November 2006 Popular Woodworking
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THE WORKSHOP WINWIN OF YOUR DREAMS NOVEMBER 2006 ISSUE #158 Learn How ■ Discover Why ■ Build Better BATTLE OF THE BAND SAWS We Test 6 Sleek, Supercharged Steel-body Saws Lost Stickley Side Table We Discover a Discarded Design PLUS ■ Sand Less to Sand Better! ■ Complete Guide to Dyes EXTRA: New Tools for 2007 US $5.99 CAN $7.99 11 popularwoodworking.com 0 74470 01355 6 Learn How ■ Discover Why ■ Build Better contentsIN EVERY ISSUE 12 Dust Collection Upgrade Tips LETTERS PVC or metal – which tubing is best for dust-collection upgrades? Plus, learn swirl-mark avoidance techniques for random-orbit sanding, get the skinny on food-safe fi nishes and discover the meaning of “moving fi llister.” 2020 20 Upgrade Your Miter Gauge TRICKS OF THE TRADE This clever auxiliary miter-gauge fence not only provides greater workpiece bearing, it supports work right up to the blade to minimize tear-out. Plus, build a jig for accurate and easy lock-miter joints and a quick-change band saw table. 30 $80 Router a Good Buy 30 TOOL TEST Surprise – an $80 router that’s actually a good buy for the home woodworker. Plus, a small digital fractional- readout caliper fi nally hits the market, and a wooden plane kit allows you to shape your future (future plane, that is). 34 Period Sharpening a Grind ARTS & MYSTERIES An archeological experiment results in some surprising revelations about tools sharpened on a grindstone. by Adam Cherubini 38 Convertible Magazine Rack I CAN DO THAT ThisThis knock-downknock-down magazinemagazine rackrack doublesdoubles asas a bookbook sstandtand fforor 38 youryour favoritefavorite referencereference oror familyfamily Bible.Bible. And,And, itit requiresrequires onlyonly a fewfew simplesimple toolstools andand a fewfew hourshours toto build.build. 34 byby ChristopherChristopher SSchwarzchwarz 76 ModernicaModernica GREATGREAT WWOODSHOPSOODSHOPS Number 158, November 2006. Popular Woodworking “Mid-century“Mid-century modern”modern” ggetsets a beautifulbeautiful 21st-century21st-century updateupdate (ISSN 0884-8823,USPS 752-250) is published 7 times a year in February, April, June, August, October, November inin BalticBaltic birchbirch andand bentbent lamination.lamination. and December by F+W Publications Inc. Editorial and byby JohnJohn HutchinsonHutchinson advertising offices are located at 4700 E. Galbraith Road, Cincinnati, Ohio 45236; tel.: 513-531-2222. Unsolicited manuscripts, photographs and artwork should include ample postage on a self-addressed, stamped envelope (SASE); otherwise they will not be returned. Subscription rates: A year’s subscription (7 issues) is $19.96; outside of U.S. add $7/year ■ Canada Publications Mail Agreement No. 40025316. Canadian return address: 2835 Kew Drive, Windsor, ON N8T 3B7 ■ Copyright 2006 by Popular Wood- working. Periodicals postage paid at Cincinnati, Ohio, and additional mailing offices. Postmaster: Send all address 7676 changes to Popular Woodworking, P.O. Box 420235, Palm Coast, FL 32142-0235 Canada GST Reg. # R122594716 ■ Produced and printed in the U.S.A. popularwoodworking.compopularwoodworking.com 3 PROJECTS, TOOLS AND TECHNIQUES 40 14"14" Steel-frameSteel-frame BandBand SawsSaws AllAll thethe mmodelsodels wewe triedtried performedperformed wellwell forfor generalgeneral curvescurves andand joineryjoinery work,work, butbut resawingresawing provedproved a trickytricky testtest fforor ssomeome machines.machines. FindFind outout whichwhich sawssaws wewe recommendrecommend – andand whichwhich onesones don’tdon’t makemake thethe ccut.ut. For A Free Catalog Or To Find Your Local Woodcraft Store, Visit www.woodcraft.com Or Call 800-542-9115. by David Thiel ON THE COVER 45 SettingSetting UpUp Shop:Shop: Fasten your tool belts and prepare for the Senior Editor David Thiel LightingLighting & ElectricityElectricity ultimate test drive. Visit your local Woodcraft tests the latest steel- frame 14” band saws WOODWORKINGWOODWORKING EESSENTIALSSSENTIALS store to take a spin with Festool's in his swan song as a EvenEven thethe bbestest toolstools won’twon’t functionfunction withoutwithout properproper member of the shopshop wiring.wiring. Plus,Plus, it’sit’s nicenice toto sseeee whatwhat you’reyou’re doing!doing! new Rotex Dual Mode Sander! PlanPlan aheadahead forfor youryour lightinglighting andand electricityelectricity needs.needs. magazine staff. by Bill Stankus Cover photo by Al Parrish 53 RefiRefi ningning thethe EdgeEdge HoneHone yyourour ssharpeningharpening skillsskills soso youryour carvingcarving toolstools cutcut throughthrough woodwood asas ifif itit werewere butter.butter. A mastermaster ccarverarver showsshows youyou hhowow toto workwork withwith slipstonesslipstones andand sstrops.trops. by David Calvo 56 DEPARTMENTS 56 Lost Stickley Table A one-of-a-kind table reappears at auction after disappearing for a century. We show you how to make 10 Out on a Limb The perfect saw is it, tricky angled joints and all. still in my head by Robert W. Lang 90 Flexner on 62 Superior & Speedy Sanding FESTOOL Rotex Dual Mode Sander Model RO 150 FEQ Finishing The difference between an OK project and a great If you need fast material removal plus smooth fine sanding, Making sense of dyes project is often the fi nish – and that starts with the but only want to buy one tool, the Rotex is for you. It switches sanding. This 23-year veteran of cabinetmaking instantly from random orbital sanding motion to the Rotex rotary 96 Out of the shares his professional tricks and tips. random orbital motion, to cover rough sanding, fine sanding, and 62 3 Woodwork by Troy Sexton polishing. 6" Dual Mode Sander has a /16" stroke for intermediate Grumpy Old Men by Peter Sieling sanding and fast stock removal. 6 Amps, 320-660 RPM rotary 68 New Tools motion speed, 3,300-6,800 RPM eccentric motion speed, 5 lb. From Atlanta Tool manufacturers offered a sneak peek of the new tools that will be in Systainer Storage Angle Unit Multifunction Table Dust Extractor CT 22 Toolie Tool catalogs and stores this fall. Before you buy your next tool, be sure to check out our up-to-the-minute report on the latest products. by Christopher Schwarz 70 The Right Way to Prepare Lumber Visit www.woodcraft.com/festool.aspx to see the full line of Festool products. Dept: 06PW11P Milling stock: What you do, how you do it and in what order you do each operation will infl uence your projects from start to fi nish. 70 by Glen Huey QUALITY WOODWORKING TOOLS • SUPPLIES • ADVICE™ 6 POPULAR WOODWORKING November 2006 popularwoodworking.com ® November 2006, Vol. 26, No. 6 popularwoodworking.com Editorial Offi ces 513-531-2690 Publisher & Group Editorial Director Steve Shanesy Editor Christopher Schwarz Online Tools ext. 1407 • [email protected] Art Director Linda Watts ext. 1396 • [email protected] Popular Woodworking’s Blog Senior Editor David Thiel ext. 1255 • [email protected] Our blog fi nally went live, and we’re having Senior Editor Robert W. Lang a lot of fun with it – all those random wood- ext. 1327 • [email protected] working (and other relevant) thoughts that Managing Editor Megan Fitzpatrick don’t make it into the magazine are easily ext. 1348 • megan.fi [email protected] added to the blog (you’ll fi nd a link on the Associate Designer Susan L. Smith ext. 1058 • [email protected] home page). Project Illustrator John Hutchinson For example, Bob Lang has posted addi- The new Popular Woodworking T-shirt,T-shirt, mugmug andand Photographer Al Parrish tional pictures and technique instruction to other items are now available at cafepress.com/ Contributing Editors make the keyed through mortise-and-tenon popwood. Adam Cherubini, Nick Engler, Bob Flexner, and angled-dovetail joints for the Stickley Glen Huey, Don McConnell, Troy Sexton table project in this issue. a sartorial statement quite like a Popular F+W PUBLICATIONS INC. You’ll also fi nd a link from the blog to our David H. Steward, Chairman & CEO Woodworking T-shirt.T-shirt. Or,Or, hhoistoist tthehe llogoogo aaloftloft Barbara Schmitz, VP, Manufacturing new Popular Woodworking logologo items,items, avail-avail- on what’s sure to become your favorite cof- Eric Svenson, Group Publisher, Interactive Media able at Café Press (cafepress.com/popwood). fee mug! (pssttt … each mug design will be F+W PUBLICATIONS INC. We’re sure you’ll agree that nothing makes available only for a limited time.) PW MAGAZINE GROUP William R. Reed, President Joel Toner, VP & Publishing Director Sara DeCarlo, VP, Consumer Marketing Susan Du Bois, VP, Circulation Operations Tom Wiandt, Business Planning Inside Online Sara Dumford, Conference Director Deb Westmaas, Group Circulation Director Contact Customer Service Magazine Extras Cristy Malcolm, Newsstand Sales Supervisor Have a question about your subscription, Here, you’ll fi nd article corrections (yes, it’s PRODUCTION Vicki Whitford, Production Manager a change of address or need to renew? true – once in a while we make a mistake), Debbie Thomas, Production Coordinator Contact customer service quickly and expanded project plans, 18th-century ADVERTISING easily using the online form. shop inventories and other curious items. Don Schroder, Advertising Director 331 N. Arch St., Allentown, PA 18104 Free Project Plans In short – stuff we thought was important and interesting, but just couldn’t fi t into Tel. 610-821-4425; Fax 610-821-7884 Every month, we simply give away some [email protected] of our most popular project plans. the print magazine. Advertising Production Coordinator Nancy Miller, Tel. 513-531-2690 ext. 1228 Article Index Tool Reviews [email protected] From miter saws to metal-bodied spoke- Looking for a specifi c technique or proj- SUBSCRIPTION SERVICES: Subscription inquiries, orders ect, or all the articles from your favorite shaves, you’ll find a selection of tool and address changes can be made at popularwoodworking.com reviews you need to outfi t your shop with (click on “Customer Service FAQs”). Or by mail: Popular Woodworking, author? Look no further than the mag- P.O. Box 420235, Palm Coast, FL 32142-0235. Or call toll-free azine’s online article index! And when the machines and hand tools that best fi t 877-860-9140 or 386-246-3369.