Ryobi has announced three new sets of router bits. The sets offer an assortment of bits in removable trays for easy access. There is an 8 piece starter set, an 18 piece contractors set and a 25 piece master set. Look for a review of the master set in an upcoming newsletter. www.ryobi.com.

Gloves In A Bottle a lotion that turns your outer layer of skin into what works like an invisible pair of gloves to keep the moisture robbing irritants out while retaining your own natural moisture. When you know you should be wearing gloves, whether woodworking, fishing, painting, gardening, or exposed to harsh elements, but don't want to put any on because they are annoying, wear Gloves In A Bottle. www.glovesinabottle.com

European Hand Tools are lowering their prices on the Norton line of waterstones. These are fairly large stones (8" x 3" x 1") and come in four grits: 220 for major surgery, 1000 for defining a new bevel, 4000 for refining a bevel, and 8000 for polishing. Prices start at $24.95 CDN. Excellent value in a manufactured stone. www.europeanhandtools.com

AccuSharp

I admit that I was a little skeptical when I first heard of the AccuSharp knife sharpener. But after using it for a few weeks I have to admit that it’s a product on the cutting edge! The heart of the AccuSharp is a pair of diamond honed tungsten carbide blades. The blades are reversible and replaceable, and, unless you’re a professional chef, you can expect to get anywhere from 5 to 10 years service per blade. Pretty decent! The AccuSharp is a cinch to use. You just run it along the blade two or three times. And it really does work. I severely distressed the edge of a shop knife with a file; eight passes with the AccuSharp removed the file marks, another two passes left a clean, sharp edge. At under $20 from most Home Hardware stores, this is a great tool to have around the shop, in your tool box, or in the kitchen. www.accusharp.com. To find the dealer nearest you call (250) 542-2348 or email hifaulkner@shaw.ca

BowJak

Vaughan & Bushnell make some of the world’s best striking tools: hammers, hatchets, axes and the like. Their new BowJak™ is an innovative tool that carpenters, builders and do-it-yourselfers are sure to love. Any one who has worked with 2 by 4s know them by another name, ‘bow wood’, as in “bowed, bent, crooked and warped”; anything but straight. The aptly named BowJak™ enables you to quickly and easily pull wayward boards into place; you simply hammer the front end of the BowJak™ into an adjacent board, and then pull the handle towards you to force the board into alignment. The whole operation only takes a few seconds. You can easily close gaps between boards of up to 2 1/4 inches. The BowJak™ is well constructed and should give years of dependable service. It’s light (26 ounces) and compact (about 1 1/2 inch wide and 12 inches long); there is even a handy tail hook for attaching it to your tool belt. At $24 this is good value. www.vaughanmfg.com

Lufkin Pro Series

Lufkin measuring tapes are well know and respected in the woodworking industry, and the new Pro Series line of measuring tapes shows why. The 3/4 inch width tape has a strong ABS casing with a rounded thermoplastic rubber covering along the base and back. The lock button on top of the tape is large and easy to use. The powder coating on both sides of the blade significantly extends blade life. The blade is fairly rigid, and will extend horizontally about 5 1/2 feet before it flops. Unlike most other tapes I’ve seen, this one has five rivets on the end hook; no way will this end hook come off! This is a super tape that will give years of reliable service. And with its bright orange color you won’t loose it in the shop! The Pro Series is available in 12, 16, 25, 30 and 35 foot lengths, from most hardware stores. www.cooperhandtools.com

Resaw King

Laguna Tools are well known for their top of the line woodworking machinery. Recently they introduced a new line of high performance bandsaw blades, the “Resaw King”. The teeth are what sets the Resaw King apart from other bandsaw blades. They are made from C-8 steel and welded onto the blade, then shaped with diamond grinders. The gullets are about 5/32 inch deep and the teeth are about 1/8 inch by 1/8 inch, and .040 inch wide. The cutting geometry of the teeth results in a narrow kerf that gives a very smooth surface. I used this blade in conjunction with the Little Ripper (see our review in the Feb/Mar issue: Vol 7, No 1) and the results were excellent, as you can see from the photo of the resawn Garry Oak. I cut a wide range of wood with this blade, including Bubinga, Cherry and Figured Maple, and the results were consistently excellent. The Resaw King is designed exclusively for resawing lumber, and not one you use for general sawing or curved cuts. For sawing veneer you won’t likely find a better blade. However, better doesn't come cheap; prices start at $141US for the 94 inch blade, which along with shipping, taxes and all makes it into the stratospheric $175 CDN (which is what I currently pay for about a dozen of my standard 3/8 inch blades). The blades are available in 3/4 inch and 1 inch widths in custom lengths. Laguna recommends that the blade be returned for re-sharpening, as you can’t re-sharpen the blades by hand, and it’s doubtful whether the average sharpening shop is geared up for this kind of blade. www.lagunatools.com

Gorgonz Pro 600 Exhale

The only time I wear work gloves is when my fingers are beginning to turn blue. I've always found work gloves to offer poor grip and dexterity - too much bulky material between me and my tool. Not so with the Gorgonz Pro 600 Exhale work gloves. The body is made of tough, breathable, stretch nylon that is both abrasion and water resistant. The gloves feature reinforced abrasion resistant double stitching throughout; padded knuckles; Toughtek® reinforced palm, fingers and thumb; neoprene comfort cuff with hook'n loop adjustable closure; and Thinsulate ™ (40 grams) lining on the back of the glove for increased warmth. I found these snug fitting gloves to offer superb dexterity and a flexible fit whether dry or wet. Under a protective back flap is an air port. When you blow into the port warm breath is channeled to your fingertips. For or five heavy blasts of air noticeably warm up the fingers. Even if you don't use the finger warming feature, these gloves are ideal for all your outdoor work. $35 US. For a dealer: www.gorgonz.com

Silva Bay Shipyard School

Located on Gabriola Island in BC, the Silva Bay Shipyard School is Canada's only full-time traditional wooden boat building school. Rick Corless, an SBSS student, has created a web site, www.rickcorless.com, to document his team’s challenges and accomplishments while building a 15’ Lapstreak Gartside sailboat. Rick and his teammates Alan Resinger and David Mohler started construction of the boat with lofting in October 2004 and plan to complete her during the 24 week course, with launching in mid-April 2005.

Four boats are currently under construction in the 2004/2005 Wooden Boatbuilding class.

• 15’ Lapstreak sailing boat designed by Paul Gartside
• 17’ Carvel traditional Whitehall from lines by Chapelle
• 13’6” Lapstreak inboard diesel yacht tender designed by Tad Roberts
• 13’ Lapstreak double-ended rowboat from lines taken off a traditional BC type

Instruction in traditional wooden boat building is taught by lead instructor and Shipwright Tony Grove, assisted by cabinetmaker Al Brunt, and supplemented by visiting experts. Paul Gartside recently led the class through 3 days of practical Naval Architecture.

The Silva Bay Shipyard School is located at one of B.C.’s most popular marinas therefore students have many opportunities to visit a variety of interesting vessels. In December the entire class was invited to spend a day sailing aboard the Canadian Navy ketch HMCS Oriole. Photographs of that adventure also appear on Rick’s web site.www.boatschool.com.

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