A dust collector is much more than a shop vacuum, so why not use the larger power plant for shop cleanup? That’s the thought behind Rockler’s Dust Right Master System ($70).
The heart of this set of accessories is a floor sweep-consisting of a handle, a long tube, and a floor attachment-that connects to your 4-in.-dia. dust hose. A smaller bench nozzle with bristles is designed for tidying work surfaces. To make it easy to free up your dust hose, the system includes a quick-connect tool port that stays on one shop machine.
I teamed up the system with Rockler’s innovative Dust Right Expandable Hose ($50), which stretches from 3 ft. to 21 ft. I used the hose and Master System to vacuum my shop, and it worked great, but only after I made a key alteration. The floor sweep comes with a thin grate to prevent large pieces of wood or bits of metal from getting sucked in and possibly striking the impeller of a dust collector. However, I found that big chips and hand-tool shavings clogged the grating constantly, so eventually I knocked it out. After that, cleanup went quickly and easily.
You can buy the floor sweep ($40) and other parts separately at www.rockler.com.
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DeWalt 735X Planer
The DeWalt 735X produced two faces perfectly parallel to one another, with surfaces far superior to what the other machines produced, thanks to its two feed speeds. At high speed, the planer works fast and leaves a smooth surface. But the slower, finish speed produces an almost glass-smooth surface. Knife changes are easy, with spacious access to the cutterhead from the top and a gib screw wrench that doubles as a magnetic lift to remove the knives. The 735X also has great dust collection, thanks to an internal blower that helps evacuate chips. The port has a 2-1/2-in.-dia. opening, but has a built-in adapter for 4-in.-dia. hoses. My only complaint is the location of the dust port. It’s on the outfeed side of the machine, and exits straight back. If you don’t pull the hose to the side, it interferes with material as it leaves the machine. The top is large and flat, so it’s a great place to set material in between passes through the machine.
Regardless of the board’s grain, this jointer produced excellent results. Its fence was totally flat, worked smoothly, and locked well, staying in place even after jointing multiple edges. Getting the fence to 90° was very easy, but the 90° stop was a little tricky to set and the fence did not go back to square when using it. For those who would use it, there is also a digital depth-of-cut scale.
With its graceful curves, cabriole legs, and ornamental back splat, a Queen Anne side chair is a bucket list build for many woodworkers. Dan Faia had a very specific Queen…
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