Steve

About Steve

Steve made his first woodworking project at age 9 (in 1982) and whittled his first wooden chain at 18. He was also a consumer electronics repair tech and shop owner for a little over 20 years, until his impending obsolescence became impossible to ignore. Since then, Steve has focused passionately on manipulating his wood... in his workshop. Don't judge him.

Makita XTR01Z 18V Li-Ion Brushless Compact Router Reviewed

Steve September 21, 2017 Leave a Comment

This post is sponsored by The Home Depot. If you’ve been following Home Fixated for any time now, you’ve seen us cover various offerings from Makita’s 18V LXT Lithium-Ion line-up, which has grown to epic proportions (over 125 tools!); there’s little they’ve yet to adorn with their trademarked teal. Home Depot sent us the new Makita XTR01Z 18V, brushless, compact router to evaluate. I’m ready to pick this thing apart and let you know what I think. Makita has been doing pretty well so far, so let’s see what the surprisingly powerful XTR01Z compact router is all about! Read More

Diablo Sandnet – This 5″ Sanding Disc Will Give ’em Hell

Steve August 29, 2017 1 Comment

This post is sponsored by The Home Depot. Almost every project I tackle involves a lot of sanding, which inevitably translates to my decimating stacks of sanding discs by way of my random orbital sander. Diablo abrasives have been my go-to for years now. So when Home Depot offered up a 10-pack of Freud’s new Diablo Sandnet 5” sanding discs for evaluation, I was all over it. The gritty allure of 10x sanding life has been calling my name for months now, since first I saw its roughened face. But does it really live up to the hype? Well, yes. Mostly. It depends on how you use them. Let me give you the rough and smooth of Diablo Sandnet sanding discs. Read More