Month: March 2018

SAWS RADIAL ARM SAWS A radial arm saw uses a circular saw, but instead of feeding the material into the blade, the item to be cut remains stationary and the saw travels through the cut, pulled across the track on the radial arm. The cutting portion of the blade is rotating away from the operator. […]

BELT SANDERS Belt sanders use a continuous belt of manmade abrasive material. Belts run over a drive pulley at one end and an idler pulley at the other. Rear pulley usually provides power through a chain, cogged belt or gear drive, while front pulley is free riding. A pistol-type handle enables the user to push […]

Routers are effective for beading, grooving, routing, fluting, etc., and enable the operator to accomplish inlay work, decorative edges and many types of carving and wood finishing which take hours by hand. The two main types of routers are fixed-based routers and plunge routers. For fixed-based routers, the motor raises and lowers with a rack […]

Rockwell testing is one, and probably the best-known, way of determining how hard the metal is. The one encountered most frequently in this industry is the C scale, and ratings can run from C20 to C70-the higher the number, the harder the metal. For soft steels of medium or low carbon, the B scale is […]

Power Tools Safety Procedures Because of widespread use of power tools, the Power Tool Institute continues a major consumer safety education program to instruct users in safe and proper use of power tools. The rules follow: 1. Know your power tool. Read the manual carefully; learn the tool’s applications and limitations and potential hazards. 2. […]

Quality in power tools is determined by physical construction and motor capacity. A light-duty unit might be satisfactory for a casual user, but it would have an extremely limited life in heavy-duty applications. HOUSING Quality housings are usually die-cast aluminum, high-impact plastic or a combination. Die-cast aluminum is especially popular in gear cases for cool […]

CIRCULAR SAWS The most basic portable power saw is a circular saw with a blade turning at about 5,000 rpm. Most of these saws can be equipped with a rip guide to maintain a uniform width of cut on long passes. Quality saws have an ejector chute which routes sawdust to the rear or to […]

DRILL RATINGS Drill ratings are based on chuck capacity and motor load limit. Chuck capacity is the most obvious, but it does not tell the whole story. Speed and torque, or twisting power, must be considered. For example, a drill rated at 1/4″ not only means that this is the largest-diameter shank that will fit […]

UTILITY VACUUMS Utility, heavy-duty vacuums consist of drum, hose and motor and pick up dirt, sawdust, wood chips, metal shavings and other materials not suitable for regular vacuum cleaners. An industrial-type utility vacuum cleans where ordinary ones can’t. Dirt bypasses motor and empties directly into drum to avoid clogging. “Wet” models are designed to suck […]

Convenient and easy to operate, cordless power tools provide substantial power for home fix-it jobs. Screwdrivers, wrenches, drills, grass shears, hand vacuum cleaners, lanterns, string trimmers and hedge trimmers have all received cordless applications. They are powered by rechargeable batteries and the recharging unit plugs into any 110-120V outlet. Versatility and savings have been further […]