Tamar Hannah’s Adjustable Router-Table Fence (FWW #292) is interesting and could be a serious time-saver. However, her comment “If you add spacers between passes, you risk a dangerous climb cut, which could yank the workpiece out of your hands and your fingers toward the spinning bit,” doesn’t get that adding a spacer after a pass actually puts the spinning bit deeper under the fence such that there would be no contact. Also the concept that a climb cut is caused not by taking too deep a cut, but by wrongly feeding the work left to right, seems to have been missed.

—Wayne Richard, Seneca, S.C.

Michael Pekovich responds: Sorry for the confusion. You are absolutely correct that the spacers limit the depth of cut when routing a profile along the edge of a board. The advice given here was specific to routing a wide groove in the center of a board. In that case, it is very important that you begin the cut with spacers in place, so that, as you remove them, the bit is cutting the wall farther from the fence as you feed the stock left to right. Should you happen to add a spacer after the first cut, the bit would be cutting along the inside wall of the groove, creating a climb cut since the bit is spinning in the same direction as the feed direction, which is dangerous.

From Fine Woodworking #293

	Build an adjustable router-table fence Get safe, clean cuts on your router table with this shopmade auxiliary fence with removable spacers.
	Router Table Fundamentals- Adjustments In this video workshop episode, Bob Van Dyke demonstrates tips and tricks to get your fence and bit set exactly where you need it
	Build a Router Table Woodworker Matt Kenney shows you how to build a dedicated router table, step-by-step, in this Video Workshop series.

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.

Buy at Rockler

Rockler Dust Right 650 CFM

While all five of the smaller units will collect chips efficiently when deployed properly, the 3/4-hp Rockler was just a bit more powerful in our suction test.

Buy at Amazon

Makita LS1219L Miter Saw

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.

Buy at Amazon