July-August 2008 Table of Contents

Whether it's into wood or your wallet, large sliding miter saws make the biggest cuts, so we tested them to help you invest wisely. The seven 12-inch, dual-compound sliding miter saws in this test are the best of each player in the field, and we couldn't resist throwing in a brand new, 10-1/4-inch saw with cutting capacity close to some larger saws. Read more

Some girls like dolls, others like ponies. Norma Vally liked tools. The Brooklyn native remembers helping her father with fix-it projects as a very young girl, 'whatever age a kid can hold a tool,' she says, which turns out to be a great background, given her current status as the 'Toolbelt Diva' on Discovery Channel's Emmy-nominated series. Read more

I used to build a lot of second homes for lawyers, stock traders, accountants, and a couple of TV and movie execs. And based on the frequent calls I received during the week from their New York, Boston, and L.A. offices, it was clear that their minds were never far from their projects. They'd show up whenever they could for a site visit. Some of them even wanted me to set them up with work for their weekend visits, like insulating kneewalls, hanging drywall, or pulling nails out of scrap lumber. Read more

The miter saws weren't the only tools on the spot. We tested saw stands of the lightweight, folding-leg, sawhorse type; more elaborate convertible, collapsible, rolling stand designs; and a more stationary multipiece stand. Besides evaluating their use in the shop and on the job, we devised a jobsite obstacle course to see how fast one guy could set them up. It consisted of wrestling a stand out of the truck, rolling or carrying it across the lot and up some stairs, and adjusting all the extensions, supports, and the saw so it was ready to cut. Read more

July/August 2008 Focus: Hand Tools Read more

The automotive media recently got a peek at the re-engineered Dodge Ram 1500 pickup trucks, scheduled to roll out in September as 2009 model-year vehicles. Two words sum up this top-to-bottom redesign: vehicle envy. Read more

Cleaning paint rollers, trays, and brushes often isn't worth the time or trouble, but throwaway tools are an expense that adds up. Shur-Line's new Teflon-coated roller covers, trays, and brushes for latex and oil paints and stains come clean so easily that even dried paint peels off without residue or damage. Read more

GreenSpot, a tool, hardware, lumber, and building supplies dealer in Carbondale and Glenwood Springs, Colo., wants to be all green to all builders. Read more

The ongoing slump in housing credit and sales is affecting every sector of the home building industry, including manufacturers of tools and other products used in construction. Read more

Here's something to add to your list of sustainable practices: When your old pickup finally wears out, it's almost 100% recyclable. Read more

Miter saws have come a long way from their humble beginnings. I remember the heyday of the 9-inch blade, direct-drive Rockwell 'Motorized Miter Box,' with a particleboard sub-base and a thumb-pressed brake. It was my introduction to using a miter saw some 30 years ago. Read more

Stiletto Tools has come up with an ultra-grippy rubber tool handle cover with cold-shrink technology. Unlike heat-shrink tubing that can melt or cause you to char your tool handles, the Airgrip material simply shrinks into place at room temperature. Read more

Tools of the Trade rounded up nine waffle-faced framing hammers from around the globe and put them out on a Colorado jobsite with 15 framers, lead by regular contributor Michael Davis, to see how they'd stack up. Here's what we learned, in order of increasing appreciation. Read more

I tested the Work Sharp WS3000 in my small boat-building shop, sharpening the hand tools I use to make cedar-strip canoes, guide boats, and kayaks. I have always sharpened my tools by hand, and thought I sharpened them well until I tried the Work Sharp. This tool let me sharpen tools to a finer edge in a fraction of the time. Read more

Snap-On's Variable Length Extensions get you into tight spaces with a socket wrench and adjust to the length needed as you tighten or loosen bolts. Read more

From the historic company that brought us the Combination Square comes the ProSite Combination Protractor (CP505A-12), a 5-in-1 layout device designed for measuring and transferring angles. Read more

The Contractor 2x4 from SOG is a knife of many trades. Read more

Three new Bent Nose NM Strippers are now part of the Klein-Kurve line. Read more

FastCap's new folding Pocket Chisel will ride easily in your tool pouch, and the nylon handle protects the sharp edge from dulling or cutting its way through your pouch and into your leg. Read more

Professional Tool Manufacturing debuts the multipurpose, compact Ratcheting Hex Key Wrench. Read more

Blue Spruce Toolworks chisels are made to order for the finest of detailing work, according to the company. Read more

Among several new chalk reels from Irwin is the Mach6, with a redesigned body and steel handle with a larger center clutch. Read more

C.H. Hanson introduces a compact, new multifunction layout tool made of tough polystyrene that'll make a nice addition to your tool pouch. Read more

Marshalltown's new DURAdjust brick trowel has a dial that lets the user adjust the handle's diameter throughout its length, from just below the smallest on the market to just about the largest, for personalized comfort. Read more

Fans of the Bessey K-Body clamp that is being discontinued need not worry, according to the maker. Read more

If you need to cut small recesses, grooves, or dadoes, Veritas offers this small router plane for fine woodworking. Read more

Simpson Strong-Tie has added a new extension tool to its Quik Drive power driver line for installing cement board, fiber-cement board, and gypsum panel underlayments. Read more

Cleaning paint rollers, trays, and brushes often isn't worth the time or trouble, but throwaway tools are an expense that adds up. Read more