Cleaf Presents Piombo

A new matte surface is joining Cleaf's Hyper Materials collection, and it shares one characteristic with the metal from which it takes its name (symbol Pb, atomic number 82) - it is completely matte. Acrylic resins, applied with electron beam curing, mean that Piombo reflects very little light while making it resist fingerprints, feel soft to the touch, and remain highly resistant to scratches. Piombo is available in faced panels, laminate and edging. The Calvi Brambilla studio has created an installation at Cleaf's corporate showroom in Lissone, Italy, to showcase its potential. A series of screens, inspired by Bruno Munari's Sculture da Viaggio and the Spanish sculptor Eduardo Chillida, invites the visitor to explore this innovative product. The display features an eccentric arrangement of slotted planes, each with two or three doors where one side is mirrored and decorated with a molecule motif recalling the chemical element which gives the product its name.

Hello, Sailor!

Like SATA's special edition spray guns of previous years, this year's contest winning design is a limited production model that will be available on November 07 from SATA dealers, at least while stock lasts. The SATAjet 5000 B Sailor was created as an entry for the company's 2016 design contest by Connie Manjavinos from Colorado, and the imaginative design came in second. Inspired by classic pin-up motifs and traditional tattoos, the colorful spray gun was developed in co-operation with graphic designer Bryson Kinslow. It is a fully functional gun that is suitable for daily use in the paint shop, and it is available in all the currently available configurations of the SATAjet 5000 B spray gun series. Those configurations include the option of HVLP and RP (reduced pressure) technology in both non-digital and digital (a readout on the handle) formats, as well as with a selection of RPS disposable cups (rapid prep system, which comes in three sizes) or with a QCC (quick cup connector) reusable 0.6 litre plastic cup.

New Small Parts Vise

Reno, Nevada based PanaVise has introduced a smaller version of its popular Vise buddy. The new product, the Vise Buddy Jr (model# 207) is designed totransform a bench vise into a precision instrument. It can be used with a traditional cast iron bench vise, and it does the detailed, delicate jobs that a bench vise can't. Through-holes allow it to be mounted to a pegboard for storage and quick access. The small vise (2" tall and 1" wide jaws) will hold work gently but securely, and can be positioned exactly where it's needed. A single, easy-to-use knob controls the head movement through three planes - 210 degree tilt, 360 degree turn and 360 degree rotation. There's a fine/coarse adjusting knob to control the jaw pressure for delicate work, and the grooved, reinforced thermal composite plastic jaws are excellent for holding small objects. The Vise buddy Jr can tolerate continuous heat to 350F (177C) and opens to 2.875".

New York Abrasives Company is on the Cutting Edge

Uneeda Enterprises Inc. of Spring Valley, New York supplies high quality coated abrasives to woodshops. The company's new AKF abrasive belts with Rombex® technology won a Visionary Award at AWFS 2017. The new belts have a unique rhomboidal coated pattern that was patented by the Italian manufacturer Levorato Abrasives. It allows increased dust extraction while dispersing heat from friction more evenly and efficiently. Uneeda's AKF belts "deliver a longer lifespan compared to conventional abrasives, which translates into longer machining time and fewer line stops to replace worn materials". That longevity also makes them one of the most cost-effective and environmental friendly options available. The company also recently introduced EKAMESH open mesh abrasive discs, which offer a unique net pattern that is designed to improve sanding performance and deliver a smoother finish and a dust-free environment. It comes in fine, regular and aggressive grades.

From Forest To Furniture

On September 24th, woodworkers Thomas Latane and Derek Olson demonstrate medieval woodworking at the Castlerock Museum in Alma, Wisconsin as they recreate a Viking Era stool. "For the past few years," Olson says, "Tom and I have partnered up in a presentation called Forest To Furniture where we show the process of taking logs and producing furniture from the rough parts. In the past we've tackled general techniques, joined stools and a couple of small corner shelves that are used in the museum. This year, we are working on a three legged staked stool based on patterns found in numerous Viking Age archaeological digs." The museum, a two story castle with crenellated walls, focuses on the development and evolution of arms and armor through the ages. Located about 85 miles southeast of Minneapolis-St. Paul on the Mississippi River, it is a series of chronologically arranged displays, each focusing on a different civilization, and it walks visitors through 2,000 years of history in a self-guided tour with interpretive panels.

Ryobi's 2300 Watt Bluetooth Inverter Generator

It's small - 12" x 22" x 19" tall and just 53 lbs - but it delivers a lot of power (about 16 Amps at 110 Volts). It's quiet - 57 dB idling, and 67 dB under a full load. And it's smart - there's integrated Bluetooth and a smartphone app that tell how much fuel is left and how much run time, along with load level monitoring so you know how much power is available before plugging in a tool. There's even remote shut off capability and an on-board LCD screen. Billed as "powerful enough for the jobsite, yet quiet enough that it won't disturb the neighbors", it's also reliable enough to charge or power sensitive electronics. Plus, it's very efficient: over four hours at full load and more than ten hours at 25% on a 1.2 gallon tank. There's a built-in easy starting system, and this generator is made for jobsite hauling with a telescoping handle, carrying handles and rear rolling wheels. Plus, a person can monitor two generators at the same time when a second is paired in parallel for higher power needs. The Ryobi Bluetooth 2,300-Watt Inverter Generator comes with a 3-year limited warranty, and we found it at The Home Depot for $599.

Circular Saw Kit with 18V Battery

Bosch's new CCS180-B14 is a 6-1/2" circular saw that comes with the company's CORE18V battery, a charger and a bag. It can easily cut through 2x material across its entire bevel range - up to 50 degrees. It has a simple depth gauge and bevel scale, an anti-snag lower guard, and a dust blower that helps keep the cut line visible. Weighing in at 6.6 lbs (8.4 lb. with battery), it has next-gen Li-Ion technology that produces 80% more power than previous cells. The battery also has up to 135% more cooling effect than ones without CoolPack technology, and it is compatible with all of Bosch's 18V Li-ion tools and chargers. In independent tests, the new saw made up to 333 cuts in 2x4s on a single charge. It charges to 80% ready in 41 minutes, and 100% in 55 minutes. The kit comes with an 18-tooth carbide blade, a robust spindle lock and an on-board blade-change wrench. Maximum depth of cut at 45 degrees is 1-9/16", and a full 2" at 90 degrees.

DeWALT's New Narrow Crown Stapler

The DCN681 is an 18-ga. gun that drives 1/4" narrow crown staples from 1/2" to 1-1/2" long. It is ideal for cabinetry, furniture, paneling and flooring underlayment. It has a brushless motor powered by the company's 20-Volt MAX™ Li-Ion battery - there's no need for gas, a compressor or a hose. There's a tool-free selectable trigger for sequential or contact actuation modes. There is also a tool-free depth adjustment, for precise countersinking of staples. A low-nail lockout prevents dry firing and unwanted marks on the wood. A multi-functional LED lights help to provide both workspace illumination and also tool diagnostics. The gun has an integrated, tool-free, stall release lever to quickly reset the driver blade in the event of a stall. An djustable belt hook works for left or right attachment, depending on user preference. The DCN681 also has a bottom load magazine for easy loading and removal of jammed fasteners. It weighs 5.7 lbs.

Gold Medal for Titus T-type Hinge at Furnica 2017

Furnica is an annual trade fair in Poznan, Poland (halfway between Warsaw and Berlin) for the furniture components industry, and this year's event runs from September 12-15. Titus Group will be awarded a Gold Medal for its T-type hinge at the show, based on that hardware's high quality materials and excellent design. The hinge provides some product features that save time during cabinet assembly, and help provide consistent performance on a wide range of doors. The 3-Way snap-on system allows for an intuitive hinge-to-plate mounting in any one of three directions, which simplifies the mounting experience and enables easy door installation - even in tall cabinets, where four or five hinges per door are required. The shallow hinge cup allows for installation on doors from 15 to 26 mm thickness.

Italian Company Builds Houses the Way Cars are Built

LeapHome is a new concept in housing for Europeans - an energy efficient, easy to maintain, very customized house that is completely built in a factory using methods akin to the ways in which automobile factories work. The company is based in Torino, Italy, and one of its goals is to create homes that are designed to minimize environmental impact. The tube in the image at left is a ski hut called Bivouac Gervasutti that sits on a rocky Alpine spur at 9,000 feet altitude. Designed by LEAPFactory, it has a dining room and two bedrooms with 12 beds in roughly 325 square feet, and weighs one ton. Electricity is produced by photovoltaic units, and all systems are monitored online. The inset pictures are of a more traditional two-story home being built, and a one-story home in situ. The company says that: "controlling production inside the factory increases quality standards, speeds up the building process and limits risks".

Young Woodworkers Showcase Their Talent

Sarah Provard won First Place ($1,000) in the Case Goods division at the Fresh Wood competition at AWFS in Las Vegas. She recently graduated from West Jordan High School in Utah. Her piece, a cabinet with themed inlay that was aptly named Musically Inclined, also won the People’s Choice Award ($750, photo by Focus Event Photography). That was sponsored by Wagner Meters, and voted on by Fair attendees. Cody Campanie, a student at Seattle Central College, won The Best of Show Award (an iconic sculpture by Garry Knox Bennett, some KCD software, and $1,000) for his project Azulejos Table. AWFS covers project shipping and the majority of travel and hotel costs to bring students and their teachers to Las Vegas. The biennial event, held as part of AWFS®Fair, attracted a near-record 195 entries from schools in the United States and Canada in 2017. The Fresh Wood 2017 judging panel included Jena Hall (Jena Hall Designs Ltd.), Tom McKenna (Fine Woodworking magazine), Chris Poehlmann (CP Lighting), Mei-Yen Shipek (Autodesk Pier 9), and Scott Vasey (Advanced Fixtures Inc.).

Universal Dust-Free Router Hood

Oneida Air Systems in Syracuse, New York won the Visionary New Product Award at AWFS for this hood molded from clear polycarbonate. Its upper dust dome and lower chip cover rotate as the router moves, so the router can turn corners while capturing dust from above and below. The cover removes quickly without use of tools for inner plunge work, and can be replaced by an included shallow cover for tighter edge work. The hood has a quick-release hose connection port for storage. The universal base fits most portable routers and is made in the USA. It is available from Oneida, Woodcraft, ACE and Do It Best. The MSRP is $29.99.