ToolStop - Our Tool News Source from Over the Pond
Today we had the honor of speaking with Neil & Mark from ToolStop(in Scotland) on their Podcast for the ToolStop Blog. Their blog site is a frequent read for us because they are very up to date on the latest tools being released in Europe which are often tools not yet available in the US. Although after speaking with our friends at ToolStop, apparently they read the Coptool.com blog site for the same reason so I guess it goes both ways. In addition to their Podcasts, Mark & Neil are also very active on YouTube shooting videos on all the latest tools & Accessories. Check this video out below for a new Bosch 18V tool, SDS Hammer Drill & L-Boxx, not out yet in US.
Also mentioned in their Blog Post & Podcast was the DeWalt financial numbers for Q2 - 2010 (see reuters.com) which show an adjusted increase in projected profits. This is good news for the tool industry, which has been beaten down for the past 2 years with a sharp decline in any new building. Unfortunately when you read into the report some of the increase is attributed to “inventory restocking” which they do not believe will continue but still somewhat positive for the “Construction and Do-It-Yourself” industry which they believe to be doing better-than-expected.
A few weeks ago we took a look at the Ingersoll Rand 3/8” Ratchet 1207MAX-D3, which one of the tool repair technicians tested out and gave his thoughts on. At the same time we gave a 1105MAX-D2($129, Ohio Power Tool) to another one of the tool techs for them to run through the paces. The 1105MAX again carries the MAX name which means it also has some high expectations in the performance department.
Comparing the two MAX models you will quickly see the 1105MAX advantage comes in its compact size. Unfortunately, for this test at least, repairing tools is not restrictive on space so this little tool did not have a chance to shine as it would have maneuvering through an engine bay. It does have a very nice variable speed regulator and feather control lever for MAX control of this tool. It also features the composite housing which insulates against the cold air and nickel plated housing for many years of service.
The trade off in size means less torque, at only 30 ft.lbs this unit is not as versatile as the 1207MAX but still plenty of torque for most ¼” applications. The 1105MAX-D3($134, Ohio Power Tool) is the 3/8” version of this compact tool and as a 3/8” ratchet it will be somewhat limited.
The Numbers 30 ft.lbs torque (5-25 ft.lbs recommended) 300 RPM Free Speed 1.43 lbs 7.36” Length 3.5 CFM Average Air Consumption 20 CFM Free Speed Air Consumption 88.9 dBA at Free Speed ¼” Air Inlet Size – 3/8” Min Hose Size
Overall the 1105MAX-D2 ¼” ratchet gets high marks, ideal for tight spots where complete torque control is desired. To see more of the 1105MAX check out this Facebook Album or the YouTube video below.
It is official the Columbus Idea Foundry will be holding the 2nd Annual Ohio Tool Racing Championships (see www.ToolRaces.com) on Saturday, August 21st. Last year was the first time a race like this had been held in Ohio and the event saw a dozen entries with a solid group of spectators. Almost instantly after the first event however interested began to grow and this year's event looks to be bigger and even more fun!
Last year’s winner, TJ, has already begun the taunting and promises “The PIG (see above) will be returning with his head sewn back on.... Yes Believe It !!!” Many other are already committed and we should see some stiff competition with so spectacular machines.
This year’s Ohio Tool Racing Championship will be an all day event at the Idea Foundry, starting with Belt Sander Racer building & customizing from 2-4pm (mostly intended for the younger racers) and the official Belt Sander Races at 4pm.
The Main Event of Power Tool Drag Racing will take place at 5pm and be an elimination style tournament until there is a clear winner!
Prizes have been donated by Ohio Power Tool and will be awarded for Best looking Belt Sander Racer, Best Looking Power Tool Drag Racer, Winner of Stock Tournament & Winner of Top Fuel Tournament. Additional prizes will available and could be given for categories to come which may or may not include slowest, ugliest, best crash, etc. In addition there will be custom build trophies for the tournament winners!
If you do not have the tools or not 100% confident in your skills as a Power Tool Racer Mechanic you are welcome to attend any of the 3 build nights at the Idea Foundry which will take place on the (3) Wednesdays leading up to the event (August 4th, 11th & 18th). You must purchase your registration prior to attending a Build Night and regular shop usage rates apply for materials. Get Directions
Come for more than just the races, with additional activities all day long at the Idea Foundry including Blacksmithing Demos, ShotBot Demos, MakerBot Demos, Art Cars as well as plenty of food & refreshments. Local artists will have items available as part of the Art Auction. It should be an all around fun day definitely worth checking out if.
Milwaukee Test & Measure Tools - Free M12 Drill Deal
Earlier this week we were at a Milwaukee Tool event where we got to see all the cool new tools coming out later this year but also had some time to learn a little more about the products Milwaukee currently has out on the shelves. One of those product lines was the Milwaukee Test & Measure Tools which are available as part of the Milwaukee M12 line or as regular Alkaline Tools. Typically the regular battery tools are going to be the more general purpose meters & tools while the M12 tools are going to provide some advanced features. One instance is the regular Temp Gun($149, Ohio Power Tool) has a temperature range from -20 to 932 with the M12 Temp Gun($369, Ohio Power Tool) goes -40 to 1472 & provides a humidity measurement.
What you might not be aware of is how much more advanced the Milwaukee Tools are than the competition in range of use, construction, features and more. These products are built to last, for several strait hours they had these tools in enclosed aquariums blasting one with water and the other with drywall dust. They came out working great every time, it is highly recommended you do not try that with your fork meter at home. There was also a set up for testing RMS vs the competition and the Milwaukee meter, which gives True RMS, will give you the correct reading every time, not the case, as we saw for the other guys.
The problem however is that who is going to replace a multimeter or clamp meter unless it’s broken? Well Milwaukee Tools has got you covered there as well, how about a free 2401-22($99, Ohio Power Tool) M12 driver kit with (2) M12 batteries, charger & case? Does that sweeten the pie enough to motivate? It should because that is an amazing deal! This deal is on the Alkaline Battery version Test & Measuring Tools which range from $139-$229. Why would they run such a rich deal? It looks like there are two reasons from where we are sitting, first get more test & measure tools out among electricians and HVAC installers so they can talk them up to coworkers etc. Second, to get more M12 batteries in the hands of these same folks and inturn drive more interest to their specialty tools like the No-Hub Coupler, PEX / PVC Shear, ProPex installer and other M12 tools. As long as they're just giving stuff away might as well take advantage right?
See Mail-in Rebate for full details, ends September 30, 2010 – PDF Rebate
Just yesterday Milwaukee Tools held a very nice event for the Tool/Construction Media crowd and provided a lot of hands on for current products as well as some products which will be coming out in the next few months. Everett from Pro Tool Reviews did a nice job recapping the whole event so we aren’t going to bore you with our version. We were really happy to see so much focus from the Red Team on Plumbers, Electricians, HVAC & Maintenance as well as their growing relationships with many of the governing associations for those trades. Probably the best example of that, which we took away from the event was in the new ProPEX tools.
The partnership between Milwaukee Tools & Uponor (see our previous post) is a significant union in our minds. The PEX technology is not exactly new but it has quickly become the standard while still continuing to find new applications such as fire sprinklers. Uponor, the makers of ProPEX, currently holds about 1/3rd of the market and with Milwaukee having strong relationships with the trade association and products in training facilities the future of the ProPEX product line seems very optimistic. Obviously we all want to be confident the building product we install now will be available 5, 10, 20 years down the road for repairs, additions, remodels, etc.
Milwaukee M12 ProPEX Expansion Tool Kit 2432-22($399, Ohio Power Tool) is a serious heavy duty tool for professionals installing lots of ProPEX. This M12 is very fast at 60 SPM and features built-in auto rotation which other versions of Power Tools for installing the ProPEX system that are more expensive and larger do not have. The M12 tool also features a built in LED and an overall capacity 3/8” to 1” for ProPex tubing. In the tool kit comes (2) M12 batteries, chargers, grease, case as well as (3) expansion heads in sizes ½”, ¾” & 1”. This tool will work with the M12 & Uponor heads up to 1”.
Milwaukee M18 ProPEX Expansion Tool Kit 2632-22 ($699, Ohio Power Tool) very similar to the smaller M12 version but this M18 tool can handle ProPex up to 1-1/2”. Actually slightly slower at 45 SPM it also features the built-in auto turning. The kit for the 2632-22 includes (2) M18 Compact Batteries, charger, case as well as 3 expansion heads in sizes 1”, 1-1/4” & 1-1/2”. This tool will work with the M12, M18 & Uponor heads up to 1-1/2”.
You may have noticed it mentions the M12 & M18 Expansion Heads separately. The M12 heads come in sizes 3/8”, ½”, 5/8”, ¾” & 1” while the M18 Heads only come in 1”, 1-1/4” & 1-1/2” but remember the M18 tool can accept either heads where as the M12 Tool cannot use the larger heads.
Here are some additional pictures of the ProPEX tools in action on this Facebook Album. You can expect to see the M12 2432-22 tool out first with a target launch at the end of August. The M18 2632-22 tool should follow in late September with the various expansion head sizes available then as well. Bare tools 2432-20 & 2632-20 will also be available shortly after the kits but will not include the expansion heads. If you have any questions about different PEX Connecting Tools do not hesitate to contact the pros at Ohio Power Tool 800-242-4424.
How to Install Recessed Lights – Milwaukee Carbide Hole Saws
Installing can lights can significantly improve the look and feel of any room but installing them in a remodel job can be a pain. Having used the compass style scoring tool and a drywall saw to do an entire basement not too long ago anything that makes this job quicker and more accurate is easy to get behind. Milwaukee Tools has recently introduced a full line of Carbide Grit Recessed Light Hole Saws ranging in size from 3-1/8” to 6-7/8”. These new hole saws are a remodelers dream because not only will they make short work of drywall but the carbide grit can cut through plaster, acoustical tile, wood and stucco with mesh as well. These hole saws also feature a continuous rim which means they will not tear or chip the material, leaving a very clean hole for the can light installation.
Below is a nice video from the DIYNetwork which does a good job of showing how to do your recessed lighting layouts, measure, mark, find joists, cut, install, wire and finish your can lights. In the video they are not using the Milwaukee Carbide Grit Hole Saws but it still does a nice job of showing the installation process.
The price range for these Milwaukee Recessed Light Hole Saws ranges from $42-62, with another $15 for the Arbor if you don’t already have one. These & many other Hole Saws will also work interchangeably with most other manufacturer’s standard size Arbors & Mandrels as well. If you have any questions about any hole saws or hole making tools in general do not hesitate to call Ohio Power Tool at 800-242-4424, they have in-stock a wide range of diamond, carbide, carbide grit, wood, bi-metal and much more.
You may have read our review on the Bosch PS21-2A which was very favorable for the 3rd generation Bosch 12V Max Pocket Driver. The PS41-2A Impactor ($169, Ohio Power Tool), which was also recently updated (now in its 2nd generation) while not as big of a leap as the PS21, still saw a solid improvements in performance. We received one of these for testing and tried to push the Impactor to its limits. We also compared it to a popular Drill/Driver model to highlight some of the benefits of the Impact Driver.
Bosch PS40-2A vs PS41-2A
The PS40-2A was one of the first impact drivers of its kind when it came out several years ago and remains incredibly popular still today. It was the first of any ultra compact tool to get the 3 LED light ring, for brightest most direct lighting of the work area for almost any tool including 18 volt tools. For the PS41 model these LED lights seem even brighter. The already compact unit also gets smaller with the PS41-2A but manages to still achieve improved performance (see below).
BPM: 3,000 to 3,100 RPM: 1,800 to 2,600 Torque: 800 to 930 in.lbs
The PS41-2A also gets a battery life gauge which was not on the PS40 model. In the PS41-2A kit you get the new BAT412 batteries which offer similar run time as the BAT411 but better cold weather performance and more consistent power until the very end of the battery life.
Bosch PS41-2A vs Makita 18V Drill/Driver
Just to be clear in this comparison we aren’t looking to put down the Makita 18V tools in anyway. We were just trying to gauge the performance of this 12V impact driver against a compact 18V drill/driver (this one just happen to be on hand); it could have been a Milwaukee, Bosch, Dewalt, etc. Many people have still not added an impact driver to the tool box and the 18V drill/driver remains the most common tool for driving screws, drilling, hole making, etc. We used a 1” Bosch DareDevil spade bit with both tools to see how fast and how well each tool would perform. This is not the ideal task for an impact “driver” but it does do a very nice job testing the higher end torque more so than driving a few hundred screws.
When using the 18V Makita drill/driver it powered through the thin boards in high gear and was faster than the Impact Driver. Unfortunately the PS41-2A is only a single speed, as with most impact drivers even 18V, so it was expected it would be slightly slower on this task. On the thicker wood we tested the Makita barely scratched the surface on high gear so we had to switch to low gear. On low gear the drill/driver was not as fast as the smaller 12V impact tool. In addition several times the drill/driver jammed up and seriously jerked the whole tool around, wrist and all. The Bosch impact driver on the other hand has almost no jerk because while the impact mechanism hits rapidly several times a second it also releases just as often. The end result is that the Impact Driver delivers around 60% more torque while being far easier to use. If you were using one of these tools all day it seems like the smaller, lighter, more power, less wrist strain option would be an impact driver vs drill/driver.
Bottom Line
Simply put Impact tools are awesome tools and everyone should have one. If you are in the market for a 12V impact driver, currently the Bosch PS41-2A has the best performance numbers while being the most compact in overall length. To see more on this tool check out the images in this Facebook album or watch the Youtube video below.
This type of stuff is always interesting to us just to see how groups configure their hydraulic systems for large jobs like this one. We deal with Power Team Hydraulic Equipment on a daily basis, and whether the job is small or very large every situation brings different challenges. That being said if you ever need help configuring a hydraulic system do not hesitate to call Ohio Power Tool 888-242-4424; there are several guys who have decades of experience and will be happy to lend a hand. In the meantime check out the challenge/solution documented by Power Team below.
Situation: Considered a landmark building, a museum in the United Kingdom was undergoing a $67m renovation to transform the magnificent Victorian building and its facilities into a world-class, 21st century visitor experience for Scotland — and a showcase for international visitors. The project included the creation of 14 new galleries, two hands-on discovery centers, a larger gallery for international touring exhibitions, new facilities for education and a state-of-the-art learning center. A new floor was also to be created beneath the main hall, forming a new street level entrance, restaurant, shop, cloakroom and visitor reception area. During the renovation project, more than half of the museum property was to stay open to the public.
Challenge: Among the challenges faced by the contractors and engineers on the project was to lower the basement floor by 4-1/2 feet, removing the basement walls to open up space for the new facilities and street-level entrance. This area runs the length of the main hall which is situated directly above it. One of the specific tasks involved was to prestress the beams that would hold up the new entrance and inner walls. Steel beams have various stress values, which determine sheer, bending and other behaviors, along their length. Pre-stressing the steelwork, which creates permanent stresses in the beams, is critical for improving their behavior and strength under various load conditions. A limited budget ruled out use of a computer-controlled synchronized lift system, requiring the team to seek out alternative methods to safely and successfully prestress the beams.
Solution: When asked to supply equipment to help in creating the new entrance, a distributor called in their Power Team® Sales Manager, Ian Harris, for assistance. Mr. Harris, along with the subcontractor, met with the architect and main contractor to discuss how various Power Team tools could be used in conjunction with each other to efficiently achieve the same results as a synchronized lift system but in a much more cost-effective way. The solution devised involved using several Power Team hand pumps and sets of cylinders that would be spread out along each beam. Cylinders were selected that could fit in the very tight gaps available to accommodate the lifting equipment. Hand pumps were operated a few strokes, and measurements taken at the stress points along the length of the beam. As each point reached its required stress, the cylinders were locked off. The process was repeated until all points had achieved the required stress. Each lift took one to two days.
The PowerTeam lifting equipment specified for the task included: 5x P300 hand pumps 15x RLS200 cylinders 5x 9765E hoses 5x 9635 manifolds 20x 9682 fittings 15x 9670 tee adapters 15x 9575 shut off valves 25x 9798 couplers 15x 9764E hoses 15x pressure gauges
Result: Installation of the beams to support the inner walls and new street-level entrances is complete. The museum reports that the renovation project is running on time and on budget, with an anticipated grand opening in 2011.
Milwaukee M18 Free Tool Mail-In Rebate for 48-11-1828
From now until September 30th, 2010 when you buy (2) Milwaukee M18 XC Batteries 48-11-1828($129, Ohio Power Tool) you can also get your choice of a FREE M18 TOOL. This promotion is a great deal if you are already shopping for an additional M18 XC battery or if you are looking to expand on your current M18 Cordless Tools.
Obviously the Sawzall & Grinder look to be the best dollar values here but only if those are going to be the tools you use most often. The new M18 Hackzall is a really nice handy one handed recip saw which in many cases might serve you better than a Sawzall. If you have any questions on any Milwaukee Tools or this rebate in particular call the pros at Ohio Power Tool 800-242-4424 and they will be happy to help!
Download the Milwaukee Mail-In Rebate PDF for Full Details.
At first glance of the above marketing photos you might be thinking big whoop another 4.5” grinder with 7.5 Amps. Without feeling the grinder it's hard to tell the body of this tool is significantly Slimmer than anything else on the market, providing for more control in cutting and grinding applications. We recently had a chance to test out the Bosch against similar DeWalt & Makita models and performance wise they are all solid well build entry level grinders. However once you pick up the 1380 Bosch then go back to the others it really makes them just feel awkward, including even the other Bosch models. The Bosch 1380SLIM($69, Ohio Power Tool) is priced to move as an entry level grinder for professionals.
These types of small 4.5” grinders are ideal for metals shops, construction and a wide range of other applications, it’s good to see the Bosch team working to reengineer the basic products. With different accessories such as Grinding Discs, Flap wheels & Small Diamond Blades these can be very versatile tools. The 1380 grinders are expected to hit shelves this week at Ohio Power Tool and if you have any questions on any Bosch Tools feel free to give the guys a call at 800-242-4424.
In the Air Impact Wrench world the term “MAX” by Ingersoll Rand have been associated with the top performing tools for many years now. The introduction of a brand new “MAX” 3/8” ratchet 1207MAX-D3($138, Ohio Power Tool) carried with it some big expectations. We had a chance to demo this tool recently and decided to put it into the hands of someone who could really get some mileage out of it in very short order.
The tool was passed along to one of the repair technicians at Ohio Power Tool who works on hundreds of tools, jacks and other equipment in any given week. It’s their job to take the tool apart, diagnose the problem, replace the bad parts, reassemble and thoroughly test the tools to verify everything is working perfectly before it going back out on the jobsite or garage.
After two weeks on the job the tool had definitely gotten its share of usage. The most liked features of the ratchet were the control of the trigger, placement of forward/reverse switch and quietness compared to other air tools on the bench. The soft trigger control of ratchet made it possible to use tool with more control that most other ratchetsm, giving it a wider range of applications. The forward/reverse switch is very conveniently placed and would be even more ideal for those wearing gloves, as you don’t need to use your fingertips at all. Also a quieter tool is always a welcome benefit as long as it doesn’t cut down the power.
Some suggestions to improve the tool from the repair tech was simply more power, because the trigger allows for such a wide range of control it’s much easier to apply very little force than other ratchets while at the same time going all the way up to 65 ft.lbs torque. The thought was if it had a higher MAX range you would still retain the control on the low end. That being said it’s still one of the most powerful 3/8” ratchets on the market. Perhaps the IR guys did too good of job engineering the MAX control on this tool.
All in all it looks like the 1207MAX-D3 is one of the best performing 3/8” ratchets on the market today with many innovative features you will not find on any other ratchets. There is also a ½” ratchet version the 1207MAX-D4($144, Ohio Power Tool). To see more of the 1207MAX ratchet check out this Facebook Album or watch the IR video below.
MyFixItUpLife – Weekly Home Improvement Radio Show
If you haven’t had a chance to hear the MyFixItUpLife radio show, it’s a great 1 hour weekly show about power tools, home improvement and much more. The show is on different local stations around the country but I prefer to listen through the free podcasts channel, which has all their episodes listed with short descriptions. Most of their episodes feature celebrities & expert guests so it’s easy to find the topics that are most interesting to you. Recent celebrity guests include Mike Holmes, Christopher Lowell, Chris Grundy and many other hosts of DIY shows.
Their website also has some great articles and a library of videos which cover a wide range of different home improvement projects. The site was recently updates and am a big fan of the new format which separates all this information by topic (ie Tools, Flooring, Bathrooms) so in each topic you get a nice mix of different media. For instance when you visit the Kitchen page you will get a video on kitchen drywalling, blog posts and recent audio podcast interviews about kichen products. Mixing up the media helps me stay interested and also makes it easy to skim through.
Recently we received one of Johnson’s 48" Magnetic BIG J Heavy Duty Aluminum Level 1501-4800 for review and our initial impressions were very positive. The construction is solid and very nice design with large viewing bubbles, rubberized end caps and even the comfortable center grips. The magnet along the side is a very nice feature, personally had never used a magnetic 48” level it’s like having 3 hands, I’ve seen the light. That being said we handed it off to one of our favorite contractor and long time Ohio Power Tool customer with a mission to try and break it. We will report back soon, in the meantime Johnson Levels has some other cool products like free Android Apps (Leveling Bubble & Visual Level) and just announced today a full line of measuring tapes and long tapes, check out the full press release below.
MEQUON, WI -- Johnson Level & Tool has expanded its measuring tool line with five series of power tape measures and four series of long tapes.These 18 new tools join a 2009 expansion into laser distance measuring and measuring wheels.
Johnson Level’s new tape measure program ranges from a basic professional tape measure to a high-impact stainless steel model, with retail prices ranging from $4.99 to $14.99.Its long tape measure program consists of fiberglass, steel and nylon-clad high-grade carbon steel models, nearly all containing the Gear Drive system which rewinds tapes three times faster than traditional long tapes.Retail prices range from $15.99 to $89.99.
John Dwyer, Vice President of Sales & Marketing said, “Over the years, Johnson has built a comprehensive portfolio of leveling, marking and layout tools which includes construction grade lasers and spirit levels.Now Johnson offers a broad spectrum of measuring tools to give the contractor a high quality tool which represents the highest value finished product available anywhere.”
Johnson Level has added over 60 new products in the past three years, focusing on creating the industry’s broadest and deepest lines of contractor tools in key categories related to leveling, layout, measurement and marking.
New Delta Tools - Drill Press, Unisaw, Planer & More
JACKSON, TN – DELTA Machinery is proud to introduce six innovative products to the DELTA family. Each product leverages the brand’s history of designing and engineering some of the most precise woodworking equipment on the market to deliver quality, ease of use and outstanding accuracy. The new machines include an 18-inch laser drill press (18-900L), a 13-inch portable thickness planer (22-590), a low voltage UNISAW (36-L552LVC), a 20-inch variable scroll saw (40-690) and a 1½ HP dust collector (50-786). Additionally, DELTA is releasing a line of four full-kerf melamine premium woodworking saw blades.
“This new family of products reflects the innovation, tradition and heritage of the DELTA brand,” said Bill Harman, product manager for DELTA Machinery. “We were able to leverage years of field research and our rich legacy of precision to provide woodworkers the type of fine products they’ve come to expect from the DELTA brand.”
18-Inch Laser Drill Press (18-900L) This drill press establishes a total package of features to address woodworkers’ needs for ease of use, accuracy and capacity. Elements include a patent-pending Auto-Tensioning Belt Drive System, a full 6-inch quill stroke and DELTA’s proven oversized woodworker’s table. The revolutionary belt drive system gives the user the ability to easily change the speed of the machine. Accuracy is achieved with micro-adjustable depth stops and an independent depth scale, allowing the user to zero the scale and set up for repetitive drilling in a quick and easy manner. A fully adjustable TWINLASER® projects a bright red crosshair on the work surface that can be easily fine-tuned and indicates a center point of the bit regardless of table position or thickness of material. The new DELTA 18-900L 18-inch Laser Drill Press is backed by a five-year warranty and is available now at specialty woodworking dealers for $829.
13-Inch Portable Thickness Planer (22-590) A new premium planer delivers precision cut quality, ease of use and excellent accuracy via a patent-pending Infinite Micro-Adjust Depth Stop that allows woodworkers to select and lock any depth dimension from ¼ inch to 1¼ inch. A newly designed three-knife cutter head utilizes enhanced geometry to create a more aggressive angle at wood contact than previous cutter heads, delivering an ultra smooth finish that requires minimal finish sanding. The longest infeed and outfeed tables on the market are complemented with a best-in-class material capacity area that is 6 inches high by 13 inches wide. In addition, a full-width material removal gauge allows woodworkers to take advantage of the entire width of the knives. The new DELTA 13-inch Portable Thickness Planer is backed by a five-year warranty and will be available at specialty woodworking dealers in July 2010 for a suggested retail price of $529.
UNISAW (model 36-L552LVC) A new model configuration delivers the durability and power of a three-phase Baldor motor with low voltage (24V) at the switch. The new low voltage control UNISAW meets the needs of industrial and institutional customers that prefer the LVC feature and is otherwise identical to the original UNISAW relaunched in 2009, including a unique one-piece cast-iron trunnion design, a bevel gauge centered between dual front cranks, a rise-and-fall two-position riving knife, a modular tool-free guarding system and a fully integrated dust collection system. The new 36-L552LVC DELTA UNISAW is backed by a five-year warranty and is available now at specialty woodworking dealers for $3,799.
20-Inch Variable Scroll Saw (40-690) Returning to its heritage of scroll saw woodworking, DELTA ensures a measure of precision with a dual parallel-link arm design that keeps the blade perpendicular to the table, reducing vibration and noise for exceptional accuracy. The electronic variable speed can be adjusted from 400 to 1,750 strokes per minute (SPM) to provide configurations for a wide array of cutting applications. Also, woodworkers now have quick and easy access to the on/off switch, speed control and blade-tensioning lever with upfront controls. The new DELTA 20-inch Variable Speed Scroll Saw with light and stand is backed by a five-year warranty and is available now at specialty woodworking dealers for a suggested retail price of $599.
1½ HP Dust Collector (50-786) With a maximum air velocity of 1,200 cubic feet per minute (CFM), the 50-786 dust collector boasts best-in-class performance that minimizes the detrimental effects of airborne contaminants that woodworking naturally produces. A new one-micron filter bag complements the machine’s power with 97 percent filtration and containment of fine dust particles, maximizing airflow for a clean shop environment. The unit also features a much sturdier sheet metal frame design compared to laundry cart designs with swivel casters and a convenient pull handle for maneuverability between stations or for storing out of the way. The new 50-786 is backed by a five-year warranty and will be available in August 2010 at specialty woodworking dealers for a suggested retail price of $429.
Melamine Saw Blades New full-kerf blades eliminate the most frequent and costly problems in cutting melamine material—tear out, chipping and blade attrition. This new design is extremely durable, creating extended run time and improved cutting distance compared to competitive blades. In addition, the ability to sharpen the blades after extensive use rather than discarding them extends the life of the blade, providing a greater value. The new line of DELTA® full-kerf melamine woodworking saw blades are available in four sizes: 10 inches, 12 inches, 220 millimeters and 300 millimeters, and are available now at specialty woodworking dealers for a suggested retail price range of $85 – $120.
Can you build a cool gadget that you think you could sell? Check out the MAKE/Design News Gadget Freak Design Contest, Sponsored by Alibre, Allied Electronics, and Texas Instruments. Create a gadget and document your build. Important: Your gadget must incorporate electronic components and involve sensing, motion, timing and/or networking elements). The Contest winner gets $1000 and a chance to sell their gadget in kit form in the Makers Market (with setup and monthly fees waived for 6 months).
How to Enter To enter in the Gadget Freak Design Contest, click on the "Enter Here" link below. You will be asked to include a project description/build instructions/bill of materials and visual documentation of your gadget. Please note that video is not required but strongly recommended. Be sure to add your project photos to the contest Flickr group so you can share your awesome ideas with the world.
Gadget Freak Design Contest - Enter Here!!Amazing Prizes! Grand Prize (1 Winner) - $1,000 in the form of a pre-paid credit card + A storefront in the Makers Market* Second Prize (1 Winner) - $500 in the form of a pre-paid credit card. Third Prize (2 Winners) - $100 Maker Shed Gift Certificate *For full details please see the Official Rules below
Get your project in before July 13th for a chance to win!
Ingersoll Rand Air Compressors - Quick Ship Special
If you are in the market for a new 5 to 13HP Air Compressor in the next few months you may be in luck. At Ohio Power Tool there are several models of compressors on “Quick Ship” special. This means the items ship within 72 hours (not including Sunday), in addition it will include a free Start-Up Kit, Free Tool of your choice and as Free Shipping, which is standard on all Air Compressors from Ohio Power Tool.
While the IR Compressor Start-Up Kits are no more than $130 it is very important to get one with any IR Compressor. This is because if purchased together the Ingersoll Rand manufacturer’s warranty on the compressor is extended from 1 year to 2 years. You are going to need oil and filters anyway, might as well get a extra year warranty.
For the FREE Tool you will have the option of an Impact Wrench (231C, 2115TiMAX, 2135TiMAX) or Random Orbital Sander 4151 which will ship at the same time as the compressor. This is up to a $259 value! Tool options vary by compressor but you can select your Free Tool at the bottom of each compressor’s webpage. See are all 5 Quick Ship models below:
