By Bob Duncan Rockler’s Silicone Project Mat is one of those products that makes you ask, “Why hasn’t anyone thought of this before now?” This mat will protect your work surface from … well … everything. The 15″ by 30″ mat gives you plenty of space to work. The 1/8″-thick […]
By Bob Duncan Even expert carvers find themselves in situations where it’s challenging to get a clean cut. Either there’s a bad spot in the wood or you can’t get a tool into the area. The best tool to reach for in these situations is often a rasp, but the […]
By Bob Duncan Imagine combining an eraser with a sanding sponge—the result is the Klingspor Sandflex hand block. I use these blocks to literally erase rust anywhere. The blocks come in three grits: coarse, medium, and fine. Choose a coarse or medium grit based on how much rust you need […]
By Bob Duncan Arbortech’s new Contour Random Sander dramatically reduces the sanding time for any size carving. The sander, which attaches to an angle grinder, allows you to quickly sand all but the smallest of carvings. The soft rubber base of the sander adapts to the contour of the carving […]
Tabletop dust collector cleans up after most aggressive bits By Bob Duncan Several commercial tabletop dust collectors are available, as are a host of plans for shop-made versions. The Tornado 1000, which is made in the USA by SMC Enterprises, stands out thanks to its large working area and the […]
By Bob Duncan Every carver should have a tube of wood-colored epoxy in his or her toolbox. Kampel’s WoodFil Epoxy is not only easy to use, but also comes in a variety of colors. I like the way you can mix and match different putty colors to make custom colors. […]
By Bob Duncan Dremel’s new Fortiflex flexible shaft tool features a more powerful motor and higher torque than the company’s standard high-speed rotary tools. It comes with a hanging motor attached to a flexible shaft and a variable-speed foot pedal to control the 1/5hp motor, which can reach speeds of […]
By Bob Duncan Remove the excess wood on a carving easily with Arbortech’s new TurboPlane. This tool, which comes in two sizes, attaches to an angle grinder and allows you to remove wood quickly and easily. I’ve used other tools that attach to an angle grinder and remove wood quickly, […]
By Bob Duncan Pegboard always seems like a good idea, but for tools, I’ve moved to a shelf/drawer system. But I kept the 4×8 sheet of pegboard tacked to my shop wall, because, well, it should be good for something. At Maker Faire in New York City last September, I […]
By Bob Duncan Porter Cable has created a set of interchangeable tools that use the same battery and charger. The company has kept prices down by selling some tools without chargers, assuming you’ve already bought the charger with another set. The basic set includes a 1/2″-chuck cordless drill and a […]
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