Popular Woodworking 2000-02 № 113, страница 9

countersunk into the Plexi and screwed into the plywood above. Also, use a little epoxy to set the Plexi on the jig's base. The upper and lower parts of the jig are identical in width. The wooden sides are nailed to the top to guide the bottom sliding part. Right now the jig will rout from 6" to 22". If you need a larger radii, just make another slider and stick a t-nut on it to fasten it down.

Also, one small clarification on the project. The Schedule of Materials indicates that the fence is made from plywood. Actually, as shown in the photos, it's made from solid maple.

—Jim Stuard, associate editor

Good Deals on Old Tools

Good article on used tools in the November 1999 issue ("Hand Tools for $100," issue #111). I have found some real bargains that way. I am curious as to the location of the open air show you pictured in the article.

Another excellent flea market is in Greenville, Kentucky, a few miles from Central City. It is open on Tuesday. As you said, go early for best selection. Another good market is in Litchfield, Kentucky, and is on Wednesdays. Lots of Amish attend this one so there is a good selection of hand tools.

I am still looking for a good post drill and a leg vise. One of my friends found one of each a few years ago in Amish country at a farm sale and brought both home for less than $50 total. I am still jealous.

I am partial to hand tools because I grew up using them. I understand the fascination with power tools, but I try to avoid them whenever possible. I made an edge planer from a few pieces of wood and a Stanley low-angle block plane, and that lets me do really good glue joints. I use a lot of hand planes and buy most of my wood from an Amish mill at very good prices. I let it cure for a few years and then break out my Stanley #20 and bring it to size.

I got a lot of kidding some time back for my methods. I needed a piece of wood measuring V4" x 3" x 24". The choice was to either plane a piece down or rip saw the board from a larger piece. Out came a very good Disston rip saw, and in a few minutes (15 or 20) I had the wood. Then I finished it up with my hand plane. A couple of friends just stared at me when I did it. They wanted to know why I didn't 1. use ply

wood, or 2. go to my neighbor's and use his thickness planer. I told them I was finished before I could have gone to his shop and learned how to use the planer.

I'm not Roy Underhill, but I have learned a lot from watching him and Norm on TV. My wife has watched so much of them that she sees Norm use some power tool and she says, "You didn't do it that way, you had a hand tool for the job." Or she makes some comment about, "Norm used $40,000 worth of tools to build that piece." I don't have any trouble when I ask to buy some antique tool.

Doug Wilkey Clay, Kentucky

Editor's note: The market pictured in the article is the Burlington antiques fair, which is held the third Sunday of the month between April and October. The show is held in Burlington, Ky., which is in Northern Kentucky, just outside Florence. If you're taking Interstate 75, you get off at the Florence/Burlington exit, also known as Highway 18. Head west. You'll drive about 10 miles until you reach the town of Burlington. Turn right on Idlewild. You'll see the fair about ¹'^/2 mile on your left. It's at the 4H Utopia Fairgrounds. Good show; I recommend it.

In future issues you can look for more stories about hand tools. In April, we're building a nice Shaker stepstool entirely by hand. And we're running an article all about the care and use of one of the ultimate hand tools: scrapers.

—Christopher Schwarz, managing editor

Complete Index on Website

You can now download a complete index (through September 1999) from our website at www.popwood.com. Click on the button labeled "Article Index" and you'll be taken to a page where you can download the index in a pdf format.

Also new on our website:

• Nearly 300 active and double-checked links to high-quality woodworking sites. These are in a searchable data base. So you just type in a few words about what you are looking for and you get the links that are relevant to you.

• A tutorial on how to cut half-blind dovetails by hand. If you've ever wanted to try cutting dovetails for a drawer, here's how to get started. pw

10 Popular Woodworking February 2000