Popular Woodworking July/August 2022

Of all the reasons I feel blessed in this world, one of the tops is the fact that I get to interact with members of the woodworking community every single day. That could be tool manufacturers that support our magazine, readers, or other members of the community. I’ve found, in general, that people within the community are some of the best people around. On page 44, you’ll find an article on chainsaw milling. That article was photographed at a local sawmill, Reynolds Sawmill (Swan, Iowa). The owner, Bob Reynolds (pictured to the right), has become a good friend of mine over the last few years. Bobby is the epitome of the stereotypical person in the woodworking community. When you stop at his sawmill to buy lumber or drop off wood for…

WILLIE SANDRY: Whiteside Blade – pg. 10 Hailing from the Pacific Northwest, Willie Sandry is a long time fan of Arts & Crafts furniture. He enjoys taking inspiration for his projects from antique furniture exhibitions as well as “old barn finds.” Never one to do a job part-way, Willie has developed a vast skill set to elevate his projects. From sawing lumber and kiln drying it to finishing a chair with top-notch upholstery, Willie sees a project through from the start until finish. YouTube: The Thoughtful Woodworker COLLIN KNOFF: Drill Review – pg. 14 Collin has been fascinated with building things as long as he can remember — from LEGO sets to taking apart things around the house just so he could see how they went back together (sorry Mom!). It wasn’t until…

Fully Automatic Lawn Darts In regards to the April 2022 “Lawn Darts” article. I can’t believe your staff would publish plans to produce a toy that has been banned by the Consumer Product Safety Council in 1988 due to the high number of injuries and deaths caused by lawn darts. Your staff may be too young to remember but someone should have done some research. You need to inform your readers immediately of the dangers these “toys” present. I am forwarding the article to the CPSC. —A Dozen or So Readers, with comments along the same lines. Of the many emails I received in regards to the lawn darts (I fully expected these types of emails), it was quite clear that most didn't read the article. I clearly stated that these were banned…

A Great Glue Bottle Tip I like the narrow tip on refillable glue bottles. What I don’t like is the tiny little cap, which is very easy to lose. The other day I was pawing through shavings on the floor looking for my lost cap when the pencil in my apron pocket decided to join the bottle cap on the floor. That did nothing for my mood until I saw the solution to my lost-cap problem on the end of my pencil. It was the replacement eraser. It slipped right over the glue bottle like they were made for each other. Eureka! I was back on my feet and working at my bench instead of the floor. —Dave Munkittrick Wrap Up a Worn Down Tenon When a joint loosens and begins to wobble, the…

Whiteside Plus by Dimar I had the opportunity to spin the newest blades from Whiteside Plus by Dimar. I thoroughly tested the Whiteside Plus dado blade in cabinet-grade plywood, both with and against the grain. The dado blade didn’t falter in sheet goods, but I don’t consider that much of a challenge for a high-end dado set. No, the real judge of a dado stack, in my eye, is how well it tackles hardwood joinery. So, I put the blade to work on a 3 h.p. cabinet saw and a 1.75 h.p. hybrid saw to test the functional power requirements of this 8" dado set. Both saws managed deep grooves and joinery cuts without a hiccup. I spend a lot of time evaluating dado blades, and one of the key things that…

There was a point in time when drill comparisons were ubiquitous in the pages of this magazine. There was an almost comforting familiarity in seeing the latest and greatest put to the test every 18 months or so. And then, for whatever reason, we stopped doing them in 2009. Maybe it was the lack of perceived technological advancement, or maybe interest just dried up, but it’s been 13 long years. Clearly, it was time to get the band back together and see what was new. We decided to look at 12v drills, which are still the underdogs of the power tool world. Twelve volts is all most people need, and the smaller, lighter package means they’re easier to work with as well. We reached out to all of the usual players (and…