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At the AWFS Fair in July, I had the wonderful opportunity to get a close look at some extraordinary woodworking exhibits by some very talented students. AWFS sponsors the “Fresh Wood” competition that spotlights outstanding student works being produced at some of the best high school and post-secondary woodworking programs in North America.

I had a chance to chat with one of the exhibitors, Chris Hedges. His furniture project (a high-boy/secretary) was getting a lot of attention. And it should have. Chris won three awards with his project: First Place in the Reproduction category, the People’s Choice award, and Best of Show.

He’s 32 years old originally from the Circleville, Ohio area. He says he’s happily married and has a 3 year old daughter. When not making furniture and spending time with his family, Chris enjoys trap shooting and golfing. Chris says, “Although my wife and I lived in Athens, Ohio for 12 years before relocating to Knoxville, Tennessee. I earned a Masters from Ohio University (I taught sociology for four years after graduating) and then spent two years at University of Rio Grande in the Fine Woodworking program.”

When I asked him how he got started in woodworking, here’s what he said: “I really had no experience with woodworking as a child, other than nailing end grain to make ‘bookshelves’ for my dad. Most of the training I have before starting Rio’s program was theoretical — meaning I read as many books as I could. Although I could take apart a table saw in my head, I didn’t actually touch one until I started at Rio.”

As for the secretary Chris built, as a second year student he was encouraged to build something that was both technically and academically challenging. Having seen a number of similiar secretaries in the DuPont collection at Winterthur, Chris was highly intriqued by their swiss army knife-like nature and thought that building the secretary would truly challenge his acquired skills. “While plans were provided, I felt it would be to my benefit to stray as far from those plans as possible in an effort to distinguish myself from the rest of the pack,” Chris said. 

All in all, the research and production process took nine months, including the creation of scale drawings from photographs, designing the upper case, getting materials, then building the project. Chris used curly quartersawn cherry (from Irion Lumber Company) as the primary wood and madrone burl for the veneer from Certainly Wood. All secondary wood is poplar.

All wood was dimensioned to within 1/32″ of the final dimension with power tools and finished up with hand tools. As for joinery, all dovetails were cut by hand. Mortise and tenons and sliding dovetails were cut using power tools. While most of the work was done at school, a lot of the hand work was done at home, including dovetails, carvings, and turnings. “At the time that I built the desk, all I had at home was a lathe and a bunch of handtools,” Chris stated.

I think Chris has an excellent future as a woodworker based on what I saw. His craftsmanship is excellent and his attention to detail is impeccable.

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

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.