#219–May/June 2011

Articles

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  Tool Test: Smoothing Planes

  It’s the most important hand tool in the shop, and there are more great choices than ever
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  Dining Table with Two-Way Drawers

  This versatile table doubles as a worktable, with double-fronted drawers accessible from either side.
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  Case Closed

  How to use off-the-shelf hardware to close cabinet doors in style.
• 
  Windsor Rocker Without Special Tools: Part 2

  Complete the top half of the chair, including the arms and the back, then make and add the rockers.
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  A Chessboard Made Easy

  At some point in your woodworking life, you’ll probably make a chessboard. The classic parquet pattern adds fun and function to an ordinary table. And a chessboard on its own…
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  Switch to Spraying Water-Based Finishes

  A former lacquer head gives tips on going green.
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  Garry Bennett’s Un-Trestle Table

  Unconventional design is a portrait of the man.
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  Soup Up Your Crosscut Sled

  Fresh faces and smart stops make a big difference
• 
  How to Soup Up Your Crosscut Sled

  Fresh faces and smart stops make a big difference
• 
  Make a Pair of Grooving Planes

  A fast, quiet way to cut grooves in small parts.
• 
  Match Dado Set to Your Saw’s Power

  Q: I am planning to buy a dado set. Should I get a 6-in. or an 8-in. set? Robert Carson, Boston, MA A: I spoke with some of our contributing…
• 
  Set Stringing Deep to Increase Glue Surface

  Q: I am making a Federal-style table with stringing on the legs. What size should the stringing be, and how deep should I make the groove? Rose Maxwell, Bloomington, IN…
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  For Accurate Joints, Always Mark from the Same Face

  Q: I’m learning to cut mortise-and-tenon joints by hand, but I only have a marking gauge with one cutter. How can I use it to lay out the joint accurately?…
• 
  Thinned Shellac Works Better

  Q: I make small boxes and finish them with shellac. I pad on the coats and sand between them. However, the finish always gets thick and unattractive. Before I give…
• 
  Quick Fix for a Sagging Jointer

  Q: The infeed table on my jointer is sagging. I’ve lost the manual and don’t know how to fix it. Would you please explain how? Dan Heinz, Normal, IL A:…
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  Ten-Cent Solution for Hollow-Chisel Woes

  An inexpensive fix for a screaming mortiser.
• 
  How to Make Thick, Light Tabletops

  Torison-box design works for any size table.
• 
  Inside a Tapered Lamination

  Lured by the dramatic look and technical challenges of curves, Enrico König (see the back cover) nearly always incorporates a deep bend in his furniture. The trick to pulling it…
• 
  Vaulted Veneer

  Enrico König explores bent-lamination and veneering in his table with an arched base. Using tapered laminations, he has created a range of strong and striking arched forms that he uses…

Online Extras

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  How to Choose the Right Smoothing Plane

  Learn how to shop for a handplane and find out what separates a high quality tool from its bargain basement brethren
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  How to Resaw on the Bandsaw

  Furniture maker Michael Fortune demonstrates how to properly resaw lumber on the bandsaw.