Our report from the 2008 IWF, Part I.
The IWF, or more accurately, the International Woodworking Machinery and Furniture Supply Fair was held in Atlanta two weeks ago and Tools of the Trade was there. We got a look at the latest and greatest from a large range of tool manufacturers, many of whom only travel to the US once a year to exhibit at such a large show. It is always amazing to see the high end European cabinet and furniture shop machinery that takes a log in one end and rolls a finished cabinet out of the other end, well almost anyway. Seriously though, lasers, robotics, and CNC cutters of all types are prevalent in much of the specialized production woodworking equipment.
Besides ever-increasing automation, another interesting trend is the recovery of wood waste. To combat high energy costs and to avoid landfilling a recyclable material, machinery is available to shred scrap wood and press it into clean-burning fuel pellets. And flexible fuel furnaces are available that can burn a variety of unprepared wood waste or other biomass, and can generate steam from the waste as well as heat. It's nice when an industry at large makes an effort to reduce its waste-especially when they can create energy from it. And realizing ways to make it profitable for wood product manufacturers both large and small makes it more likely to be embraced.
As for the tools we are more familiar with, there was still plenty to see at the IWF. Some brief highlights of the machinery:
Steel City has expanded their use of granite in woodworking tools so much that I think they'll change their name to Stone City soon. In addition to last year's table and band saw tops and jointer fences, granite is also being used in band saw drive wheels and as the bed (ways) of a new lathe. Six- and eight-inch jointer beds are now in granite too. Other innovations include the first portable thickness planer with a replaceable insert cutterhead, and a new-tech, pulsed motor drive lathe for the smoothest running and greater low speed torque.
Saw Stop had their third saw model in the booth this year. This hybrid cabinet saw will fill the market between their full sized cabinet saw and their newer contractor saw at a price right between the two.
The Hain Company was taking orders for the finalized version of their FMEA portable motorized miter saw stop system. We have been big fans of this tool since we first laid eyes on it last year and we can't wait to get our hands on one to test when they ship late this year.
Jet made design improvements to increase the stiffness of their largest bandsaws and added quick-tensioning levers too. Their newest 14-inch bandsaw has a taller frame to increase cutting capacity without the use of riser blocks. Also new are a woodworking drill press and a unique oscillating thicknessing sander that provides optional side-to-side movement of the drum to provide cooler sanding and more versatile results.
General had a few interesting tools to premiere including a flatbed CNC router setup and a CNC wood lathe. They also have a unique adjustable-height bandsaw that will fit a variety of blade sizes and an adjustable radial drill press with a head that slides front to back, pivots left to right, and drills at angles to the right and left of 90-degrees. They are also offering chrome-plated table saw tops to prevent rust and reduce feed friction.
Grizzly has been working on perfecting insert-style cutting heads for jointers and planers, and their newest design is somewhat of a surprise. The benefit of having a series of small cutters on a rotating cutterhead is that it is easier to change out a nicked section, and all four sides of each cutter can be used before any sharpening is necessary, unlike a full length knife cutterhead. The latest development leaves spaces between the sides of the cutters for less cutting surface area overall. This allows for better chip clearance, and less noise and vibration. Grizzly also showed off a new electric brake feature on one of their largest bandsaws that stops the blade in less than three seconds when the machine is turned off.
Powermatic has a shop air cleaner that can be set to run for eight hours after you leave the shop that is activated with a radio frequency remote that does not need a line-of-sight aim to work. And for the lovers of big bandsaws (we know who we are), Powermatic revealed their no-expense-spared, ultimate 18-inch saw after three years of development. Standing in awe in the presence of this five-horsepower monster, you now knew your shop was not complete. Oversized wheels give this saw full 18-inch cut capacity in both height and width, unlike many other 18-inch saws. And from separately adjustable bearing guides, to dual dust collection ports, to a brake pedal that also cuts power to the motor, it has all the premium features you want.
Delta had really big news with the launch of their newly remodeled Unisaw that will be available in 2009. We saw a shadowy prototype of it at a show one year ago, but now it is the real deal. Improvements include dual front adjustment cranks, a huge bevel angle gauge with fine adjustment accuracy, and the new modular guard system to meet UL's new standard coming for 2010. One of the biggest announcements that drew loud applause from the crowd was that this machine will be made entirely in the USA. Even the cast iron top and electric motor will be sourced domestically. So even as much as I love a big bandsaw, with the excitement surrounding the new Unisaw, I have to give it my Coolest Thing at the Show award.
Michael Springer
