The Shop Fox W1669 radial-arm drill press performed satisfactory in our shop tests, demonstrating good drilling power while plunging a 2-in. Forstner bit 3/4-in. deep into a maple board at a steady and relatively fast pace. It features five speeds with a range of 550 rpm to 3470 rpm, suitable for most drilling tasks, but we found it was cumbersom to change speeds by manually moving a belt from one set of pulleys to another. The tool drilled with 0.012 in. runout, fine for most drilling applications. It features a 9-3/4 in. dia. round table and a small base. Its unique radial-arm design allows the head to be rotated 90° in both directions and it’s head to be extended for up to a 34-in. reach.
Fine Woodworking Recommended Products
Shop Fox W1826
The thick, felted bag on this Shop Fox is a plus and a minus. On one hand, it makes the unit much less expensive than collectors with canister filters, and also lighter and easier to hang on the wall. Without a separate plastic bag to catch chips, however, they stay in the felt bag, and the shortish zipper on the bottom makes it tough to shake them out. Otherwise, the W1826 is an excellent value.
The gauge has a quick and easy method for fitting the guide bar precisely to your tablesaw’s miter slot. This means the gauge can be recalibrated if necessary for continued accuracy. The face of the protractor head can be adjusted square to the table and also square to the guide bar. This ensures accurate cuts, and it, too, can be readjusted if the need arises. The protractor head has stainless-steel knobs and fittings and high-contrast, easy-to-read white numbers and increments.
Priced nearly $300 less than the DeWalt 735X, the Ridgid R4331 is an excellent value. Its three-knife cutterhead left wonderfully clean surfaces on plainsawn white oak and white pine. It did not perform nearly as well on curly maple as the 735X.
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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