9 OUR BIGGEST BUYERS’GUIDE EVER! PROJECTS What First-Time Finishers Must Know INSIDE! Popular February 2000 #113 WoodworkingThe Skill-Building Project Magazine for Practical Woodworkers TOOL REPORT 2000 Your must-have buying guide to 249 tools! Pennsylvania Stepback Classic Colonial Cupboard 4 Great Ways to Build a Table www.popwood.com Router Fence for your Table Saw ® www.popularwoodworking.com 2222 38 48 In This Issue Pennsylvania 22 Stepback This Colonial cupboard has got it all: traditional joinery, excellent proportions and the opportunity to put your woodworking skills to the test. By Glen Huey Router Fence 30 for Your Table Saw Use the fence on your table saw as the foundation for a highly accu- 62 rate router table system. This quick fence attaches to your table saw’s fence and gives you must- have features such as dust collec- tion and storage for your bits. Should You Buy 34 Professional Tools? 54 What’s the difference between a $50 router and a $150 router? We take you inside to show you how the things you can’t see can sometimes affect the price. By Randy Caillier 2 POPULAR WOODWORKING February 2000 America’s BEST Project Magazine! In Every Issue Out On a Limb 6 Choose Wisely Letters 8 Mail from readers Cris Cuts 14 Circles Without a Band Saw Tricks of the Trade 18 Great uses for a clothes pin;coffee cans aid dust collection Projects From 20 the Past Modern Chair 56 Tool Test 66 Veritas’ new low-angle block plane; Bosch’s detail sander Flexner on Finishing 70 Advice for first-time finishers Wood Types Tool Report Four Ways to Build a 74 38 56 Buying Submerged Lumber This is the only way to buy a new Tavern Table tool: First find out which features Learn four great ways to build this 82 Classifieds are important (and which aren’t). table: from totally traditional to Then look at all the products on quick and dirty. Plus, get the final 84 Caption the Cartoon the market and compare their word on the rules you must obey Win a set of Quick Grip clamps features and prices so you get the when designing tables. right amount of tool for the right By Troy Sexton Endurance Test 86 Fein’s random-orbit sander price. This year we examine cord- less drills, biscuit joiners, 14" 62 Shop-Built Out of the Woodwork band saws, dust collectors and Air Cleaner 88 Coffin Confession 10" cabinet saws. Save yourself a few bucks by building your own air cleaner Handmade Hardware using a squirrel cage fan and 48 Step inside a darkened black- readily available materials. smith’s shop, where custom cabi- By Michel Theriault On the net hardware is made almost Cover exactly as it was 200 years ago. Check out this year’s Tool Report 54 Limbert Waste Box for the gospel truth This faithful reproduction of on the must-have Limbert’s #255 waste can will features for wood- look great in your modern Arts working tools. & Crafts home. Cover photo by Al Parrish www.popwood.com 3 ® February 2000, Vol. 20, No. 1 www.popwood.com Editor & Publisher Steve Shanesy Senior Editor David Thiel Managing Editor Christopher Schwarz Associate Editor Jim Stuard Art Director Amy Schneider Contributing Editors R.J.DeCristoforo Nick Engler Bob Flexner Glen Huey Troy Sexton Technical Advisers: Bill Austin Makita USA. Inc. Scott Box Delta International Chris Carlson S-B Power Tool Dale Zimmerman Franklin International General Manager Jeffry M. Lapin Editorial Director David Fryxell Creative Director Matthew Small Gaynor Magazine Art Director Nancy Stetler CIRCULATION David Lee, Director Mark Fleetwood, Single Copy Sales Mgr. Terry Webster-Isgro, Direct Sales Mgr. PRODUCTION Barbara Schmitz, Director of Manufacturing Martha Wallace, Magazine Production Dir. Matt Walker, Production Assistant Ruth Preston, Studio Manager ADVERTISING National Sales Representative Bill Warren, Five Mile River Assoc. LLC RR1 Box 1400, Stockton Springs, ME 04981 Tel. (207) 469-1981; Fax (207) 469-3050 Advertising Sales Joe Wood, Tel. (513) 336-9760 Fax (513) 336-9761 Classified Advertising Sales Joan Wright, Tel. (513) 459-9298 Advertising Production Coordinator Debbie Thomas, Tel. (513) 531-2690, ext. 219 SUBSCRIPTION SERVICES Subscription inquiries, orders and address changes can be made at www.popwood.com (click on Subscriber Services). Or by mail: Popular Woodworking, P.O. Box 5369, Harlan, IA 51593 or call (515) 280-1721. Include your address with all inquiries.Allow 6 to 8 weeks for delivery. Popular Woodworking (ISSN 0884-8823, USPS 752-250) is published seven times a year in February, April, June, August, October, November and December by F&W Publications, Inc. Editorial and advertising offices are located at 1507 Dana Ave., Cincinnati, OH 45207; 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 $19.97; outside of U.S add $7/year. Canada Publications Mail Agreement No. 0546232. Canadian return address: 2744 Edna St., Windsor, ON N8Y 1V2 Copyright ©2000 by Popular Woodworking. Periodicals postage paid at Cincinnati, Ohio, and additional mailing offices. Postmaster: Send all address changes to Popular Woodworking, P.O. Box 5369, Harlan, IA 51593 Canada GST Reg. # R122594716 Produced and printed in the U.S.A. ATTENTION RETAILERS: To carry Popular Woodworking in your store, call (513) 531-2690, ext. 327, or write: Dealer Program, F&W Publications, Inc., 1507 Dana Ave., Cincinnati, OH 45207. Woodworker’s Book Club: 1507 Dana Ave., Cincinnati, OH 45207; (513) 531-8250 Audit Bureau of Circulation membership applied for. 4 POPULAR WOODWORKING February 2000 OUT ON A LIMB Contact Information Steve Shanesy Choose Wisely Editor & Publisher Specialties: Projects, techniques, article and Job-site machines don’t always measure up in the woodshop. project selection (513) 531-2690 ext. 238 hile I’ve never spent much time on have to pick it up and move it during the [email protected] Wa new home building site, I do re- course of a day’s work, it ought to have two call the days when carpenters and finish key ingredients: cast iron and an induc- David Thiel carpenters would show up hauling a trail- tion motor. Benchtop table saws with alu- Senior Editor er that had some serious machinery minum tops and universal motors should Specialties: Projects, new products and tools, strapped to its stake bed sides. Particular- be the exclusive domain of job-site car- tricks of the trade ly, a big old radial arm saw and a “con- penters. That’s what they’re made for. But (513) 531-2690 ext. 255 tractor-style” table saw. Where I grew up in I’ve yet to encounter one of these saws that [email protected] the Midwest, they’d set up these machines could be classified as a wise investment for in the garage as soon as it was under roof home woodworking. Christopher Schwarz Managing Editor to keep them out of the elements. One of the problems is the universal Specialties: Author These tools passed for “portable” ma- motor. This motor is lightweight and pow- liaison, website, projects, chines then. Portable enough for a couple erful, but it is built to run for short periods photography. burly guys to hump off the back of the trail- of time because it generates a lot of heat (513) 531-2690 ext. 407 [email protected] er and drag them in place. They ran on —a motor’s worst enemy. Universal mo- 110-volt power, standard fare for a con- tors are also much noisier and have a short- Jim Stuard struction site. er lifespan than induction motors. Bottom Associate Editor The contractor-style table saw was line: these motors are good for tools you Specialties: Projects, quickly adopted by the home woodwork- turn on for short periods of time (such as carving, turning, project er as a less expensive alternative to the routers) but not those that you run all day. illustrations (513) 531-2690 ext. 348 cabinet saw, but still featured a 10" blade, Also, saws with aluminum tops vibrate [email protected] a horse-and-a-half motor, sturdy rip fence more than those with cast iron tops. The and reasonably sized cast iron top. It’s the place where the motor and table are at- Amy Schneider kind of saw I bought when I started 20 tached is more susceptible to stress and Art Director years ago (and just recently retired when I twisting in a benchtop saw than in a con- Specialties: Magazine finally upgraded to a cabinet saw). I had tractor saw. Finally, the fences on bench- and cover design, photo direction noticed a contractor saw in one of the top saws are rarely sufficient for quality (513) 531-2690 ext. 471 books written by veteran woodworker Tage woodworking. [email protected] Frid and figured it had to be good enough I’m not a tool snob, believe me. I just for me. want a machine that delivers the goods Got Questions or Problems With Your Subscription? Today, you won’t find a building site until I give out rather than vice versa. I To report problems with your subscription with a radial arm or contractor saw in sight. want a machine that will stay in reason- visit our website at popwood.com, call our They’ve given way to a new breed of ma- able adjustment, that can be pushed when subscription offices at 515-280-1721, or write to Popular Woodworking,P.O.Box chine that’s much more portable.