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June 2001 |
Get Shorty
This ugly little paint brush caught my eye on my last trip to
the local paint store, so I picked one up. It has a full-sized
head with a shortened handle made from a flexible material its
manufacturer calls Shergrip (feels like rubber to me). I intended
to use the brush on the window trim under a curtain valance,
a tight spot that would prove difficult—if not impossible—with
a regular-size brush. To my surprise, not only did this brush
perform well in close quarters, but its stocky design proved
so comfortable I used it to finish all the trim.
At about $8, the Wooster Shortcut
brush is comparable to other quality trim brushes, but unlike
other smaller trim brushes I’ve used, this one boasts a
full sized head which loaded well and distributed paint evenly.
I’m always on the lookout
for products that promise to make the less-than-pleasant task
of painting easier and this brush delivers. So until someone
invents self-painting trim, the Shortcut will have a permanent
home in my arsenal of painting tools. Contact Wooster
Brush Company at www.woosterbrush.com
or 800-392-7246.
—Krista Larson |
Smoothing Plane
If I had to choose just one plane for my workshop, it would
be a smoothing plane. I’ve enjoyed many successful hours
dressing rough lumber and structural timbers with my Stanley
#4, and it’s a tool I turn to again and again. It’s
a good old plane, but not good enough to keep my eyes from wandering
over to the brand-new Veritas #4 1/2 smoothing plane. Like my
Stanley, the Veritas is made in Canada, though it’s certainly
not a copy of the old favourite. The Veritas is longer (9 7/8"
sole vs. 9 3/8"), wider (2 7/8" vs. 2 7/16")
and noticeably heavier. It also has a substantially thicker
blade (0.131" vs. 0.086"). All these features work
together to create exceptionally smooth, steady, chatter-free
action, which is exactly what you want from a plane. But the
Veritas’s most noteworthy feature is unique enough to be
patented. Unlike other planes in its class, it has an easily
adjustable throat opening. Open it up for coarse, thick-curl
planing, then close it down for fine results that are as free
of tear-out as possible. One brass thumb wheel locks the throat
adjustment feature, the other moves it back and forth.
Bottom line: At $229 the Veritas
#4 1/2 is much more plane than average, without the stratospheric
price tags of elite planes originating south of the border.
It’s just one more reason to be a proud Canadian. For more
information contact Lee Valley
at www.leevalley.com
or 800-267-8761.
—Steve Maxwell
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