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A couple of new items from the Steel City line, Todd Damon, David Campagna & Lucas Chang
The folks over at Steel City Tool Works (SCTW) have teamed up with Columbus, Ohio woodworking icon WoodWerks’ Todd Damon to revitalize and energize their line of tools. I spoke with the managing partners (David Campagna & Damon) and president of SCTW (Lucas Chang) about the formation of the Axiom Tool Group (ATG) and what it means to the woodworking world. ATG is setting the pace and direction of both SCTW and the newly formed Axion Precision, a company focused on precision woodworking technology (CNC and so much more).
ATG has pared down the SCTW line to just 21 tools that are improved and can be delivered to customers quickly (something that SCTW has had trouble doing in the past). But changing the look of the tools and how quickly you can get them in your shop is only part of the changes to the line. There’s some real innovation taking place at SCTW.
One of the newest items introduced is a drill press. “What’s so special about a drill press?” you ask. Not only does this drill press have greater capacity than most others on the market, but it has a new, patented, table just for woodworkers. This is a product I’ve been waiting 35 years for. The table not only tilts left and right but can also tilt up and down; making compound angles a snap to drill. I’m promised one of the first models arriving in the States in the next couple of weeks. Once I get it in my hands (or more accurately the PopWood shop) you’ll get a much deeper look at why I think this workshop standard has been forever changed by Steel City.
There’s lots more to come from the International Woodworking Fair in Atlanta, GA. Stay tuned!
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Chuck, I have had my Shop Fox W1670 for 8 or 9 years, while it’s table only tilts left and right, the entire head is radial, and not only moves along it’s top shaft, but will spin around it as well, so doing compound drilling is no chore at all. I can also put the head down flat, and make it a horizontal boring machine, really handy. Some own a ShopSmith just for that function, and with a MK V that task has severe limitations that I don;t have to suffer through. Today it can be purchased at Amazon Supply for $414.00 Free S&H. It brings new meaning to, all that and a bag of chips
http://www.amazonsupply.com/w1670-2-horsepower-floor-radial-drill/dp/B001R23SOU
Woodworking, isn’t it always about how best to skin that cat 🙂
Guys, really, forget about Delta, the company today is not the company you have known in the past. Other than vintage Delta, Powermatic is about the only game in town now unless SCTW can rise up (and I hope vey much that they do).
I never knew that about the Delta. Now if it only had variable speed.
Chuck, maybe I misunderstand, but my Delta 18-900L has a 14×20 inch table and tilts forward and sideways. It doesn’t come with a tee-track table at the SCTW seems to have. I’ve had it for three years, so it isn’t exactly new. It sells for under $1,000. AFAIK Powermatic does not yet have a drill with a dual axis table.
So maybe ‘forever changed’ needs a bit more explanation, or perhaps you just didn’t know about Delta’s offering?
Mark