Tool News and New Tools

MEMORIES OF CHANTILLY

Written on March 14, 2011 at 8:48 pm, by Jim Heavey

The eighteenth weekend of the 2010-2011 Woodworking Show season was held in Virginia and, because it was also my 40^th wedding anniversary, this would be a memorable one for both my wife and I. The nation’s capitol is only about a 40 minute drive from the venue and airport and we would spend the better part of two days there. Read more

Showing Off in New Jersey

Written on February 28, 2011 at 8:50 pm, by Jim Heavey

The Garden State played host to another of the Big 10 Woodworking Shows this last weekend and the town of Somerset, about 30 minutes out of Newark, would provide the setting. This venue has seen some large crowds in the past and it wouldn’t disappoint this time either. Read more

A Brief Summer In Milwaukee

Written on February 22, 2011 at 1:28 pm, by Jim Heavey

The Woodworking Shows traveled to Milwaukee, Wisconsin this last weekend and just a little less than a two hour drive northeast of my home. Hard to believe, though, that I could go from below freezing temps to the tropics in that short a time. Read more

Travel Plans Vs Mother Nature

Written on February 7, 2011 at 12:28 pm, by Jim Heavey

With the roads clear in my rural part of the county a day after the blizzard of 2011, I fully expected the nation’s second busiest airport of O’Hare to be ready for business and a short flight to Columbus. Read more

Almost Christmas In Detroit

Written on December 20, 2010 at 9:41 pm, by Jim Heavey

 

With 2010 quickly drawing to an end, the Woodworking Shows opened in Detroit this last weekend. I flew in to a temperature in the low teens and with snow on the ground but none forecast for our three day stint. Having visited the Ford museum and Motown in previous years, I decided to see a history of the Christmas tree and automobiles at the Walter Chrysler Museum in Auburn Hills before heading to the venue. Read more

General International launches U.S. office, new tools

Written on May 21, 2010 at 5:35 pm, by Bob Hunter

On Day 2 in Tennessee I traveled down I-24 to Murfreesboro, the new home of General International USA. This company is now the sole distributor for all woodworking tools, machinery, and accessories for General Manufacturing and General International. Those brands are still headquartered in Montreal, Canada, but distribution and customer service for the U.S. will now be handled in Tennessee. Heading up this new operation is Scott Box, most recently president of Steel City Toolworks, and formerly with Powermatic and Delta.

For those of you who might not know, General woodworking machines are made in Drummondville, Quebec, not far from Montreal. The General International line of tools is made in Taiwan to General’s specifications. This line features a full complement of stationary and benchtop machines.

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TOOL NEWS: Clear Vue Cyclones out of business

Written on May 3, 2010 at 3:02 pm, by Bob Hunter

As of May 1, Clear Vue Cyclones, makers of the see-through two-stage dust collectors, closed its doors and will no longer sell new dust-collection equipment. According to an annoucement on the company’s Web site, Clear Vue will fill existing orders and continue to support previously sold units for an unspecified length of time.

THIS IS ROCKET SCIENCE

Written on April 26, 2010 at 3:04 pm, by Jim Heavey

The last week of the current Woodworking Show season took me to the capitol of all that is space exploration, Huntsville, Alabama. The drive in from the airport would pass within sight of Space Camp and be too much of an enticement to pass up. Read more

TOOL NEWS: Freud launches new woodworking blades

Written on April 21, 2010 at 10:37 am, by Bob Hunter

Freud has launched several new saw blades for woodworking, further increasing its arsenal of fine woodworking cutting tools. First is a new thin-kerf version of Freud’s acclaimed Premier Fusion 40-tooth general-purpose blade—one of the Top Tool blades in WOOD magazine’s review of 40-tooth blades in 2008. This new model, #P140T, features the same tooth design of the full-kerf blade—30° alternate-top teeth bevels, 18° hook angle, and double-side grind—but with a kerf thickness of only .091”, as well as the red Perma-Shield coating on the body.

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Getting—and giving—the inside scoop for Craftsman tools

Written on April 13, 2010 at 5:31 pm, by Bob Hunter

I just got back from Sears headquarters in Chicago, where I served as an “outside voice” for an in-depth symposium on Craftsman tools and products. As the Tools Editor of the world’s largest woodworking magazine, I shared my experiences from tool tests and general everyday use of Craftsman tools, as well as discussed trends in tools and woodworking and where the future might take us. It was an interesting twist, because I’m typically the journalist interviewing tool-makers and reporting on their newest product launches. But this time I was on a five-person panel of experts sitting in front of a roomful of Craftsman representatives who asked the questions. It was a spirited discussion, very enlightening for the content as well as the experience of being on the “other side.” My hope is that this experience will eventually result in Craftsman producing products and tools that will help woodworkers, homeowners, DIYers, and anyone who takes a notion to be better at what they do.

Earlier in the day I got to see some of the newest tools that will soon launch, but by agreeing to keep it all confidential I’m not allowed to show photos or give specifics. The Craftsman leaders also revealed some new concepts they’re playing with for tools and products. Some of them are pretty cool, others not so much. But I give them a ton of credit for constantly striving to create innovative, unique products that can be brought to market at affordable prices. I also got a tour of Craftsman’s testing lab, where they put tools through rigorous tests to substantiate claims (or sometimes debunk them) and determine their lifespan. Always on the lookout for testing methods I can incorporate into our own tool reviews at WOOD magazine, I managed to pick up some ideas based on what I saw. As new Craftsman products come to market, I’ll keep you all posted through my blog, our newsletter, and our magazine.