The Steel City planer offers two feed speeds, a three-knife cutterhead, good power, good dust collection, fast and easy knife changes, and moderate weight. All this adds up to a solid performer. The planer leaves a very good surface. My two picks for best overall are the DeWalt 735 and the Craftsman 21759. The Steel City and Delta planers were just behind these two leaders.
Photo: Anissa Kapsales
Fine Woodworking Recommended Products
Rockler Dust Right 1250 CFM
You’ll need help to get this heavy unit onto its bracket, but if you’re looking for a central dust collector that won’t gobble floor space, this may be the unit for you.
This is the saw I want in my shop. For one, it’s easy to use. All of the controls are easy to reach and manipulate, and the glide mechanism is both robust and smooth. The handle works well for righties and lefties. Then there are added bonuses that no other saw has. For instance, its hold-down is superb, as it can move to different locations, hinges for a greater range of coverage, and actually holds down the work. In addition, the saw has two points of dust collection, letting it firmly beat the rest of the field. The one downside was the saw’s laser, which was so faint we had to turn off the shop lights to see it. Still, all these pluses in a package that fits tight to the wall? That’s a winner for me.
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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