WOOD Magazine - October 2009

Hitachi sliding
compound
mitersaw
When Hitachi debuted the
first sliding mitersaw in
1988, few people realized it
also marked the unofficial
retirement of radial-arm
saws. The model C8FB
sported an 8½" blade and
a direct-drive universal
motor that slid forward and
back on rails for crosscut
capacity nearly double that
of standard compound mi-
tersaws of the time. “Sliders”
became popular with wood-
workers who couldn’t afford
a radial-arm saw, and their
lightweight portability made
them easy to transport to
jobsites. Later, manufacturers
increased blade sizes to 10"
and 12", all but replacing the
8½" slider.

2008 model, 20th anniversary edition

Kreg pocket-hole jig While building kitchen cabinets for his Iowa home in 1986, tool-and-die maker Craig Sommerfeld fashioned a metal jig and stepped drill bit to bore angled holes into the back side of face frames. He then joined the frame members with pan-head screws driven into the hidden pockets. Craig’s jig soon became the Kreg Jig. The easy, affordable, and effective joinery method enabled legions of woodworkers to build furniture, cabinets, and other projects for their homes without need for more complicated techniques and tools.

Festool Domino Joiner

Invented by a German engineer searching for a way to combine a biscuit joiner’s speed and ease of use with the strength of a mortise-and-tenon joint, the Domino made it possible to quickly, cleanly, and accurately bore mortises for loose tenons. Launched in 2005 by Festool, the Domino carries a $775 price tag for its one-of-a-kind ingenuity.

SketchUp design software

Until about five years ago, you either drew your project plans on paper, found them in magazines, or created them with expensive computer software. Then along came Google’s free SketchUp software, a modeling program for creating three-dimensional virtual projects you can disassemble and view from any angle, or in a variety of wood species.

They’re not tools, but they help woodworkers grow

Not all woodworking innovation has taken place in manufacturing. Growth in educational materials and greater availability of tools and supplies has had as great an impact.

Better Homes and Gardens

FULL

The World’s Leading Woodworking Resource

Meet Norm!

p. 22
p.60
p. 62
p. 32
p. 49
p. 56
p. 68

Learn 29 Tips and Tricks from America’s Woodworker

p. 40

Great Projects!

p. 76 p. 36 p. 54

Super-SimpleRouterTable
Artsand Crafts Table
MusicBox
PrinterStand
Wall-hungShelf

; ; ; ; ;

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5

Gotta-have Hand Tools

Test reports:

The NEW Unisaw Rail-guided Saws

Substitute Woods You Should Try

The Easiest Way to Cut Tapered Legs

; SIZE

P

A

T

E

RNS I NS I DE

NORM!—and various educational materials

There’s no question The New Yankee Workshop and its host, Norm Abram, have, for the past

20 years, inspired countless people to take up woodworking. In addition, woodworking magazines, books, and videos (WOOD’s Jim Heavey, above) have exploded in number and availability.

Home center expansion So-called “big box” retailers, found seemingly on every corner, make it possible to get nearly all your project supplies in one place, and at prices typically less than you’ll find in specialty retailers.

The Internet Before about 1995, woodworkers had few resources for immediate help with their questions. Now, that assistance is as close as your computer, thanks to Internet forums and Web sites. You can even choose from thousands of project plans online. And the growth of Web retailers has driven down the price of tools and products, making it easier for beginners (“ new-bies” on the net) to get into woodworking, and for veterans to expand their arsenals.