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2007 AWFS Coverage
Highlights from the AWFS Tool Show: Riving Knives, European-style Machinery and New Handplanes
We're back from Las Vegas and are sorting through our notes to figure out which new tools we're going to review for our fall issues. Below are the stories we filed while we were on the floor of the show (and sneaking around after dark). Here are the quick links:
 New Handplanes From Lee Valley: A Router, 2 Palm Planes and a Plow Plane Some manufacturers require a thousand square feet of booth space to show you the new tools they are going to introduce before the end of the year. Others require you to simply push the water glasses aside on the dinner table to see the new line. This evening the editors of Popular Woodworking had dinner with Robin Lee, president of Lee Valley Tools, and his spouse, Lucie. We brought our appetites. Robin brought a bag of new handplanes and tools that he pulled out one after another. First there was a round of beer. Then came the new router plane and some new rulers. Salads. Squirrel-tail planes. Bread. The long-awaited plow plane. (While I had salmon for dinner, this tool was the main course for me.) Plus, Robin shared lots of information about the products you are going to see appearing in the catalogs in the coming months. Just remember this: You are among the first to see some of these tools, so the photographs aren’t my best (a bedspread is a poor photographic sweep). And that you should be patient when trying to get your hands on them. With that in mind, here’s some of the really cool stuff. Veritas Small Router Plane The Veritas Router Plane is one of the company’s most finely made tools, in my opinion. So I’m pleased to report that the Veritas Small Router plane is another winner. This is a closed-throat router, and it reminds me more of the routers built by pattermakers than it does of any historical model.  Here are some details: The small-scale router is ideal for cleaning out shallow grooves or recesses, such as hinge mortises. The 1/4"-wide blade is simple to adjust up and down using a knurled brass knob threaded through the body. Loosen the knob to adjust the blade and nothing happens. Yup. Nothing. That’s because of a wave washer that keeps the blade in position quite well, even with the blade’s locking mechanism loosened.Nudge the blade and it shifts in position. Then lock the sucker back up. The router is quite comfortable to hold with the tips of your fingers. And the 3-1/4"-wide and 2-1/4"-deep body is made from ductile iron; the sole is flattened with a special lapping process that makes it dead flat. In addition to the standard position in the mouth of the tool, the blade also can be adjusted for use in bullnose work. The price is $45 (U.S.). Lee said this tool should be ready by Sept. 1.  Other cool planes and accessories in the works: • Two Squirrel-handled Planes: Based on the “Little Victor” handplane released recently, the company is expanding the line of tools with these two new palm-sized planes. One is quite similar to the Little Victor except it has a nice palm-rest that looks much like the curled tail of a squirrel. The sole is flat and the blade-clamping mechanism is the same as on the “Little Victor.” (Read a review of this plane on our blog.)  The second plane has the same body style but the sole is curved, like that on the Stanley Model-Makers Plane. However, the curvature on the sole of the Lee Valley version is not as extreme. The side-to-side radius is 1-1/2". Front-to-back radius: 12". Both planes measure 3-3/8" long at the sole, 4-7/8" long overall and 1-3/8" wide. Pricing: The pair will be sold for an introductory price of $65. After that, the planes will be $36 for the flat-soled tool and $42 for the curved one. • A set of Phi Rulers: These cool rulers allow you to draw Golden Rectangles using the Golden Section (a proportion of 1 to 1.618). The rulers work like a CenterPoint ruler with a direct-reading scale. Translation: No math! You use one edge of the ruler to draw the longer dimension of the project, then you use the Phi ruler to generate the shorter one. You also can start with the smaller dimension of the rectangle and determine the longer side. A fair number of woodworkers use the Golden Section in designing furniture as this ration of 1 to 1.618 is pleasing to our eyes. Also, Lee says that his staff prepared a 16-page instruction manual for the rulers that covered the history of the Golden Section and explored its application. Lee said, with a laugh, that it probably wouldn’t be a good idea to send a 16-page instruction sheet with a ruler, so they’re going to post that on the web site. The price of the rulers is right: A set of 6", 12" 18" and 24" is $15.95. (Available soon, if not now.) • Veritas Small Plow Plane: The highlight was getting to see the much-anticipated Veritas plow plane, which is based loosely on the Record #044 plow plane. The plow plane is still a useful plane today for making the grooves for drawers bottoms and for small-scale box and door work – grooves for panels in rails and stiles. This plane (which was not ready for me to photograph) has a streamlined design. Unlike other plow planes, the rear tote is wood instead of metal, which feels nice to the hand. The fence is designed to encourage the proper grip of the tool. And the way that the fence is held fast has more to do with the technology surrounding router bits than with historic tools. Think: router collet. Then think: very cool. The Veritas Small Plow Plane should be available by the end of September. It will come standard with an A2 1/4"-wide blade and sell for $199. You also will be able to purchase the plane with four additional blades (1/8" up to 3/8") for $245, or purchase individual blades. I didn’t get to use the plow plane (a couple key parts were plastic, plus we were in a restaurant), but the overall profile of the plow is curvier and more fluid than I expected. It was a bit hard to hand back over the table. • A 30th Anniversary Plane: To celebrate the company’s 30th anniversary, Lee Valley is going to make a limited edition stainless steel edge plane. Lee says they are going to make 300 of them (using the lost wax process) and then destroy the molds. The plane looks like a cross between the company’s bronze version of the edge-trimming plane and they company’s more recent ductile iron version. No word on pricing or availability (and that’s my fault – I forgot to ask). • The Veritas Hold-Down is getting an accessory – an optional shorter post. This will be a boon for people who don’t have a lot of extra space below their benchtops but still want to use a hold-down. The post is 5-1/2" long and will cost $7.20. — Christopher Schwarz  Bosch's new riving knife system on its 4100 series of table saws. Riving Knives – Not Just for The Europeans Anymore Of all the new things appearing at this year’s AWSF show, the most exciting is the sudden appearance of true riving knives and sensible guard systems on a number of new table saws. The rules are changing, both literally and figuratively. Kelley Mehler, who wrote an article on European-style table saws for our August 2007 issue, lobbied and worked with Underwriter’s Laboratories (UL) in the development of new rules for table saw guards manufactured and sold in the United States. These regulations will require that guards on table saws be easily removable and replaceable, and most important to us, that saws be equipped with riving knives. When we reviewed the SawStop cabinet saw in 2005, we noted that in our opinion, the riving knife was a more important safety feature than the braking system. When we took our first look at the Powermatic 2000, we were happy to see a riving knife included. This year, several more manufacturers are getting on board, in advance of the new UL regulations. The SawStop, like airbags in your car, will provide some protection after an accident has happened. And, like airbags, braking systems that stop the saw on contact with the blade add significantly to the cost. What if there were a simple device that could be easily attached to your car that would prevent most accidents from happening in the first place? Would you want one? That doesn’t exist yet for your car, but there is a simple device that attaches to a table saw that will prevent many accidents. About Riving Knives So just what is a riving knife, and what does it do? There are two ways to cut yourself on a table saw. The first is to not pay attention to where your hands are and stick them into the spinning blade. The second is when part of the board comes in contact with the back part of the blade – the part that is spinning up from the saw’s table, after the cut is made. This causes the board to rise and kick back toward the operator. If your hand is on the board at that point, it can be thrown into contact with the blade before you know it. A careful worker can avoid both these situations, but it takes more skill, experience and diligence to avoid the second one. A proper riving knife travels with the blade as it is raised, lowered or tilted, covering the area behind the back of the blade. It is close to the same thickness as the blade, so that a piece of wood can’t move into the rising saw teeth, and your hand can’t come in contact with this part of the blade. It keeps the wood tight against the fence for a few inches after the cut has been made. This is an inexpensive, effective and proactive approach to preventing accidents before they happen. Bosch, Delta, Grizzly, General, Jet, Powermatic, Shop Fox and Steel City are all displaying saws at AWFS equipped with riving knives that are either now available, or will be available in the next few months.  An inside look at Jet's riving knife system. In addition to requiring riving knives, the new regulations also will require that guards can be removed and replaced in less than 20 seconds, without the use of tools. This eliminates the excuse that many of us use, that it is too much trouble to remove and replace the guard. The tool companies are taking some different approaches to this. The Powermatic and Steel City saws have a lever that releases the guard and pawl assembly. When that is removed, the riving knife snaps in where the guard was. Grizzly’s approach is similar but instead of a lever, a knob is turned. By far, the best systems we saw were on the Jet Xacta saw, and on an inexpensive job-site saw from Bosch. With these systems, each part of the assembly is a separate component, held in place with a spring-loaded pin or a lever. If you want to use the guard and splitter, but remove the pawls, you can do so in just a few seconds. I liked the Bosch system the best, because of the over-blade guard, which has a clear plastic cover for each side of the blade. When lifted up, there is a detent at the top that holds the guard above the blade. If you want to make a measurement from fence to blade, or rip a narrow piece, you can do so without fighting the guard. Here is a rundown of what we saw: Bosch’s riving knife is available on the 4100 series of job-site saw. Grizzly introduced its system on a 12" saw last year at the IWF show in Atlanta. This year it has put the same system on a new 10" cabinet saw (the G0651 and G0652). In addition, Grizzly has a nice 10" European-style saw (the G0623X) with riving knife and European guard with dust collection, a sliding table and a scoring blade for a bit less than a SawStop 10" cabinet saw. Jet has a riving knife and easily removable guard on its 10" Xacta saw. Jet’s hybrid and contractor saws have an easily removable guard, but riving knives won’t be available for these in the near future. Powermatic includes the riving knife on its PM2000 model, which has been available in this configuration since early 2006. Steel City will introduce its riving knife and guard system on its hybrid saws, beginning around the first of 2008. This is the same saw that surprised the show with a granite top Wednesday morning. This saw will be available with either a cast iron or granite top. The company’s larger cabinet saws will incorporate these features next spring. We are looking forward to taking all of these saws for a test-drive in our shop this fall and winter, and we salute these forward-thinking manufacturers for going ahead and including these features ahead of schedule. — Robert W. Lang  Exclusive: Steel City Tools Is Ready to Rock You In a completely inspired move, newcomer Steel City Tool Works is unveiling a line of machinery later this year that will use granite – let me repeat that – granite as a key component. Steel City’s new hybrid 10" table saw will sport a 150-pound black granite top that is flat across its width (measured diagonally) by .001" to .002" at most. This top will never warp and never rust. It will add extra weight to reduce vibration. And it looks incredible. We’re not talking about a piece of granite like you would find in a kitchen countertop that’s about 3/4" thick. This top is 50 mm thick (about 2"). In addition to this granite top, this new hybrid saw will feature a European-style riving knife and guard (hurrah!), a trunnion system that adds many extra pounds of cast iron mass and an improved fence system that glides over the tabletop. Once you get over the shock of a granite-topped table saw, you’re probably thinking it’s going to be expensive. Nope. The base-model table saw with a granite top will come with 30"-long rails and a 1-3/4hp motor for $1,049 after a rebate is applied. (You also can get the saw with a cast-iron top for $999 after rebate, but for $50 the granite is the hot ticket.) Steel City plans to release the granite-topped table saw in November or December, according to company officials.  The underside of the granite-topped band saw.
In addition to adding the granite to the top of the hybrid table saw, Steel City is also putting the granite top on its new 14" band saw (other band saws from Steel City will follow suit), and a 6" jointer and 8" jointer.  Scott Box tests a granite jointer fence with a straightedge.
But the granite on the jointers won’t be on the tops of the machines. It’s going to be the fence. I personally don’t think I’ve ever used or owned a jointer that had fence that was free from twist or bow. We put a straightedge all over the fence on the 8" granite-fenced jointer and that thing is flatter than any fence I’ve encountered. That granite fence is a huge upgrade for accuracy with jointers. The granite on the band saw and jointer should be available in the late fall, possibly as early as October. The Idea for Granite When senior editors Glen D. Huey and Robert W. Lang and I first saw the granite machines we were skeptical of the idea. It seemed like it might be fragile. But then we actually saw it. Now we want one. So how did the company officials come up with the idea for granite? Scott Box, one of the founders of Steel City Tool Works, says it all started over a couple beers while the American and Chinese officials of the company were in the city of Quindao, where Steel City has a factory. The surrounding Shandong province is known for its granite quarries, so the raw materials and skilled labor were right there. “We’ve always been fighting cast iron,” says Box, who has worked his entire life in the woodworking machinery business. “It warps on its own. When you cut it, it’s like wood. You never know which way it’s going to go.” When the idea of a granite-topped machine came up, it seemed like a lark. But the more they talked about it, the more it seemed like a good idea. So they picked out some black granite from a nearby mountain (about an hour away from the company’s factory) and started investigating. The granite can be machined like cast iron on CNC machines, but it doesn’t move when you mill it. “Cast iron we stress-relieve for six months,” Box says. “These tops have been stress relieved for 150 million years.” There are some minor differences in a granite top. You cannot tap it. So there are special stainless steel insets epoxied into the rock. The wing of the table saw weighs about 50 pounds so there is additional bracing below (and a micro-adjust system). And the T-slot for the miter gauge is more like a dovetailed way – with a slightly different design for the bar that keeps the gauge from tipping (though the bar is still a true 3/4" x 3/8"). We’re impressed. We think you will be, too. Steel City Tool Works impressed us last year with its new offerings of tools, and this innovation proves that the company is moving fast. — Christopher Schwarz 
Grizzly and Jet Introduce New European-style Machines In the latter category is some of the European woodworking machinery. We have always admired some of the features of the European machines (such as riving knives and integrated sliding crosscutting tables) but the machines had difficulty competing in North America because the price was higher and the way the machines worked was unfamiliar to the New World consumer.
These new machines are similar to their European counterparts, but they have some differences, both in the functions and the price (about half the price of comparable European machines). After looking closely at the Jet and Grizzly machines, we also took a look at the European versions from Rojek, Felder, Mini Max and Hammer. So we have a fair snapshot of the market. Let’s first look at the Jet JJP-12. The Jet Planer-Jointer Combo Machine Like every jointer-planer machine we examined, you have to drop the planer’s bed several inches to convert it to a jointer. Then you have to raise it back up to convert it back to planing. The bed has to travel about 5", so that’s a lot of wheel spinning (the high-end Felder machine had a built-in motor to do this work for you). The JJP-12 comes with a 3hp motor that drives a three-knife cutterhead at 5,500 rpm to produce 16,500 cuts per minute. The bed length is about 54" – plenty long for furniture work. We really like the guard on this machine, which is similar to the guard on the European machines. The guard covers the cutter head at all times while the stock passes beneath. It would be difficult to stick your hand into the cutter head with this guard. The machine should be available in October. Also like the Jet, you have to move the planer’s bed a significant amount during the change-over to the other machine. With the Grizzly, you also have to remove the fence. It slides off of a dovetailed key. While this is an added step compared to the Jet, Felder and Hammer machines, the Grizzly fence is very nice. It rivals and even surpasses the European ones in the way it adjusts. As we looked over these machines, senior editors Robert W. Lang and Glen D. Huey and I all debated the pros and cons of these machines in general. Me, I’m convinced that it would work well in my shop. I’d love to have a 12" jointer and would put up with the slight hassle of the changeover in a minute. Plus, space is a huge premium in my shop. If I could combine those two machines, that would actually reduce the amount of time I spend wheeling my planer all around. Glen wasn’t so sure. He said he’d be cursing as he raised and lowered the bed of the planer during the changeover. And Bob seemed on the fence. He said they’d be fine as long as you kept your workflow organized. So should we test these machines? I think so. Let us know what you think. SawStop Update: A Contractor’s Saw is Imminent  The SawStop booth is always a popular one at AWFS. Since the electronic braking technology was unveiled back in 1999, the hourly hot dog nicking demos always draw a crowd. This year was no different. We’d all seen the saw before, and had one in our shop for several months of hands on testing when they first became available two years ago (our full review appeared in the October 2005 issue, as well as our special publication, The Essential Guide to Table Saws). What we were anxious to learn was when the long-awaited contractor’s saw would be available, and what new products were in the works. We had also heard that prices would be rising on current models, and wanted to get the real story. A company representative assured us that the contractor’s saw would be available this year. We put ourselves in line for the first shipment, which will be beta tested. We may see it this fall, possibly as early as October or November. The price of the saw will be about $1,500, making it the most expensive contractor’s saw on the American market. The expense of the company’s flagship cabinet saw has been a stumbling point for many who want the peace of mind of the braking system. When the contractor’s saw finally arrives, SawStop technology will be in closer financial reach, but that’s a lot of money for a basic table saw. Price increases for the cabinet saw will only be applied to the 5hp and 7hp models, not the 3hp single phase model. The more powerful machines will be about $100 higher, reflecting higher manufacturing costs for the bigger motors. New products are in the works, and the rep we spoke to told us that this time next year we should be seeing the electronic feedback and braking system on a hybrid table saw, a band saw, and a jointer. The cabinet saw has become a hot item, and not just in hobbyists shops. Many schools and commercial enterprises have switched over to gain the benefits of peace of mind and lower insurance rates. We’ll see how the market reacts as these new machines become available. Keep your eye on Popular Woodworking to bring you the latest news on this approach to saw safety. Tomorrow, I’ll be writing about another approach to saw safety that we’re seeing a lot of at this year’s show. Stay tuned. — Robert W. Lang Freud’s Quadra-Cut Router Bits Cut Twice as Good  When talking about edge profile cuts with the router, the phrase “cut the end grain first” should be on the tip of your tongue. You have undoubtedly heard this adage. If you’ve used a router to any extent you have seen the consequence of not following this rule or you surely understand why this rule is so important. The grain on the ends of boards behaves differently from the long grain. Long grain is cut with the fibers and end grain is cut across the fibers of the wood. Cutting across the grain leaves the possibility of a frayed edge.To combat the problem, some woodworkers try to run the cut very slow so tear-out doesn’t rear its head. This preemptive strike helps, but it also creates another problem – burning. If this happens you have to sand to remove the burn mark and that alters the profile. You can try climb-cutting the end grain to eliminate tear-out. Sometimes it works, most times it doesn’t. Don’t automatically think it’s operator error. I’m willing to guess it has as much to do with the router bit, as it does with your technique. Freud, an industry leader in creating saw blades and router bits for more than 50 years, decided to dig into the design of the router bits. What they saw lead them to develop their newest line of bits – the patented Quadra-Cut Router Bits. To begin, Freud offers these bits with 1/2" shanks and only in select profiles. According to Cliff Paddock, director of new product development, “The new Quadra-Cut bits are an industry first, soon to be the industry leader.” Most router bits used in woodworking have two cutting edges. This has been the industry standard for years. The Quadra-Cut bits employ four cutting edges to produce a clean finish for routing edges in hardwood or softwood. These four edges are not all the same profile. There are two sets of matching edges. The new bits spawned from the patented 2 + 2 design that Freud used in earlier router bits for raised panel cutters. Here’s what makes these router bits different. Two of the carbide cutters have an upshear angle to remove most of the material while the second pair of cutters has a downshear cut to produce the ultra clean edge. The downshear portion of the bits is not the complete profile of the cutter. On the roundover or bead-forming bit that was demonstrated, the downshear cut was the top of the bit, the area that forms the reveal. But, if that cutting area stopped there and the next cutting profile began, you might see a line of demarcation. So, Freud continued the downshear profile into that of the upshear profile. Bang. No demarcation and a super-smooth cuts are achieved. These bits are from Freud so you can expect hi-density carbide to maximize cutting life, the permanent non-stick red coating, and a design that reduces the effects of kickback or overfeeding. What about price? The Quadra-Cut bits are expected to be around 10 percent higher in costs than the current two-cutting edge designs. To us that’s a bargain. So, hold off any purchase until the Quadra-Cut router bits hit your woodworking supply store. The results will be well worth the delay. — Glen D. Huey General Wants to Light Up Your Drill Press  Here’s the problem: I have a drill press that I really like. But I bought it before the modern era of laser this and laser that. Now that I’ve used several drill presses with lasers, I like those as well (curse this job), but I don’t want to get rid of my reliable drill press.As we were touring the General International booth on Wednesday, company officials were lamenting the fact that an entire truckload of their tools bound for Las Vegas had been stolen (you might be able to read that on the company’s web site next week – it’s a crazy story). Anyway, they were telling us this story by the drill presses and one of them had a little black collar attached to the post that caught our eye. This little collar mounts to the post of any drill press and gives you laser accuracy. The lasers are fully adjustable (it’s easy). I want one. While they aren’t ready yet, General officials are working on them (we're told that Steel City Tool Works already has a similar model – I'll have to check that out). The price of the General? About $100 was a guess by the General official. Stay tuned. — Christopher Schwarz  Get a Grip on Sheet Goods With a Gorilla I’ve had to lug plywood, drywall and, God help me, melamine around the shop on a number of occasions. A job like that won’t be nearly as hard using the new Gorilla Grippers. And you don’t need to bend to the floor and hoist the sheet onto your toe anymore. This tool is ideal for lifting and carrying materials that are unwieldy and heavy, from 3/8" to 1-1/8" in thickness. Here’s how they work. Slip the tool over the top edge of any sheetgood or other stock, located near the middle for balancing purposes, and lift the handle. Bend at the knees (that’s what saves the back). As you begin to lift, the two grippy plates of the tool, made from T6 aluminum, close tight on the material, proportional to weight force. All that’s left is to straighten your legs, and the material is mobile. At $50, if you move sheet goods in your shop, you’ll want this tool. For more information go to gorillagripper.com or woodline.com. — Glen D. Huey  Improved Digital Calipers – Introducing the Snap Gauge One night have your friends all measure the same board with your calipers. Better yet, let them use their own calipers because every woodworker has some variation of the tool. See what different measurements arise. We all get varied readings because we hold the tool differently. Carter Products, the company that improved our band saw guide bearings, has taken the digital caliper to the next level with the Snap Gauge. The Snap Gauge, so called because it’s spring-loaded, is better and easier to use due to the large flat disc pads on the caliper’s anvil. The pads make better contact with the wood, allowing for accurate measurements. The 1" x 1" model, priced at a puny $95, has measuring range of 1" and resolution equal to .0005" or .01mm. It’s also pocket-sized at 2" x 5-1/2". Different models (2 x 2", 3 x 2" and 2 x 4") are available to fit the job you have in mind. These larger sizes are priced from $130 to $185 depending on the size. The 2" x 4" model has a deep 4" throat for getting into the raised panels area of doors. For more information visit carterproducts.com. — Glen D. Huey Sit and Spin: New Oneway Lathe Lets the User Sit Innovations come more often from asking the right question than knowing the right answer. What can a tool manufacturer do to offer relief to woodworkers who can’t be on their feet for an extended length of time? Rather than ask, “What do they expect us to do?” Canadian lathe manufacturer Oneway asked, “Why don’t we make a lathe that lets the turner sit down?”  Actually it was customers who asked, and the company responded with a new machine that will change the way many people work, and open the door to turning for others who cannot use a traditional lathe. Making its debut at this year’s AWFS show is the new Oneway 1236SD lathe, which features a patent-pending tilting bed. The lathe can be operated conventionally with the turner standing, but a flip of a lever rotates the entire bed, motor and drive system down to the user, making it possible to operate the lathe while seated.This tilting action not only lowers the bed, it puts it in a position with free space below it. This free space provides legroom for sitting on a stool or chair. Turners with back and leg issues, and even those in wheelchairs can now enjoy “round” woodworking from a comfortable seated position. Most other features in this machine are shared with existing Oneway models, known to turners as the benchmark for high-quality wood lathes. With a 12-1/2" swing and 36" between centers, this is a heavy machine. A 1hp constant-torque motor is reversible and is equipped with variable-speed control and a two-step pulley system. The ranges of speed are 0-2,000 rpm and 0-4,000 rpm, The motor control box can be mounted in a number of positions, keeping it within reach when standing or sitting. The cast iron tailstock has 3" of quill travel and a 3" face plate; a live center and safe driver center are included with the lathe as well as a 9" and 6" tool rest. The 1236SD is manufactured in Canada, and is scheduled to be available in September. The manufacturer’s retail price is $2,995 (in U.S. dollars). This is slightly higher than conventional Oneway lathes, but reasonable considering the added function and versatility. Oneway owners I’ve talked to have all agreed that the machines are well worth the money. For those facing reducing their time spent turning, or giving it up entirely due to a physical problem, the cost will seem like a bargain. I have been impressed with the Oneway lathe we have in the Popular Woodworking shop in Cincinnati. I don’t turn for turning’s sake, but when I need something round, I always step away from our lathe admiring the way that every feature of the machine has been designed in a thoughtful way, and made to the highest possible standards. I like the creative idea behind this lathe, and have no doubt it will be impressive in person. I plan on visiting the Oneway booth as soon as my feet get tired. — Robert W. Lang Grex Pushes the Limits of 23-gauge Pinners With a 2"-long Fastener Ever since Grex entered the market in 2000 with its first 23-gauge pinner, this small but feisty company has pushed the boundaries of what can be done with this useful pneumatic tool. Every few years, Grex releases a pinner that can shoot fasteners that are longer than the competition, and every time Grex does this, we say: “OK, they’re done. That’s as long as you can go.”
We’re going to be eager to get one of these tools in our shop to test. We’re fond of pinners because they save you headaches when installing moulding and face frames. Unlike with an 18-gauge nail, the divot left by a 23-gauge pin isn’t worth filling with putty. It looks like a tiny freckle on your project. When we tested the 1-3/4" pinner from Grex, it performed like a champ in straight-grained mild woods and in plywood, even with the longest fastener. But when pinning through or into woods with varying densities (highly figured woods, for example), the narrow pins would sometimes deflect off course. While this can happen with virtually any fastener (even nails driven by a hammer), it’s far more common with the skinny 23-gauge pins. And it’s a problem that is exacerbated with really long pins. So it’s going to be interesting to see how the 2"-long pin will do when it faces hardwoods and knots. Though we’re a bit skeptical, we also know that the Grex people know their stuff. The key officers of the company were former employees of Senco, the company that created the market for pneumatic nailers. And why would you need 2"-long pins? Attaching face frames to plywood cabinets would be an ideal application. The mild core of the plywood would be unlikely to send the pin too far off course. The early press materials didn’t reveal the price of the P650, but if it’s like the other Grex guns, it will be a fair price for a quality pinner. — Christopher Schwarz  Popular Woodworking Visits the Student Furniture Show This is probably inappropriate. But whenever we get to visit a furniture show of stuff made by students, we pick our favorites, even if our picks disagree with the “official” picks (which are announced Thursday evening).  Student work is a mixed bag. Some of it will make you want to throw away your tools in frustration because the kids have already eclipsed you. Other student work will make you hope that the project was completed before they learned about finishing or wood movement.This year, we saw a lot of really good student work (some of it from the high school kids). Here are our three favorites: Down the Drain by Phil Hull, a student at Appalachian State University There’s something about a wooden sink that is quite appealing. It seems impractical on one hand compared to ceramics. But no more so than the ridiculous glass bowls that pass for sinks today. Down the Drain is made from walnut blocks laminated together. We particularly liked the sculptural base and the way the sapwood was incorporated into the project. This might not be a permanent project in your home, but it is one that will leave a permanent impression. Don’t Be Scared by Jake Grieve, a student at David Douglas High School in Portland, Ore.  This Ruhlmann-style cabinet (right) is stunning in person. The veneers are well-matched up the entire front of the piece. The inlay is tight, and the overall proportions of the piece are quite pleasing. We all liked this project quite a bit, and were most impressed by the fact that this is a high-school student. And to take on a Ruhlmann piece so early in life is a mark of good taste in historical furniture – it takes many people years to build up the courage to build a piece such as this.The Goose: Philadelphia Secretary by Chris Hedges, a student at University of Rio Grande This secretary (shown at the top of the article) is darn-near flawless. We stood there for about 10 minutes looking the thing over for flaws in design, construction or finish. As we were pondering the piece, someone asked if we had any questions about it. The person who asked us that was the builder himself. Hedges is a former sociology professor from Ohio University who quit to learn furniture making at the University of Rio Grande. While a student, he spent three months researching case pieces and designing the project, and spent seven months building it. This secretary is packed with all the traditional details and all are well-executed, from the carved shells (nicely toned during finishing) to the dovetailed drawers and hidden compartments throughout. Hedges has left Rio Grande and is moving to Tennessee where his wife has a new job. He says he wants to start building furniture professionally just as soon as he feels he knows enough. We think he’s got the technical skills right now. (Can’t speak to the business skills.) Hedges is our favorite for Best of Show – but who knows what will happen? — Christopher Schwarz Off the Strip: Hitachi Releases a Line of Benchtop Tools Whenever you go to a trade show such as AWFS or IWF (the International Woodworking Fair), there are always some manufacturers who aren’t exhibiting in a booth, but they are lurking in the shadows with press releases and sometimes even tools to show you.
This year there are several manufacturers who will be showing us stuff on the sly – in hotel rooms and restaurants throughout Las Vegas. Right now we’re sworn to secrecy as to what we’ll be seeing, but you’ll be the first to know about it through our newsletter and this special page devoted to our coverage this week (popularwoodworking.com/awfs – you're on it now). Meanwhile, here’s a look at four new benchtop machines that Hitachi is introducing at the same time the show is running. Hitachi doesn’t have a booth at AWFS (at least as far as I know), but that’s no surprise. During IWF in Atlanta last year, we were ushered into a hotel room to see the company’s new lithium-ion tools and compressors. Hitachi tools are available at Lowe’s. Some (if not all) are already available there, according to our tool reviewer, Senior Editor Glen D. Huey. The most unusual tool out from Hitachi is a 10" tilting-head band saw, the CB6Y (similar to the one Craftsman used to sell). Instead of tilting the table of the saw to make an angled cut, you tilt the head – it’s a bit like a Porta-Band saw. The advantage of the tilting head is you always keep your work flat on the table without any danger of the works sliding unintentionally. I’ll be interested to see the mechanism – the press release says the saw tilts from 90° to 45°. If it doesn’t tilt forward by several degrees (a common feature on band saws), it’s not going to be useful for cutting dovetail pins. Other specs: a two-speed motor (1,725 and 3,600 rpm), cast-iron base, maximum cut of 5" under the guides at 90°, maximum blade width is 3/8". The suggested retail is about $200. Also being released: A 10" benchtop drill press with a laser-guided chuck. The B13F is a five-speed model with a 1/3hp induction motor and a 1/2" chuck. The suggested retail is about $150. There’s also a belt-disc sander, the SB10Y, for $150 and a 16" variable speed scroll saw for $170, the CW40. — Christopher Schwarz  A Better Way to Drive Pocket Screws Any tool that makes workholding easier gets my undivided attention because few things waste as much of my time in the workshop as figuring out how to hold something to work on it. So as we strolled by the Kreg Tools booth today at AWFS, I stopped in my tracks when I saw the Kreg Klamp Table sitting at one corner of the booth. I actually had seen an earlier version of the new clamping hardware from Kreg at Atlanta’s International Woodworking Fair in 2006, but those versions weren’t ready for prime time. These are. Here’s how the stuff works: There are two giant pieces of aluminum T-track that run along two edges of the table and meet at one corner. You can slide two jigs onto the tracks. One is a simple plastic stop – a bit like a plastic bench dog with a head that has a bit of a wedge shape. The other hardware is a modified locking pliers (they call it a Kreg Bench Klamp) that slide anywhere on the track. When you squeeze the handle it brings a pad down onto your work and secures it. It’s a bit like an old-school holdfast that can slide along the edge of a bench. The only downside to the clamp is adjusting the clamp for different thicknesses. Like all locking pliers, it’s a slow process to screw the tension to the right place. Kreg officials say they are working on a way to make these clamps fast-acting. That would be cool. These two jigs are used to assemble frames as you drive in your pockets screws at assembly time. So first you drill all your pockets using your Kreg jig. Then you place the pieces on the table and push them against the little stops, which positions them at perfect 90° to each other and braces them as you clamp them down with the locking pliers. Then you drive your screws. The system works very well, and if I had this system I would immediately start using it for other things. The pliers can hold pieces for chopping out dovetail waste. The stops can be used for bracing your work while planing. And you don’t need to buy the whole table. You can buy the hardware a la carte and retrofit it to your workbench, or build your own custom assembly table. All this hardware is going to be available on Aug. 1. You can spend several hundred dollars to buy a purpose-built table. Or you can buy just the hardware (the aluminum track, clamps and stops) separately. Check it out on Kreg’s web site. — Christopher Schwarz |
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At this week’s AWFS show, we were shocked to see two major U.S. machinery companies – Grizzly Industrial and Jet – introduce European-style jointer-planer combination machines. (Grizzly also had some other European-style machinery, but you’ll have to wait until tomorrow to see that.)
Other than that, switching between machines was simple. It’s just a few knobs and levers and takes about as long to switch between a rip blade and a crosscut blade on a table saw.
The guard on this machine is the classic pork chop-shaped guard on jointers. 
This year Grex is releasing the P650, which can fire 23-gauge pins as short as 3/8" all the way up to (are you ready?) 2" long. That’s 1/4" longer than pins fired by the Grex P645, which was the surprise tool from the company in 2006.
In the most famous and outlandish example in recent times, when Home Depot officials unveiled its line of Ridgid power tools and machinery, they didn’t show them off at the Hardware Show in Chicago (which once was the dominant show for woodworking equipment). Instead, Home Depot rented out a hotel and converted a cavernous convention hall into what looked like a Home Depot store, complete with the familiar metal racks. |
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