The Vancouver area is a great place to be a woodworker. There are literally dozens of quality lumber suppliers, a handful of big box stores, a scattering of specialty woodworking stores, and even toolmaking companies. One of those toolmaking companies is MEGAPRO, which specializes in making screwdrivers and bits, including three very unique bits - … Continue reading Hole Boring Bits with a 1/4″ Hex Drive
Router bit sets with 30 assorted bits seem like a great deal and an affordable way to start your collection. I'm sure that I'm not the only one who bought one of these sets. They are good value if you look at the cost per bit. However, the sets often come with moulding profile bits … Continue reading Overflow, Part XI
On the morning of Sunday, April 15th, Morton and I exchanged ideas about trestle tables, spurred on by a recent sketch of a table on which he was working. That got me yearning to build a trestle table. I documented my progress live on Twitter which was useful because each update had a time stamp so followers could … Continue reading Maple Trestle Table, Session 5 – Routing Pockets for Battens
On the morning of Sunday, April 15th, Morton and I exchanged ideas about trestle tables, spurred on by a recent sketch of a table on which he was working. That got me yearning to build a trestle table. I documented my progress live on Twitter which was useful because each update had a time stamp so followers could … Continue reading Maple Trestle Table, Session 3 – From Two Slabs to One Table Top
End mills are similar to the spiral bits that we woodworkers use, only they are designed for use with metal. However they can often be had at lower prices, especially long bits. This recent thread on the Festool Owners Group has some good information on using end mill bits in a router. Post #12 has … Continue reading Machinists’ End Mills and Routers
With proper technique, removing bearings from router bits can be a safe and straight-forward procedure. Removing shaft-mounted bearingsfrom a bit is easiest - simply loosen a set screw in the locking collar and slide off the collar followed by the bearing. This is easy because the set screw is perpendicular to the shaft. End-mounted bearings … Continue reading Removing Router Bearings
A collet is something that most of us take for granted. Besides knowing that it is sized to hold the bit, what else is there to know? Recently, I took the time to have a closer look at collets... after I dropped one on the floor... Most routers sold today come with a self-releasing collet. … Continue reading Router Collets Provide a Firm Grip
Sculptural Woodwork by Chris Wong 