Woodworker's Journal 2007-Winter, страница 12
CORBELS ORDER LINE: 1.800.849.8876 CALL FOR A CATALOG: 1.800.746.3233 4620 GA Highway 123 • Toccoa, GA 30577 Email: info@osbornewood.com allows you to take your hands off the router and feed the wood instead of the machine. That way, routing doesn't have to be a balancing act, especially when profiling or template-routing those small parts. A router table's fence is a perfect support surface for milling dadoes and grooves or to set up long runs of molding. The fence also delivers greater precision when cutting joinery. You can even modify it to turn your router into a jointer (see page 68). A router table allows you to use large panel-raising or joinery bits that would be unsafe to run in a handheld machine. It's your ticket to building cabinet doors or milling your own custom crown molding. Be sure to use a 2/2 to 3 hp router for heavy shaping work. Router tables that enclose the router will help cut down on noise, and a fence with dust collection will help control the debris. Make sure the tabletop is flat and sturdy and the fence is easy to adjust. (See page 26 for a Custom Router Table plan you can build.) Buy This Fifth: A Band Saw Some woodworkers will insist that a band saw is more useful than a table saw. It will make rip cuts, crosscuts and angle cuts like a table saw but without the possibility of dangerous kickback. Fair enough. Personally, I think a table saw cuts more cleanly, makes a wider variety Want to turn your full-sized router into a door-making superstar? Just hang it from a router table. Now any router bit, large or small, is safely within your range of options. Band saws can make straight cuts more safely than table saws, but they really shine for cutting curves and resawing. You'll also appreciate their quiet, cleaner manners. of joints and provides better tabletop support. Your experience will show you which camp you're in. From the standpoint of functionality, there's no disputing that a band saw really shines as a curve-cutting and resawing tool. Sooner or later, your projects may include cabriole legs, curvy rails, circles and blanks for turning. A jigsaw might work, but a band saw ensures greater accuracy, control and cutting smoothness. It's the right tool for these jobs. Resawing isn't essential for most projects, but the ability to split a board through its thickness can transform a pair of ordinary doors or panels into mirror-image dazzlers. A table saw just can't compare in the resawing department. Worth Every Penny So there you have it: Five machines you'll use again and again for as long as you're a woodworker. One last piece of advice you've probably heard a hundred times before: Buy the best equipment you can afford. If you start with professional quality machines, their capability will rarely disappoint. You'll be as proud of your tools as you are of your projects. m _/ 12 Workshop Projects |
