it works well.

5 comments about DeWalt DW2054 4-Inch Compact Magnetic Bit Tip Holder.

1. I first discovered these drive guides as part of a deck building pack offered by a local home center. That was at least eight years ago and I have been using these ever since. They do what they are designed to do - allow you to drive screws one handed. I have had great success driving every length of screw up to and including 4" with this driver and my 9.6V DeWalt cordless drill. I have never worn one of these out while using it for its designed purpose, but when I used it in a pinch to drive hundreds of metal barn siding fasteners (I removed the bit and was using the guide as a socket drive) the end mushroomed out and lost its shape.
   
   In the end, when you are on the end of a tall ladder and you would rather be holding onto the ladder than holding onto the screw so you can drive it, this is the tool for you. Also, if you will be driving a lot of screws in wood and you don't want the skin of your fingertips worn off as you steady each screw for driving, buy one of these!



2. When driving screws, you normally slip off the screw on occasion, driving the drive bit into your project. Also, when your drive bit wears out, they are expensive to replace.
   
   The magnetic drive guide solves those problems and another.
   1) It uses short, cheap bits - so you spend less on replacement parts.
   2) You can hold the outer barrel of the guide (it doesn't spin with the drill) so you can guide in long screws without the bit slipping off.
   3) It's magnetic, so it holds screws. You can point your drill down, and the bit stays on.
   4) The outer barrel makes using slotted screws more manageable (although I usually only use it to take them out and replace them with phillips screws).
   
   I've been using them for the 10(?) years that they've been on the market. I've worn a few of them out, but I try and never drive a screw without one.



3. 
   THIS COMPACT MAGNETIC DRIVE GUIDE WAS A GOOD ADDITION TO MY DEWALT TOOL. IT WORKS VERY EASILY. IT'S OF STURDY CONSTRUCTION.IT'S VERY HANDY AND SAVES TIME.



4. I've owned several of these over the years and they just keep breaking and wearing out. It is a must have tool, but I'm looking for someone to sell me one that wont wear out so quick. Maybe one with a thicker shell. They burn out especially quick on self tapping screws that slowly scrape away at the outer shell when you are driving them. I've always used dewalt drive guides but I'm going to try some other brands now.



5. The bit holder makes it convenient to switch bits easily and quickly. I have had no problems with it.

5 comments about Hitachi 18008 HardiBlade 7-1/4-Inch 4 Tooth PCD Fiber Cement Saw Blade with 5/8-Inch and Diamond Knockout Arbor.

1. This blade makes cutting hardibacker a snooze. I've had a friend cut hardibacker with a regular blade, and the dust storm that it creates is out of control. This blade minimizes dust, and cuts the hardibacker with ease and speed.
   
   If you're working with hardibacker, this is the blade for you. The only blade for you.



2. Hitachi 18008 HardiBlade 7-1/4-Inch PCD Replacement Blade for Circular Saw
   
   I bought this blade so I could "rip" the HardiPlank siding on my shop. It was perfect for this; cut a perfect line without any chipping or shredding of the edge of the cut.



3. what a life saver, I get easy cuts and little dust. This blade should last me the entire job. Got to have the right tool for the job.



4. Our new home is sided with cement fibre siding and when it came time to add the fascia we needed a saw blade that would do the job.
   This is Great, easy to use with exsisting tools.



5. This is a super product!!! I just finished re-siding my entire house using this blade, and I couldn't be happier. Cuts like butter, but as advertized, it is a bit dusty. I just set up a small fan blowing the dust away as I cut and no problems.

2 comments about Helping Hands w/ Magnifying Glass.

1. The Helping Hands/ Magnifying glass is a big help when trying to hold something small--like jewelry--and work on it. I modified mine a bit by moving one of the arms so that instead of the magnifying glass being in the middle, it's on the end. Since everything can be slid around, the magnifying glass can still be over what I'm working on, and I have the 'hands' close enough together to hold smaller things. I also put a strip of electrical tape around the clips to put a little protection between them and what I'm holding, so there's no risk of scratching what I'm working on. The base is surprisingly heavy so I can use it for anything small enough to fit on there and balance. The one other thing it could use is a light--to me that would give it a 5 out of 5 rating. It was very inexpensive, and worth way more than it cost. I'm very pleased with the purchase and will recommend it to my friends.



2. I bought this stand to fix my micro rc heli, and it was almost perfect, but not quite.
   
   Not much to this really, just a stand with two (tight) alligator clips and a magnifying glass on a relatively heavy base. The problem is pretty much every piece of this stand pivots. This is good one hand that you can adjust everything, but bad because really even tightened all the way, some joints may pivot without you wanting them to, thereby causing the stand to fall over.
   
   The stand would have been perfect if the main bar had some way of locking into place, but even so it's 5 bucks, I can't complain much.

3 comments about Porter-Cable 73333 Dust Collection System (for Models 7334, 7335 and 7336).

1. I have been impressed with this dust collection system. It was easy to install and works well on my 6" dia. orbital sander. Though some dust still escapes, it is a dramatic improvement over letting the dust fill your work area. On the other end I use a 6.25 peak Shop-Vac QSP Pro and a Sears automatic power switch, which automatically turns the shop vac on when you start the sander. One note of caution, this dust collection system does make the sander harder to hold onto, especially when you are using just one hand.



2. I bought this to use with my Porter Cable circular saw and biscuit joiner. PC has a non-standard size (1") O.D. connector on its handheld power tools that won't work with standard vacuum hoses. This kit comes with an adapter to size up to 2-1/2" but since I don't hook it up directly to the vac, I plan on buying a 2-1/2" coupling from Lowes to connect it to my 2-1/2" hose. Together, they're really easy to hook up and suck about 50-70% of the dust. It's length and flexibility really help as well.



3. The product works great when I finally was able to adapt to my vacuum cleaners (they are both major brands). The hose did not fit any of my connections and the adapter they supplied didn't either. I had to purchase a universal adapter.

2 comments about Indus-Tool Large Heated Floor Mat.

1. I have had this mat in place under my desk at work and running on high for about a month. It works just as I had hoped. No more cold feet! The smell of "hot rubber" was very evident the first week or so. Even now, if I mistakenly leave it on overnight, there is still a very slight odor that is noticeable when I first come in the office in the morning. (The office is approximately 18'x30' with about 13' high ceiling and is kept closed up at night.) Perhaps with another month or two of use, the smell will go away entirely, but even if it does not, it is not a deal breaker for me because it is hardly noticeable any more.



2. Bought this floor mat for my dad last Christmas. Initially we anticipated its use in the garage where he works on the snow mobile. But it actually found a home in his office, which has a cement floor. Since his office is attached to a factory, there is no below-ground level, and that means that all winter cold temperatures are channeled up from the floor. Regardless of the shoes he wears, he still deals with cold feet and legs. Anyway, I've heard only good things about it since he took it into the office, and everyone else who works with him has asked about it.

5 comments about Bosch 11255VSR BULLDOG Xtreme 1-Inch SDS-plus D-Handle Rotary Hammer.

1. We found we had termites and the applicator told me I could save $$ by drilling 1/2" holes at 12" intervals in the concrete of the porches, patio and sidewalks that surround my house instead of paying him to do it. The cost of the drill and three bits was a little less than half of what I am saving, and I'll end up with a good hammer drill when I am done.
   
   I've drilled holes in 299 locations so far and have a few more to drill once I move a couple of heavy items. The concrete has been 5-8" in depth on average and a few holes didn't break through even when the 12" long bit was completely buried in the concrete.
   
   The drill makes holes quickly and smoothly. It doesn't beat you up, and the drilling speed is about the same (quick) whether you use very light pressure or really put your weight on it, so take it easy and let the drill do all the work. I did quench the bit in water between holes since I was using the drill continuously for a couple of hours at a time. I never felt the drill was getting too hot, but the bit sure sizzled when it got into the water.
   
   The first 1/2"X12" bit lasted for a little over 160 holes, and I expect to finish the job while still on the second bit. I'm looking forward to getting a couple of chisel bits and using them to break out a bathroom floor I need to get to and have been putting off.
   
   Great tool; I'm glad I had an excuse to buy it.



2. This drill, equipped with a DeWalt bit, drills into granite in a manner that is hard to believe for such a light and easy to use tool. The granite here on Cape Ann has been sent all over the world, and it is hard! Ordinary concrete is much less of a challenge. Highest recommendation.



3. 
   What on this thing is 1"?
   Nothing.
   It does NOT take a 1" bit.
   It does NOT have a 1" chuck.
   In fact, there is no chuck. Only their weird SDS bits, whatever those are.
   Don't be fooled. You need to buy an addition bit unless you want to use their own bits (read: more expensive), or their own bit adapter.
   
   Bosh: Get your stuff together and quit the false advertising.



4. the Bosch is the best I've used of this type of tool. As far as the review concerning Bosch's describing this as "1 inch". It means that this will drill up to a 1 inch diameter hole in concrete ( and the model down from this will drill a 7/8" dia.). Bosch includes this information in their specifications.



5. I tried to drill some 1/2" holes in poured concrete foundation using a regular drill and brand new masonry bit. After 15 minutes of difficult drilling, the hole was barely 1/4" deep. So I picked up a Bosch 11255 rotary hammer, and it drilled 4" deep holes in under 1 minute. I was amazed at how fast a rotary hammer goes though concrete. Great tool.
   
   When I bought mine, it came free in the box with some Bosch electronic metal/pipe finder tool. Have not used that yet.

5 comments about Jet 708118 JMB-UMB Universal Mobile Base.

1. I recently decided to put four of my tools on mobile bases. Because of the different sizes of the tools, I ended up buying two from Jet (Jet 708118 JMB-UMB Universal Mobile Base) and two from HTC (HTC2000 Universal Mobile Base). Since all four showed up at the same time, I was in a position to make a head-to-head comparison of them, and decided to write about it. As a result, you'll find this same review under both the Jet and the HTC Universal Base listings.
   
   Upon Arrival:
   
   All four bases were purchased from Amazon with free shipping, and all four arrived within just a couple of days via UPS. The HTC base pieces were wrapped in bubble wrap inside a cardboard outer box, and the Jet bases were in Styrofoam cutouts inside a cardboard outer box, so nothing sustained any shipping damage.
   
   The next day, before I even unpacked anything, UPS showed up again with a bag. Inside were two pieces of thick, perforated steel about 18" long - no note, no explanation, no return address, nothing. It turns out that one of the Jet bases was missing these two pieces. Someone - I assume at Amazon - caught it and rectified it, literally before I knew they were missing. When I examined everything closer, it was obvious that this particular base had been purchased by someone else and returned to Amazon, then resold. Not a big deal, but I think that explains the missing/found parts.
   
   Unpacking:
   
   I opened up and unpacked one HTC and one Jet base at the same time, to compare parts, instructions, and tool requirements before starting.
   
   The HTC instructions were a 20-page stapled booklet in three languages. This is a particular pet peeve of mine, since I feel that if a company is going to sell to a particular country, then the instructions should be in that country's language. Again, not a big deal, just a minor irritant.
   
   The HTC parts list showed a total of 108 parts, including nuts and bolts. I carefully compared the list to the actual contents, and found that several of the listed nuts and bolts were not there, with others apparently substituted. More on that later. The instructions listed the tools needed as a 7/16", 1/2" and 9/16" wrench, 7/16" socket, tape measure, and pliers. More on that later as well.
   
   The Jet instructions are a single sheet, in English only. One side has the assembly instructions, the other side has a complete parts breakdown. Most of the Jet base is preassembled, so the parts list only has 8 items on it. No tools are listed because none are required for assembly.
   
   Assembly of the HTC Base:
   
   The HTC base requires a lot more assembly, so I decided to start with that one while my patience level was higher. The instructions are not great, but they're not the worst I've ever encountered. This is one instance where it really pays to read and pay attention to them.
   
   The instructions show a couple of different configurations for how to mount the casters. This is a nice feature, allowing you a little more flexibility in how the base will move after assembly.
   
   I read through everything, measured the base as instructed (the drill press was the first tool to be mounted), and bolted everything together. The base size can be adjusted in 1" increments. Since the nuts and bolts included with the kit don't match up to what's in the instruction sheet, there's a little head scratching involved to figure out what goes where, but it wasn't too bad. Also, the substituted hardware doesn't match up with the sizes of the listed tools, including some nuts that are metric. An adjustable wrench solved that problem. All the hardware is of good quality - no problems with snapped bolts.
   
   The drill press is too heavy to lift straight up and onto the base, but the instructions suggest that you can put your tool up on blocks and build the stand around it. I tried that and it didn't work, I think primarily because a drill press has such a small base in relation to its height, and ended up being dangerously unstable. Instead, I laid it on its side, then tipped it up onto the base. Not ideal, but it worked. I will say, however, that with both the HTC and the Jet base, if you can get some help to lift the tools straight onto the base, you're far better off.
   
   All in all - including my aborted attempt at assembling the base around the tool and then having to take it apart again - the assembly took about 2 hours. This is probably not the greatest kit for someone who's a novice at assembling things, or for someone who won't read instructions.
   
   Assembly of the Jet Base:
   
   The Jet base has two front and two rear corners with the casters already installed. Unfortunately, you don't have the same flexibility of caster placement that you do with the HTC. There are also four side rails that slip into the corner pieces, and are held in place by spring-loaded pins that snap into the holes in the side rails. Adjustment is done in 1" increments. Assembly took just a couple of minutes, with no nuts and bolts and no tools.
   
   The first tool on a Jet base was the sander. Again I couldn't lift it straight up and on, but I "walked" in onto the base with no problems.
   
   Operation:
   
   The HTC has two fixed rear wheels that don't lock. The two front casters swivel, and lock via two bright orange, high-impact plastic levers that you step on. The levers are large and mounted on top of the wheels, so they are very easy to see and step on. With the wheels down, the base moves very easily and the tool feels stable, although it takes a little effort to pivot the wheels into their down position.
   
   The Jet has two fixed rear wheels with locks, and two front swivel casters with locks. The rear wheel locks are pretty easy to reach and operate, but the front ones are on the sides of the casters and partially hidden, which I found made them difficult to see and even more difficult to step on. When the wheels are unlocked, the base moves very easily and the tool feels very stable in motion.
   
   Stability:
   
   You obviously spend a lot more time with the tool locked in the operating position then you do moving it around, so this to me is the most important criteria.
   
   With the HTC, when the tool is in the down position it rests on two rear wheels and two adjustable front leveling feet. The Jet stand is always resting on the four wheels. As a result, the Jet base moves more, even when locked. The HTC leveling feet also allow you to adjust the base to conform to an uneven floor, something you can't do with the Jet.
   
   But the biggest difference between the two is how the pieces fit and lock together. Because the Jet base relies on side rails that slide into the corners and lock with a single pin, there is a lot of movement between the pieces. The design makes it impossible to tighten any of the pieces to one another - short of drilling the corner pieces and installing bolts - and as a result there is too much flex and movement in the Jet base.
   
   The HTC on the other hand, because of all those irritating bolts and nuts you have to install, is actually more rigid. I found a lot less flex in the HTC base, and when combined with the fixed leveling feet, I found the HTC base to be a lot more stable in the down and locked position then the Jet.
   
   What Went Where:
   
   Sander: The sander went onto a Jet base, and it fits the open stand very nicely. The tool rocks slightly in the down position, but it's a pretty heavy tool, so that seems to add some stability. The wheel locks are hard to reach and operate, but I rarely move this tool, so that's not a big deal. This one remains on the Jet stand.
   
   Drill press: The drill press went onto one of the HTC bases, but in the end I found that I didn't like having my drill press on a mobile base. It's so top heavy that no matter what I did, it still didn't feel very stable. I ended up taking it off the mobile base altogether.
   
   Router table: This went onto the HTC base as originally intended. It moves very nicely when necessary, and locks down nice and stable the rest of the time. I'm very happy with this setup.
   
   Bandsaw: Initially, the bandsaw went onto a Jet base. But as I mentioned above, there was too much flex in the base for the saw to feel very stable. This is also a tool that gets moved more often, and the Jet caster locks were too much of a pain. I ended up taking this off the Jet base and putting it on the HTC that had originally been used for the drill press, and again I am very happy with it in both the rolling and locked positions. The second Jet base was returned to the store.
   
   The Bottom Line:
   
   Despite the Jet having a clear advantage in how easy it is to assemble, I would definitely recommend the HTC over the Jet. You have more flexibility in the location of the front casters, the caster locks are easier to operate, there is less flex in the frame, and the machines sit down with more stability in the locked position.



2. Easy to put together - perfect for my table saw. However, the box said 24x24 which was not what the product specs said. It is more like 28x28 with a little wiggle room.



3. This is the second mobile base I've bought. The first was for my table saw. This last one was for a very large, and VERY heavy 5000 WATT generator which I have to load into my truck, by myself. With this product, I can roll the generator up a ramp into the truck bed. Without it, I would have to find somebody to help me load and unload it every time. This base works great for both the saw and the generator. Money well spent.



4. The Jet Mobile base was the easiest base to assemble and begin using that I have purchased so far. It took me longer to lift my table saw onto base than it did to put the base together. I would buy the same base if I have the need in the future.



5. The fixed rear wheels on this base make it difficult to move in any direction except straight. Also, it does not fit a 6" closed based jointer such as the Jet very well (even though it is listed as an accessory for that jointer). I had to do some cutting and drilling to make it workable.

5 comments about DEWALT DW7054 Crown Stops, for DW705.

1. Typical of Dewalt accessories, this item is grossly over-priced. It is made of thin metal and I never got a sense of precision when I installed this on my Dewalt 12" compound miter saw.



2. I see a huge amount of products with reviews that slam products. I often wonder if the writers of these reviews ever find anything any better. Personally, I've not found anything any better than these crown stops (in thier proper application). As far as I know, there are no other crown stops that fit this saw. As far as accuracy,,,after determining the distance from the wall to the top face of the crown, I rip a scrap (1x whatever) exactly that wide. If it's 18 inches to 24 inches long it will lay all the way across the saw and I can set both crown stops against the scrap and tighten them down. I've never had one to come loose or bend. Most crown is fairly light and using the upside down method of miter cuts demands the accuracy afforded by some kind of stops or a jig like the Bench Dog.
   
   Not to be slamming the Bench Dog, but, the Bench Dog 10-010 Crown Cutter lays loose on the table,,,and you lose 5/8 - 3/4 inch of cutting capacity both in hight and width. These stops from dewalt fasten tight to the table and you lose nothing in cutting capacity. You need all of the cutting capacity you can get when cutting wide crown molding!! Maybe I'm just so used to the small stops that I'm resisting change. But having a loose jig on a precise cutting tool would surely lead to cumulative error,, wouldn't it??? A loose piece of crown on a loose jig? Granted, you can have the Bench Dog attached to your saw, but doesn't that defeat the option of cutting on either side of the blade? And what about safety when its not fastened down?
   
   Either way you need some type of stops to cut crown properly and this one has worked for me for over ten years. Durable enough .



3. The only reason I gave this product four stars is the price. Other than that, it is a very useful accessory. I've been installing Crown Molding for a long time and these stops have increased my speed significantly. If you are going to use these only once, I would not recommend spending the money, but if you are a professional, these stops will pay themselves off within the first couple jobs.



4. It is remarkable how cheaply made, but dearly priced DeWalt tool accessories are. This is another example. Just a bunch of fittings and a couple of stamped steel guides. They even managed to screw up the DeWalt label stuck to the face of the guides. One was wrinkled and would have prevented reliable operation. Had to pull it off and clean off the adhesive residue wih solvent.
   
   Having said that, this thing does work. In fact, it even works, with a little grinding down of two tabs, on an older Sears Craftsman cast iron base 10" compound mitre saw. And that was a lucky break for me because you cannot get the Craftsman part anymore.
   
   Makes cutting small to medium sizecrown moldings accurately possable.
   
   
   Looked at the Bench Dog product that costs a little more, but it eats into your capacity.
   
   I don't argue with the design of the DeWalt product, just wish it looked like a $25 product and not a $15 one.



5. Makes crown mould installation fast and accurate. I use these on pre-finished crown for cabinets were absolute accuracy is a must. I am completely satisfied with the results.