ISSUENO. 120 WINTER1999 Tltis issue's coaer utood grain: cottonutood CONTENTS 41 Backyardbowyer Meet an archer who fashions traditional bows. Page 56 56 The latestportable planers Find out which of ten models got high marks Page50 during our no-holds-barred tool tests. 74 12 woodworkers'vacation stops Journey to one of these fascinating destinations the next time you hit the road. Woodworkingprojects 37 Quailcountry Scrollsawour sportsman'snatufe scene. 46 Whimsicalcutting boards Take your pick from three outstanding Page46 designs-quilt block, ladybug, and domino. Page 37 50 Theapothecary's friend Build this beautiful. multi-drawered cabinet to remedy any number of special storageneeds. 62 Drop-frontwriting desk Need a special place where you can jot a note of pay a bill? Try this handsome country design. 68 Arts and Craftsphoto stand With just a little oak, you can make a shelf-top picture frame that will last as long as a big oak. 70 Whole-shopair-cleaning system Create a healthy shop environment with this ceiling-mounted blower and ductwork combo. SHORT.SUBJ ECT FEATUR ES 2 TheEditor's Angle 20 HotOff The Internet 4 TalkingBack 24 InsideInfo: Jet Acquires Powermatic 8 TwoFinishes For Small Turnings 26 TipsFrom Your Shop (And Ours) 10 Ask WOOD 33 ProductsThat Perform 16 Greatldeas: Texas-Size Tablesaw 90 WoodOnline 18 Business:Let The Media Tell Your Story 94 DealingWith Planer Snipe 96 FinishingTouches Cover photograph: Baldwin Photography WOOD Magazlne rVinter 1999 -'l Better Ilomes and Gardenso WbrkineHard [J7IDTHE WORLD'SLEADING WOODWORKING MAGAZINE ForWobdworkers Everywhere WINTER1999 . Vol.16,No.9 0 lssueNo.120 EditorLARRY CLAYT0N A Saluteto GalleryOwners! ManagingEditor JIM HARR()ID AssistantManaging Editor/Products BILL KRIER SeniorEditor/Features PETER J. STEPHAN0 SeniorEditor/Soecial-lnterest LARRY J0HNSTON SeniorHow-To Editor WILLIAM LAHAY General-lnterestEditor DAVE CAMPBEIL SeniorDesign Editor JAMES R. D0WNING AssistantDesign Editor/Project Builder JAN HALE SVEC ShopManager/Project Designer CHARLES l. HEDTUND seniorAssociate Art Director PERRY A. MGFARLIN AssistantArt Director CHERYL A. CIBULA Production/0fficeManager MARGARET CI0SNER AdministrativeAssistant SHERYL MUNY()N ArtBusiness 0ffice Secretary BARBABA HELPS Reader-ContactSoecialist BEN V()N RUDEN ContributingEditors KIM D()WNING, DAVE HENDERS0N, L()RNAJOHNSON, ROXANNE I.EMOINE, B()BMcFARLIN. CARS()N ODE @CopyrightMeredith Corporation 1999 All rights reserved.Printed in the U.S.A. Better Hornes and Gardenfi WOOD@ magazine (ISSN- 0743-894X) is published nine times a year in January, February, March, April, June, August, October, November, and December by Meredith Corporation, 1716 Locust St., Des Moines, lA 50309-3023.Periodicals postage paid at Des Moines, Iowa, and additional mailing offices. Better Homes Recently, I visited with a couple of we're compiling a list of them with and Gardens trademark registered in Canada and Australia. Marca Registradaen M6xico. ONE-YEAR SUBSCRIPTION really nice guys who have dedicated help from the Rosen Group, publish- PRICES:U.S. and its possessions,$27; Canada,$39; other themselves to showcasing the efforts ers of Nicbe magazine, and the folks countries, $47. CanadaPost Publications Mail SalesProduct Agreement No. 1369350. CanadianBN 12348 2887RT. of woodworkers. I'm talking about at Tbe Crafts Report, a crafts-indus- CANADIAN RETURN ADDRESS: Better Homes and Gardens WOOD magazine, 2744 Edna Street, Windsor, Andreas Strieve, the proprietor of try publication. As soon as we have Ontario, N8Y lV2. POSTMASTER: Send address changes Gallery M in Half Moon Bay, all the information together, we'll to Better Homes and Gardens WOOD magrzine, P.O. Box 37439, Boone, tA 50037-0439. California, and Bruce Abbott, who publish the results. So when you're you some CUSTOMER SERVICE 800/374-9663: Use this number operates One of A Kind Gifts in out and about, can factor for subscription services, changes of address, billing Ghirardelli Square in San Francisco. of these galleriesinto your itinerary. questions, questions for our editorial staff, questions about how to reach an advertiser, or to place an adver- That's Andreas in the photo aboue. I know they'll appreciate having tisement in our magazine. To order back issues In talking with both of these vou come in. take a look 800/346-9663. Subscription mailing addtessz Better Hornes and Gardens WOOD magazine, P.O. Box 37439, people, it became obvious n around, and perhaps purchase Boone, lA 50037-0439. Please enclose your address label that they believe deeply in one or more of their offerings. from a recent issue. Editorial mailing address: The Editor, WOOD magazine, l716 Locust Street, GA3 10, Des what they're doing. When By doing this, you'Il be helping Moines, lA 50309-3023.Reprints are $5 per article. either of them talk about one of support the efforts of those who ^lP^l the pieces they have on display, are working to showcase fine they inevitably tell a story about the handmade items from some of North woodworker who made the item and America's best artisans.tl talk about what kinds of woods were Attention gallery owners, wood- used. You can sense their enthusi- working professionals. and readers: 'W'e www.woodmagazine.com asm and pride. need your help in compiling our Downloadplans for this rVhether we realize it or not, list of woodworking galleries. If you Andreas and Bruce are an important know about one or more establish- VintageFarm T?uck part of a small network of galleries ments you think we should include, Our l8"-long vintage stake truck makes around the country that represent drop me a letter or send me an a gte t desk or den decoration, and it's woodworkers everywhere to the e-mail. Please send your recommen- sturdy enough for kids to play with. general public. There is a tremen- dations to: Download the plans, with complete dous amount of top-quality wood- My Gallery Suggestions instructions and ful-size patterns, from working being done these days in c/o WOODo Magazine \$(/OODONLINE for just $5.95. Click on this country and elsewhere, and L7l6 Locust Street, GA310 the \$flOODSTORE, then Down most of it doesn't get the exposure it Des Moines, IA 5O3O9-3O23 Loadable Plans, next deserves. Thanks, guys, for what you or e-maift [email protected] Kids Furniture and so lovingly do. Toys, finally go to To help give woodworking gal- the Farm Truck, leries nationwide a higher profile, plan DP-00039. A coupleof Getright to the point cuppingcorrections withblade angle On page 6 of issue 115, you have the This is the first time that I have felt wrong explanation for why wood obliged to write concerning one of cups. Lumber always cups to the your plans. The Bandsaw Multi-Jig bark side, so your illustration is cor- Circle-Cutting guide in issue *ll3 rect. But you should have said, "...the leaves out a critical bit of information face of the board that was closer to regarding positioning the trammel the center of the tree has more rudial point. The trammel point must be grain and less movement, whereas exactly perpendicular to the bandsaw the other face that was toward the blade's tooth tips or the circles outside of the tree has more tangen- attempted won't be perfectly sized. I tial grain, which moves more." learned this the hard way with a tem- -Eugene M.Wengert, Madisory Wis. porary jig. -Verne Gid.dings, Botbell, Wasb. One small correction to the "Talking Back" entry about cupping in issue You haue a point, Verne, and ute 115: The tangential surface shrinks apologize for your inconuenience. It about twice as much as the radial is important that tbe angle of tbe surface. Otherwise, I have been a trammel be 90' from tbe front edge subscriber since 1991, and your pro- of tbe blade. Houteuer, if you follotu jects have given me many ideas. The tbe instructions giuen in tbe article articles are very informative, too. on page 63 under tbe beading Keep up the good work. "Here's ltow to set tbe blade guides," -Keain Cox. Rltod.es, Iouta tbat utill bappen automatically. Beveledbackward In the Arts-and-Crafts Bookcase pro- edges of each door." Change that to ject, issue #1L6, reverse the bevel "2o bevel on inside edge of each location called for in the drawing on door," as shown below. Also, the Better Ilomes snd Gardenso \-1f7 n-ltn] nI Advertising page 69.In the exploded view of the dadoes in parts U and V should be Yz" L -/ \g1l.Jll3lo &Marketing door, it reads "2o bevel on outside by Vr" deep, not Yq"dadoes V<"deep. THE WORLD'SLEADING WOODWORKING MAGAZINE PublisherWILLIAM R, REED AssociatePublisher MARK HAGEN AncillarySales and Internet Manager MARLEN KEMMET AdverlisingServices Manager PAT HENDERSHOTT DisplayAdveilising: 333 N. Michigan Ave., Suite 1101, Chicago, lL 60601Phone: 3128532890 FM: 31 258G7906 AdvertisingManagers JAMES N, FORD, WILL MURPHY DirectResponse Advertising CAROLYN DAKIS MarketingSpecialist GERALLIE LEGASPI SalesAssistant MARGARET TRAVIS DirectResponse Advertising: 1716 Locust St., GM04, Des Moines, lA50309-3023 Phone: 51 5/284-3575 FAX: 51 5/284-3343 SeniorSalesperson RICH RAINF0RTH DirectResponse Advertising NATASHA KUCHERENK0 AdministraliveAssistantKRISTI HASEK Classified Advertising: Phone: 800/424-3090 FM: 312464{51 2 PublishingDirector JERRY WARD CirculationDirector LIZ BREDESON AssociateCirculation Director K'ATHI PRIEN BusinessManager JANET DONNELLY SeniorProduct Manager RICK GBOW MEREDITHPUBUSHING GROUP We wouldlike to hearfrom you CHBISTOPHERM.LITTLE, President BILLMURPHY, Srategic Marketirg; MAX RUNCIMAN, Finance; We welcome your comments, criticisms, suggestions, and yes, even com- JERRYKAPI-AN, Grurp Sales; HAL ORINGER, Consumer pliments. sfle'll publish letters of the greatest benefit to our readers. Marketing;ELLEN de LATHOUDER, Creative Services; tilflrite to: Talking Back, WOOD Magazine, 1716 Locust St., GA3l0, Des DEANPIETERS, Operations; BRUCE HESTON, Mandac'turing; THOMASL. SLAUGHTER, Licensing and New Media; Moines, IA 50309-3023 KARLAJEFFRIES, Controller; BOB MATE, Integrated Marketing tlg"""S^,,t|: Continued on page 6 WILLIAMT.