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The flood is starting already. In addition to launching a new web site (www.deltaportercable.com), Porter-Cable today announced the availability of a new plunge base for their 890-series routers. From their press release:  

The plunge base is offered as part of multi-base kits, models 893PK, 894PK and 895PK, as well as an accessory, model 8931. With machined brass brushings and steel guide rods, the upgraded base offers an extremely smooth and durable plunge stroke for greater user control and accuracy. In addition, a through-the-column dust collection system supports efficient dust removal, and yields improved bit and cut-line visibility when used with a durable, clear Lexan® sub-base and dust shroud, which come as standard.

To further enhance precision and ease of operation, the base features a six-position adjustable turret stop for stepped plunge cuts; a single, flat side on the base that allows routing to be done in tighter spaces while also providing a straight reference point; a lever release for quick motor transitions between bases; and rubber overmolded handles for a comfortable grip.

The versatile plunge base, which accommodates the existing 890 series motor, is ideal for a variety of woodworking applications, including general purpose cutting, dado stops, fluting, rabbetting stops, and hinge cutting. The plunge base, model 8931, and multi-base kits, models 893PK, 894PK and 895PK, will be available for purchase in July 2007 for $115, $269, $289 and $289, respectively.

Changes are a comin’. Delta/Porter-Cable announced at a gathering at AWFS last night a major revamping of their product line. Lower-end products are going away. Newer products are on the horizon. The focus will be on quality with an emphasis on a new look and major efforts in industrial design of the products. One example cited was a new Unisaw with both wheel cranks on the front of the saw. It’s a unique concept that should have been done years ago. The new Unisaw will also have upgraded guards and all upgraded internal components. (It was interesting to note that the guard on the prototpye looked suspiciously like the guard on Bosch’s new benchtop saw.)

They announced a “re-branding” of sorts where you will see the Delta/Porter-Cable names together more and more as time goes on. Their design center will remain in Tennessee and they are sourcing major components from U.S. suppliers and not necessarily from Asian suppliers.

Company executives admitted that there have been some bumpy roads for the two brands since their purchase by Black and Decker three years ago. They expect that the dollars and man-hours that have gone into re-engineering their product lines will have benefits for the woodworker and their bottom line with improved sales. They may be facing an uphill battle, but hopefully we’ll see some new, quality innovation in tools. Both brands have a century of reputation in quality and hopefully, they’ll be able to regain that respect.

P.S. — I would have posted photos of some of the tools, but company execs prohibited cameras. Some of the products shown are prototypes and all features shown may not necessarily make it into production models. I can understand and respect that. So stay tuned. As we hear more, we’ll post it here.

UPDATE: See the Press Release from Delta/Porter-Cable here: REVOLUTION Press Release

I finally got a chance to walk part of the AWFS show floor here in Las Vegas and take in some of the new stuff for woodworking.

Makita is coming out with some exciting new “black and white’ cordless tools that will appeal to the home woodworker and do-it-yourselfer. They’re 18v tools with 1.5 amp-hour batteries that will recharge in 15 minutes, according to Wayne Hart, Communications Manager for Makita. To me, these tools look the same as their traditional teal-colored tools. The only difference is the smaller battery size to make them lighter in weight. The larger, higher-capacity 3 amp-hour batteries can also be used on these “black and white” tools. One thing about Makita tools that becomes apparent when you pick them up is their quality. The operation of the cordless drills and impact drivers is smooth. The trigger action is effortless. The combo kit you see pictured here retails for around $329. That’s a bargain, considering the drill alone retails for around $200. This kit includes a flashlight, drill, impact driver, radio, and an “intelligent” battery charger (each battery has a built-in CPU to monitor voltage and prevent over-charging).

Of course, the big buzz on the show floor concerns the “stone-faced” tools from Steel City Tool Works. I spoke at length with Mark Strahler, President of Steel City about his new line of tools with granite tables. The table saw with granite table is based on their hybrid saw. This gets around the problem of mounting the trunnion assembly to the table top as with most contractor saws. The granite tops are really flat…dead flat. So flat in fact, that one of Steel City’s customers requested that Steel City supply them with some granite surfaces to use as reference tables in their machine shop. The other advantage is that they will never rust.

Granite will be available for only a small upgrade charge on their table saws, band saws, and jointers (for the fences). Steel City will guarantee the granite for ten years. It’s an interesting concept that proves that Steel City is thinking “outside the box” when it comes to the design of their tools.

Speaking of thinking outside the box, Mark showed me a pre-production sample of the new Steel City “Dust Collector in a Box.” It is literally small enough to fit inside a small shopping bag. It’s designed for benchtop planers in shops that don’t have a traditional dust collector. It’s a small blower motor and housing that attaches with a flexible rubber connector to your planer. The dust chute exits into a large bag off to the side. The expected retail price will be around $99. Pretty cool.

Perhaps the most interesting thing I’ve seen today is made by Penn United Technologies, manufacturer of Penntek tools. These are the guys that originally produced the Robo-Grip pliers which have been redesigned into the newer MagnumGrip pliers. They also licensed the Versa-Clamp and are producing it. But the most unusual thing they had was a new hammer call the PowerPull. The first thought I had was, “How can you improve on the traditional hammer?” They took a traditional framing hammer and added a pop-up “foot” that provides extra leverage when pulling nails. When retracted, it looks just like a “button” on top of the hammer head. When extended, it gives you several addtional pounds of leverage to pull that stubborn nail. It gets around the problem of having to use a scrap piece of wood for extra leverage. Very unique.

Tonight, I’ve been invited to a “press party” by Porter-Cable. As I said yesterday, they’re going to be announcing some new products. More on that tomorrow.

When they say it’s hot in Vegas, they aren’t kidding. And even though the show floor is air-conditioned, there are some hot new products heating up the arena.

Porter-Cable is set to announce a whole lineup of new tools tomorrow night at a press briefing. I’m going to see if I can sneak in the back door and let you know what I find out.

I got to spend some time at the Rikon Power Tools booth. I met and spoke for a few moments with Erin Riley, president. She said that the company is relatively new (around seven years old) and that Rikon tools have only been around for a little over four years. Steve Mangano, vice president, took some time to show me some of their products. They’ve got some innovative features on their band saws, and I was impressed with their table saw with sliding table. At just under $2,000, I think it’s a bargain with all the features and capabilities. They even have in their product line a couple of radial drill presses. I have an old Rockwell radial drill press that my dad gave me. I think every woodworker should own one. You can read all about their products on the Rikon Power Tools web site.

And Bessey Tools has got a new clamp that’s got my attention. It was originally introduced a few years ago but went away for a redesign and was re-introduced a few months ago. Look for the new DuoKlamp at your Bessey retailer. The product is so new, I couldn’t find it on their web site, but be on the lookout for it.

A chat with John McInerney, VP Sales/Marketing at Amana Tool was worth the time. He say’s they’re redirecting some of their sales efforts to broaden the product line for the home woodworker. Some products that are more used in a production shop have just as much appeal to a hobbyist woodworker. For example, a number of their router bits will be available with replaceable carbide inserts. This has a lot of advantages, according to John. For one, they can use a harder, finer grade of carbide since it wouldn’t be subjected to the heat of brazing it to a steel body. That means a sharper, longer-lasting edge — two other advantages for woodworkers. The initial investment might be a little more, but the costs of replacing the inserts will be considerably less than the cost of a new, traditional-style bit.

Well, I’m off now to see what’s up with the Kreg Tool Company.

Stay tuned for further developments.

I got a treat on Sunday. The Heritage Carousel at Union Park in Des Moines, Iowa was celebrating its tenth anniversary.  As part of the celebration, they invited the original builders of the carousel, The Carousel Works, Inc., to attend and demonstrate their carving and painting skills.  I got to speak with the owner and his wife (Art and Marilyn Ritchie) about their craft.  It so happens that they’re from Mansfield, Ohio, close to where I grew up in Ohio.  He’s been carving for over thirty years.  His wife does some of the painting.

As we stood there chatting, he was using his Pfeil carving tools to smooth out the body shape of a horse figure.  You could tell his tools were very sharp.  He was effortlessly taking thin chips out of the basswood figure.  I asked him how he keeps his tools so sharp.  He uses a buffing wheel to hone the edge as needed.

One of my boys asked him how many times he’s cut himself.  He smiled and pointed to his tool roll you see here on the left.  He includes bandages as part of his tool kit.

As time went on, he commented to passers-by that they’ve got seven full-time carvers on staff at the shop.  He said that the figure he was carving on that day is going to be a training aid for his carvers.  As we were talking, he flipped the figure over to show how he had carved the musculature and rib cage of the horse on one side.  His point is that unless a carver knows the anatomy of a horse, he’s going to have a difficult time carving one.  The detail was fascinating and realistic.

The discussion turned to painting.  He says they use three coats of primer, sanding between coats.  Then the colors are brushed on.  Finally, five coats of clearcoat are applied for durability.

Besides building new carousels using wood figures, The Carousel Works also does restoration of old carousels.  To me, it was refreshing to see that there are still companies out there working hard to keep craftsmanship alive.

Pocket holes are one of the simplest forms of joinery in all of woodworking. All you need is a pocket hole jig to drill the holes and some special pocket hole screws to connect two pieces together. They’re great for avoiding problems with laying out your workpieces and with alignment. Plus, they eliminate the need to clamp up a lot of pieces during glue up. During this week’s podcast, Phil Huber will show you some tricks for using pocket screws and he’ll build a complete patio table using pocket screw joinery.

As usual, all of the links to articles, seminar guides, and products that you’ll see being used during the seminar podcast can be found at the Woodsmith Podcast Store. They include a link to the seminar guide, a couple of great project articles from Woodsmith magazine that feature pocket hole joinery, and several great Kreg Tool Co. products for sale. Be sure to check it out by clicking on this link: Woodsmith Podcast Store

 

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I don’t know about you, but when I have to do some work around the house or somewhere away from the shop, I usually use a five-gallon bucket with a Bucket Boss to transport my tools. I’ve been using that for years and it has worked fairly well.  It’s great for hauling my portable drill, screwdrivers, hammers, chisels, etc.  

Over on WoodNet, Bob Strawn (aka “CedarSlayer”) is showing off his portable “roll-up” tool tote.  He even went so far as to use a home-brew finish on it. 

Here’s what Bob said about the construction of the tote:

All the details are there, and it is a good first work. It gives you a place for tools and most of the materials are inexpensive. The leather strap can be a bit more expensive. I made mine out of pine, brass screws, brass tacks, epoxy, screw posts and horse butt. The horse butt was the most expensive, but then I can strop with the straps. I would advise going to a saddle shop and getting vegetable tan leather for the inner fittings, so that you don’t have too many salts in the leather eating your tools. Getting straps from them or using belts from a resale shop would do well.

As far as the one I made goes, The Hex end on mine has 4″ long sides. The boards are 24″ long and 1/2 thick. The end peices are a touch thicker. The inside straps are 1″ wide, the outside straps are 2″ To avoid near impossible clamping issues, I taped the whole thing together and marked boards and ends. I predrilled the three fixed boards, screw holes, to the end pieces. I used masking tape to avoid a mess with the epoxy, and used a slower set epoxy and brass screws to hold the sides together during gluing.

I wanted a rougher finish than the mirror smooth one that came out of my thickness planer, so I sanded at an angle across the grain with 80 grit, to give the look and feel I wanted. Sort of an old sawmill look. This way dings and scratches add character instead of ruining the appearance.

Click here to read more and see more photos of this handy tool tote.