Drywall finishing is an underappreciated art. Like so many other grand ironies in life, the perfect job will go unnoticed. However, people will pay a lot of attention to a poorly done job. Pops, over-sanding, messy outlet hole cuts, and bubbled seams all stick out like a sore thumb. Even if you’ve mastered the finer […]
Tool manufacturers continue to add more safety and fatigue-reducing features to their products. Examples abound with auto lock-on switches, auto lock-off switches, blade guards, and shields—just to start. You may take one safety feature for granted simply because you can’t see it—an electric brake. On the best circular saws and many other saws, an electric […]
Even though our hands are critical to our jobs, some of us neglect to protect them properly. Unlike exposure injuries like respirable crystalline silica to the lungs, injuries to the hands are immediately apparent. That’s because the hands are home to some of the body’s most dense clusters of nerve endings. These nerve endings allow […]
We used a good bit of digital ink writing about miter saws in our Pro Guide series. If you’ve missed any series installments, they are great resources, if we do say so ourselves! For this edition, we’re looking at how to calibrate a miter saw. What good is a great saw on paper if it makes inaccurate cuts […]
Using a router to form beautifully finished edges on wood is an analog to painting a drab room. In a very short amount of time with minimal effort, you can improve the look of a boring edge. It only takes a little woodworking experience to find many ways to do things incorrectly. The many nuances of […]
No tool is more iconic of work around the jobsite or the home than a drill. If there’s work to be done, somewhere along the line it likely requires a hole made, a fastener driven, or a screw removed. If only the ancient Egyptians or Romans, who used drills of some fashion, could see how technology […]
Our Pro Guide series continues now with a spotlight on miter saws. If the table saw is the cornerstone of the workshop and jobsite, then a miter saw might well be the keystone. It can make crosscuts, miters, and bevels in trim that locks everything in place, so to speak. Although table and miter saws share some […]
There are just some projects you put off. You tell yourself it would be the perfect project for a rainy day. A decade later there have been plenty of rainy days, but the project still isn’t started. Then a loved one points out the unfinished project, and you honestly can’t remember that it ever needed […]
The bench hook is probably the simplest, most useful, and easiest to make workshop accessory. Some are certainly fancier and more functional than others, but even the most rudimentary bench hooks are as helpful as having an extra hand. This accessory minimizes the need for vises or clamps, allows you to make quick cuts, can […]
Every job comes with hazards so we take the appropriate precautions and wear the appropriate PPE. Many safety precautions are the same across industries and trades because the risks are similar. We take for granted the luxury of clean water running into and our buildings and wastewater running out. When problems come, however, plumbers can face […]
Professional Tool Reviews for Pros
