Back in July of 2009, Tom Iovino of TomsWorkBench.com decided to ask the same question in 4 of his favorite woodworking forums:

* The Woodworker’s Website Association (WWA)
* The Wood Whisperer’s Forum
* LumberJocks Forum
* Wood Magazine’s Forum

You can check out his final results here: Finding those roots.

I thought it would be interesting to compare the top ten, since the results are two and a half years newer, because Tom captured a larger number of votes, and because he asked at different forums from me.

#1 Tom: Norm Abram, 65 Votes | #1 ToolCrib: Norm Abram, 36 Votes
Norm – he’s still on top! He’s only beating “Dad” by 15 votes in Tom’s polling though, which is a much, much narrower margin than in my poll. Watch out Norm, Dad’s coming to get you.

#2 Tom: Dad, 50 Votes | #2 ToolCrib: Dad, 21 Votes
It’s neat to see that Dads are still #2 for woodworkers. At least that hasn’t changed in almost 3 years. Now for some interesting differences between the polls.

#3 Tom: Shop Teacher, 31 Votes | #3 ToolCrib: David Marks, 19 Votes
Up three places from #6, shop teachers switched places with David Marks. This may say more about the forums where Tom asked questions than a potential decline in David Marks’ influence in the woodworking community.

#4 Tom: Grandfather, 24 Votes | #4 ToolCrib: Online Woodworking Community, 15 Votes
Grandfathers surged too, along with shop teachers. Go grampa!

#5 Tom: Roy Underhill, 19 Votes | #5 ToolCrib: Grampa, 14 Votes
WOW! Roy Underhill came barreling up out of the ranks to take a #5 position, up 8 slots from #13. Has he hired a PR firm recently or something?

#6 Tom: David Marks, 18 Votes | #6 ToolCrib: Shop Teacher, 12 Votes
See above.

#7 Tom: Internet/Forums, 14 Votes | #7 ToolCrib: James Krenov, 7 Votes
Now this is interesting… Krenov placed higher in my poll of fewer woodworkers. I think this is because I asked at WoodNet and FamilyWoodworking. Krenov passed recently by the way – we’ll be honoring him in an upcoming blog post.

#8 Tom: Marc Spagnuolo, 12 Votes | #8 ToolCrib: John Fry, 6 Votes
From nowhere, Marc Spagnuolo exploded onto the scene. In my opinion he’s the Internet’s Norm Abram. His humor, good nature and, oh yeah his fantastic woodworking ability make the world much, MUCH more awesomer.

#9 Tom: Friend/Neighbor, 9 Votes | #9 ToolCrib: an Uncle, 6 Votes
Friends and neighbors? Never heard of them! They didn’t place at all in the ToolCrib poll. Again, probably because I asked the curmudgeons at WoodNet ;) Just kidding – maybe woodworkers are getting friendlier and actually sharing more tools? (See the 7 rules of lending power tools…)

#10 Tom: Book/Magazine Writers, 9 Votes | #10 ToolCrib: Tage Frid, 5 Votes
Books? Magazines? Are woodworkers suddenly reading more of them? Again, possibly this difference is forum-related. If you’re curious, we also informally found the top 5 woodworking magazines recently too :)

Thanks to Tom for taking up the torch and asking all those woodworking forum-goers to share their influences! Ok Tom – now we have to find someone to run the poll in 2011 ;)

Be sure to check out Tom’s post: Finding those roots

Without further ado, click here to watch Doug hit his thumbs with hammers >> (You will flinch.)

Here’s Doug on the pain he endured (which seems like it’s FAR MORE than Gass endured for science):
“For this test, I positioned the head of the Estwing about 10 in. above my thumb. Then, I let gravity do the rest. There’s no need to detail the words that came out of my mouth upon impact. Even with that little bit of swing, the hit was truly painful. I switched hands, then pressed the nose of the Auto-Hammer against my other thumb and pulled the trigger. While the impact of the piston did sting quite a bit, it didn’t extend into a 5-minute throb like the hammer hit did. ”

According to Doug’s review in Popular Mechanics, Hammer vs. Auto-Hammer: A PM Lab Test, the Auto-Hammer doesn’t come close to the trusty old Estwing 16-ounce Rip Hammer.

However the Auto-Hammer DOES have an LED for dark hammering, performs better in cramped spaces and has auto-recordings of your favorite curses if it detects a human finger (or hot dog) coming in contact with the head ;)

via ToolLogic >>

also see: Festool Increases Price of Products by $6339.99
Best of the Fest: The Top 5 Festool Tools

2) “Modular” Tool Belt

“All pieces are made with rugged leather, ballistic nylon and quality construction, and are interchangeable so you can customize your tool belt to fit the project or specific need. Don’t need the drill anymore? Fine, unclip the holder and swap it for the beverage holder instead. Smart.”
Live from the International Builders’ Show: New Iron Dog Tool Gear Offers Functionality and Extreme Quality

3) Generac Goes Portable

“Features include utility quality electrical output, low-oil pressure protection, circuit breaker protected outlets, and easy-to-use controls.”
Live from the International Builders’ Show: Portable Power from Generac

4) Recip Saw Scraper Attachment

“Once attached, the 4-inch wide blade makes quick work of laminate flooring, grease, paint, wallpaper and pretty much anything that you would normally try to scrape off with a putty knife or other hand-held scraper. It can be re-sharpened and is priced at $12.99.”

Live from the International Builders’ Show: New Scraping Tool Makes Quick Work of Any Job

5) Faster, Cleaner Drywall Cuts

“If the tool works as designed, you should be able to avoid common drywall missteps, including torn paper and wandering cutlines, not to mention injuries. It should also eliminate the time wasted scoring both sides of a sheet of drywall and smoothing rough edges. The Blade Runner accepts the end of a tape measure (shown) so you can make straight cuts without marking them in advance.”
International Builders’ Show Product Preview: Blade Runner Drywall Cutter

LOTS more International Builder Show coverage at this post: Mean, Green and Lean: International Builders Show 2009 Round Up

Tags: Tools, at, the, International, Builders, Show, 2009

If you’d prefer to BUY one instead of just putting one together yourself you can find them at Sundayland… according to their site:

“Built solid from 8 builder construction levels, held together with machined aluminum hardware with a starfire glass top that appears to be free floating.

“Measuring 36″ by 72″ our Straight Table is perfect for taking your office or studio to the next level.”

The design is by the Gerscovich Brothers, who apparently have a history of tongue-in-cheek design ideas. Check out their lamps, naughty and woody >> Together these two lamps would set you back more than the price of the new Delta Unisaw ;)

I spotted this over at Boingboing, in the post Table made out of levels. The comment thread there is full of puns, the best being: “this piece works on so many levels.” Yes, that stinker calls for a rimshot… Also in that comment thread is the suggestion that you could use squares as shelf brackets.

Also see Straight Table by Sundayland.

Tags: table, made, of, levels,, level, table

The new Ridgid R4511 is not a secret – you can read all about it at Ridgid’s site. However, it wasn’t supposed to hit the Home Depot site until late February and it CERTAINLY wasn’t supposed to get into woodworkers’ shops before then. Well…. it DID.

There are at least 2 photo-confirmed owners of the Ridgid R4511 at the time of this posting. So how did they get them, and how did such a purchase frenzy start around Ridgid’s R4511? I’ll try and answer those questions below.

I strongly expect to see this saw show up on our top 10 hybrid table saws when we revise this list later this year…

One last thing before we dive in, the majority of information for this came from a thread at RidgidForum.com: Ridgid R4511 availability?

Ridgid R4511 Unboxing Pictures
Official Ridgid R4511 Availability
Origin of the Ridgid R4511 Leak
Why Some People Already Have a Ridgid R4511
Why the Hype About the Ridgid R4511?
Speculations on TTI and Steel City Tools Licensing Agreement:
First Usage Report from Actual Ridgid R4511 Owners:
Initial Problems Noted with the Ridgid R4511
Forum Threads Discussing the Ridgid R4511

Ridgid R4511 Unboxing Pictures:



Here are all the R4511 unboxing pictures >> These are from Ashman, who posted them at RidgidForum.com.

Official Ridgid R4511 Availability:
I called Home Depot headquarters in Atlanta – the “release” date is mid to late February. There’s word from a HD employee who posts at WoodNet that this is due to HD trying to sell through their Ridgid 3650/3660 saw stock first. Further confirmation comes from Dirtman in the RidgidForum: “the buyer that I talked to when I ordered mine [said] none of these saws will show up in their system until February.”

For anyone who smells blood and is in a ravenous fit to put this saw in their workshop, here’s the Home Depot SKU for the Ridgid R4511: #750663 (confirmed on purchase ticket).

Origin of the Ridgid R4511 Leak
Perhaps the original leak started from Woodworker’s Journal: “I seen it in woodworkers Journal and the magazine says available at home depot in mid January!!!” bob405 (RidgidForum)

It’s also reported in the RidgidForum that “the buying department and the inventory department had a mis-que and the information about this saw was never supposed to have hit the HD site until the end of February.”

Why Some People Already Have a Ridgid R4511
Ashman from RidgidForum called Home Depot’s headquarters (like I did) and found a contact there who made a direct special corporate order to Ridgid. This was then shipped to HD before the official release date. When I spoke with this individual she expressed regret that her name and phone number had been posted on the RidgidForum… (Ashman – is there anyway you could take her number down?) Though she was able to help at first, this “backdoor” has been shut as she had to have each sale this way approved by her boss.

She said she continues to receive 5-6 calls a day about this saw.

Why the Hype About the Ridgid R4511?
These are in descending order of hype inducement ;)

$599
Cabinet Mounted Trunions
Granite Top
Riving Knife
Highly-likely speculation that Steel City Tools contributed to the saw
$539 if you get a HD credit card when you buy it (10% off first purchase).
Decent Fence
Herc-U-Lift Mobile Base
4″ dust port
Left Tilt
Input: 120 V / 240 V AC, 13 / 6.7 A
Motor: 1 ½ HP TEFC™, Induction
Did I mention $599?

It is indeed a BIG DEAL if this saw’s quality lives up to the hype – comparable hybrid table saws start $400 higher.

Speculations on TTI and Steel City Tools Licensing Agreement:
There’s strong speculation that TTI, the holding company for Ridgid, licensed technology and know-how from Steel City Tools. Steel City Tools subsidiary Orion also created and licensed the technology to the Craftsman 22124, which is #1 in our top 10 Hybrid Table Saws list.

“The info about the [TTI and Steel City Tools] licensing agreement came from the mouth of Scott Box, owner of Steel City, and was spoken directly to the person I got the info from. He’s a seasoned veteran of wwing, wwing machinery, and the wwing forums, and I definitely consider him a reliable source. Steel City is supposedly the only manufacturer with experience using granite as a machine top surface, and TTI licensed the technology to benefit from their knowledge.”
hewood (RidgidForum)

I wrote to Steel City Tools for comment on these speculations. As of press time they had not replied.

First Usage Report from Actual Ridgid R4511 Owners:
“The vibration when running is minimal especially compared to my 30 year old Craftsman contractor saw. I ripped a piece of 3/4 oak and it cut very smooth and no effort.”
Ashman

“I personally feel the fence system on this saw is fine!!! It moves smoothly and locks down nice and tight. It’s also very easy to square it up to the blade. I’m adding faces to both sides of the fence and repositioning the measuring tapes (allthough they can only be used as a reference to get you in the ballpark because the kerf width won’t be the same on the different blades you may use). I’m very pleased with the build quality of the saw. The blade raises, lowers, and tilts to 45 degree’s very smoothly. I showed it to a couple of friends and they can’t believe it only cost $600 bucks.”
millman on 1-14-09

Assembly Reports on the Ridgid R4511:
These quotes are from Ashman and millman who posted to the RidgidForum in this 20 page (200 post) thread: Ridgid R4511 availability?

“I have the 4511 assembled except for final adjustments. It went pretty easy except I had to re-tap the threads for one of the studs holding the right side table extension. I will tell you to be sure to open the small plastic bag with the blade tools in it first. That bag has all of the hex wrenches you will need to assemble. I found that out near the end. The assembly directions and figures are fair. The plastic bags with parts are labeled figure A, B, C etc, but the figures in the directions are labeled 21, 22, etc.

“During assembly i found the blade to be out .010 in of being square with the miter slots. Just had to loosen the four bolts connecting the table top with the cabinet to adjust. (directions indicate that the four hex head bolts are located inside the cabinet but two of them are actually located outside the cabinet on the left side) A very slight adjustment was required on the 90 and 45 degree stops but again was easy to do.”

“Yes it is a riving knife and travels up and down with the blade. It has a quick disconnect for easy removal once the throat plate is removed or through the side cover (two screws to be removed there but I am going to come up with a latch to make it easier. (I believe you can see the silver T shape release in one of the inside the cabinet photos) The granite table extensions line up very well and are easy to adjust. The Herculift works fine with the weight however just as with my old craftsman contractor saw I wish it lifted a little higher to make up for the uneven floor. The fence appears very similar to the Delta T2 without the faces. I will be adding some UMHW fence faces, not that you really need them but I want them. Just have to keep in mind that if you don’t change the measuring tape on the rail you will be off the thickness of the face. The miter groove is a T slot.”

Initial Problems Noted with the Ridgid R4511:
“The only issue so far with the saw is with the granite top. Its seems that when its cold (I’m in Michigan) and I turn on the heat in the garage the granite top tends to sweat more than my old cast iron causing the sawdust to stick to the top.”

“..from what I could tell it takes longer to bring the 1- 1/4 in granite to room temperature than it does the hollow web designed cast iron and it sweat more. I am using a torpedo kerosene heater in the garage so it doesn’t heat up equally thoughout the garage.”

This is from Ashman on the RidgidForum. It sounds like pretty small potatoes, but one of the facts of life when it comes to using granite vs. iron.

Forum Threads Discussing the Ridgid R4511:
Ridgid R4511 availability? (Ridgid Forum)
new Ridgid hybrid TS (WoodNet)
New RIDGID “hybrid” saw??
New Ridgid Hybrid Saw – R4511
New ridgid saw with granite top
Rigid Granite top tablesaw?

Other Blog/Magazine Coverage:
Ridgid’s New Granite Topped Table Saw R4511
Granite Tablesaw, Self-Shifting Drills Highlight New Tools From Ridgid and Ryobi

(You like power tools and woodworking? Sign up for the twice-monthly ToolCrib.com newsletter >>)

I saw this over at the Wood Whisperer, where there’s a lively conversation going on in the comments: Sawstop Inventor Puts His Money Where His Mouth Is

update – SawStop president Steve Gass explains why he puts his hand in ice water…

“Okay, I’ve just got to explain the ice water. It had nothing to do with bleeding, numbing effect or contact detection. The high speed camera they used needed an extreme amount of light to be able to get a good image due the very short time available to capture each frame. The lights were so bright I had to wear the welding helmet to even be able to see – it was like staring at the sun without the helmet. The byproduct of all the light was heat. The lights were so hot that they would scorch my hand in seconds so the ice water cooled off my skin to start with and gave me a little more time to touch the blade before I got burned by the lights.”

in WoodNet – Steve Gass gives his SawStop the finger >>

Gass has been a mostly lurking member of WoodNet since ‘03 and you can see all 59 of his comments here >>

I read about Gass’ visit to WoodNet in the WoodworkersZone thread Steve Gass cuts off his finger >>

Here’s the classic SawStop vs. hot dog demonstration:

More ToolCrib.com Coverage of the SawStop:
Sawstop vs. Powermatic PM 2000 in the Professional Wood Shop
First Reported Injury with Sawstop…
SawStop Bandsaw Prototype – Video
Top 5 Woodworking Tool Companies with the Best Customer Service (SawStop got honorable mention, weren’t in top 5)
The 11 Top Woodworking Power Tools That Give 100% Satisfaction or Better (SawStop ranked #11)

Tags: Steve, Gass, sawstop, finger, video, Discover, Channel

Nail Jack Tools – an American nail-pulling tool manufacturer – has reportedly entered into an agreement to purchase the Vise-Grip factory in DeWitt, Nebraska, according to a recent announcement made on the factory floor. The Vise-Grip factory, currently owned by Irwin Tools, a division of Newell Rubbermaid, went up for sale in early September, 2008 when the owners finalized plans to move all Vise-Grip manufacturing to China. News of the factory’s closing attracted national attention, along with condolences from national figures like Paul Harvey and President-Elect Barack Obama. At least some of the 330 workers from DeWitt may simply be changing employers rather than losing their jobs, which would be good news for a manufacturing facility located in a small Nebraska village of only 560 people.

But who exactly is Nail Jack Tools, the company reportedly in talks to buy the Vise-Grip factory? Google knows all – here’s what I found…

>>Meet the Nail Jack Nail Puller
The Nail Jack and Nail Hunter tools are currently being pre-sold online at the Nail Jack website, though with a 4-6 week wait for delivery. Their site says the tools will be commercially available in early 2009. The design seems to be based on a built in fulcrum; it marries a hammer’s claw to the pliers’ jaws, resulting in “the most effective, efficient nail puller on earth.” One thing’s for sure – with the “green movement” in full swing and the economy in a recession, a tool that easily removes fasteners from reusable lumber is a timely necessity.

Video: How the Nail Jack Works:

According to his blog, the CEO of the company, Michael Foley, spent several years perfecting the patents around his tools, then started up prototype work, and then production. Calls to Foley were not returned at press time, but I will be following up with this story and will keep you posted. If the story IS true, can Nail Jack Tools continue the Vise-Grip American manufacturing legacy that began almost 90 years ago in DeWitt, Nebraska?

>>Building on the Vise-Grip Legacy in DeWitt
The Vise-Grip is an iconic American tool, part of the fabric of our tool-using culture. Vise-Grip began in 1921 when Danish immigrant William Petersen patented the locking pliers he invented in his Nebraska blacksmith shop. For many years he sold his Vise-Grips out of the trunk of his car to local mechanics and farmers. Demand grew despite the economic pressures of The Great Depression. In 1938 Petersen opened the first official manufacturing plant in downtown DeWitt, Nebraska with a staff of 37.

Vise-Grip Factory in the Early Days

(picture from a history of the Vise-Grip)

Petersen continued to innovate and America accepted the Vise-Grip into its collective toolbox. The small town of DeWitt Nebraska grew with Vise-Grip, growing infrastructure, schools, and community based on the tool’s success. Today there are few people in DeWitt who don’t work for the now-vacant Vise-Grip factory. I think Nail Jack Tools recognized the tool-manufacturing knowledge contained in the DeWitt community, as an invaluable resource.

No matter who gets the Vise-Grip factory, they’ll have a rough road ahead. A company like Nail Jack is well positioned to use DeWitt’s 71 years of American tool manufacturing know-how to meet the untapped demand for a simple, low-cost nail pulling tool.

>>Can the Nail Jack Pull the Nails Out of American Manufacturing’s Coffin?
Nail Jack’s apparent decision to manufacture their nail pulling tools in the US is part of a growing trend called “reverse globalization.” Increased shipping costs, increasing foreign labor costs, the desire to reduce carbon footprints and disjointed, unreliable supply chains all contribute to this trend. American companies like Nail Jack, Regal Ware, Thomasville Furniture and Exxel Outdoors are returning to prove to the US that manufacturing smart, innovative products at home can be more profitable – and beneficial to America – than manufacturing overseas.

Nail Jack Tools has its work cut out for it – the economy continues to decline, making consumers and tradespeople less likely to purchase a nail pulling tool that they already have less efficient solutions for. Still, the green demolition movement, the increasing demand for reclaimed lumber, profound nail pulling innovation and patent protection positions Nail Jack for rapid growth in the marketplace. Further, the innovation and ingenuity of the Nail Jack may make it – like the Vise-Grip – a hand tool that grows and succeeds even in the midst of an economic downturn.

>>Updates
I will add story updates as they emerge – stay tuned here for more news on Nail Jack’s reported purchase of the historic Vise-Grip factory.

>>More Resources Related to this Story
Obama’s Statement on Vise-Grip Plant Closing
“Workers at Neb. Vise-Grip plant told of closure”
“Vise-Grip employees ponder what’s next for them”
A Brief History of the Vise-Grip
Could Globalization Be Going In Reverse?
Made (again) in America
Can the U.S. Bring Jobs Back from China?

Also see An Inside Look at Delta’s Tennessee Unisaw Plant from the Popular Woodworking Blog.

>> Video: Exclusive First Look at the New Delta Unisaw (from FineWoodworking)

See First Look: The New Delta Unisaw write up from FWW >>

>> Photos of the New Delta Unisaw:
First Photos of the New Delta Unisaw (from Popular Woodworking)

See more pics of the New Delta Unisaw (from Popular Woodworking) >>

>>UPDATE: Tom Hintz “Pre-Review”
I’m a big fan of Tom Hintz’s site http://www.NewWoodworker.com and I believe he strives to be fair in all of his tool reviews. He checked out the new Unisaw at the IWF show and had this to say over at WoodNet: “I had big hopes when I heard a new US-made uni was coming but was really dissappointed afer seeing it up close at IWF today. The fence is Beismeyer in name only. It looks like a knockoff you would find in a big box store. The blade guard is really cheesy and looks very much like so jobsite saw guards. If you like lots of handwheels, I guess the front makes sense. It seems to me that they are trying to fix a problem that isn’t there. I can live with a handwheel on the side in fact I think it is easier to use there anyway. I wonder about the linkage inside that operates the tilt. (Didn’t see inside for that) The angle dial/gauge on the front is fluff. I think most of us use a good gauge when the angle is important anyway.
I thought we had a good one coming here but it sure doesn’t look like it to me.”

To be fair to Unisaw, that may not have been a full production model they had on the floor… though you’d think they’d put a decent fence and blade guard on it, right? Also, as a poster says later on in the thread, “It is interesting how you can draw conclusions on the new Unisaw without having fed a single inch of wood through it.”

>> Editorial Coverage/Reactions:
Glen D. Huey in First Photos of the New Delta Unisaw (Popular Woodworking)

“So what’s new about this completely re-engineered and re-designed saw? Here we go. There is a unique one-piece cast-iron trunnion that allows the beveling and blade-height controls to be positioned on the front of the saw. No longer will you have to reach around to the side of the machine to adjust the bevel setting and the bevel gauge is also positioned on the saw’s front and is centered to make adjustments (accurate to 1/2º) easy. Also the blade tilt can be fine-tuned from the cabinet’s front using a large hex-head screw so you won’t have to climb inside the cabinet. But if you did want to gain access, a door is also located front and center, too.

The new design has an enlarged table surface in front of the blade to increase support and control as you begin a cut, while a true riving knife is positioned behind the blade. To make use a bit more effortless, the team at Delta added a tool-free arbor lock and a one-piece washer and nut combination to secure the sawblade. Additionally, the dust-collection is stepped up with two ports pulling from the cabinet and blade at the same time.

(Glen wrote about the coming of the New Unisaw in June’s Goodbye Old Unisaw)
Glen D. Huey in First Photos of the New Delta Unisaw (Popular Woodworking)

First Look: The New Delta Unisaw (FineWoodworking’s Roland Johnson)

“The new Unisaw is a complete redesign and reengineering of this venerable woodworking icon and it now has a true riving knife that stays close to the blade throughout the blade’s travel. Toolless adjustment allows the riving knife to be adjusted for through cuts or slot cutting.

Three left-tilting models will be offered; two 3HP models with 36- or 52-in. rip capacity and a single 5HP model with a 52-in. rip capacity. The saw will be made and assembled in Tennessee and powered by American-made Marathon motors.”

First Look: The New Delta Unisaw (FineWoodworking’s Roland Johnson)

>> Response from the Woodworking Community…
Woodworker Community Reaction Trends I Spotted:
Where’s the blade stop system?: 9
Riving Knife!!!: 6
Glad it’s made in USA!: 5
All left tilt?: 3
Looks Like the SawStop clone: 2
No way in he** I hate B&D: 1

Unoffical New Unisaw review
Quote from btle310: “I went to IWF today and got to play with the New Unisaw. The guys at the Delta booth were some of the nicest and most helpful at the entire show. On to the saw
It is solid! They have 2 versions a 30” and 50”. They said they will be available in stores by Feb 2009 and the 30” will be around $2500 while the 50” is $3000.”

New Delta Unisaw? (Woodnet)
Consensus: Solid, logical inquiries into the reasoning behind the innovations. Best thread for intelligent speculations. Funny.
Quote from loosetoe: Pro: “Front mount stop adjustment – the ability to adjust the 90 and 45 stops without having to climb in the cabinet is wonderful. Steel city has this, but it is through the top. Still this is a feature that I like. Granted, it is not something you do often, but this is a feature I like. PM and sawstop do not have it.”
Con: “SHOW ME THE TRUNION – after talking about the new 1 piece trunion, one would think they would show it. This would be one of my primary decision points if i were looking to buy. I would like to see what this new trunion looks like and if it looks more substantial (albeit different) that the current one. The trunions on the Steel city, sawstop and PM make the current Unisaw’s cast iron look downright flimsy, imo. Moreover, what does he mean by a one piece trunion. I can’t imagine how that would work. I just want to see it, please.”

New Unisaw pics (Sawmill Creek)
Consensus: Excited about it overall.
Quote from Jim Becker: “The dual dust collection port setup is also a nice idea, clearing a hood around the blade as well as the cabinet. Of course, using that capability along with a good overarm guard collection point ups the anty for the dust collection system if you want to fully realize the capability.

The revamped trunnion is also nice, putting both of those wheels on the front. That makes for more flexibility for folks who want to do storage under the extension table.”

The New Delta “Made in the USA” Unisaw (Sawmill Creek)
Consensus: B&D, owners of the Delta brand, have a tough row to hoe proving that they will consistently strive for excellence…
Quote from Steve Reeves: “Everything they seem to touch turns to crap within a few years.”

Drool…. Drool… Drool… the All New Unisaw (LumberJocks)
Consensus: Excited + SawStop Clone?
Quote from PurpLev: “I will be in the market for a more powerful saw in the (not too far) future -and to this moment I couldn’t find anything that “wowed” me – but this new Unisaw sure did! This one is definitely on my list- just a matter of price and time.”

New Unisaw? (Family Woodworking)
Consensus: Not blown away.
Quote from Jim DeLaney: “Interesting that they’re only making it in left tilt models, after being ‘right tilt only’ for about 70 of the 80 years they made the older model.”

First Look: The New Delta Unisaw (Comments in FWW Editor’s Blog)
Consensus: Where is the blade stop system???? (Then backlash from folks who promote safety habits over safety technology…)
Quote from Claus Fjord Christensen: “One huge disappointment is that they have not included instant stop. I consider this an essential safety device on any saw, now that the technology is available. Think of how many fingers that would save.”

Quote from Mapdude: “All you people whining about Saw Stop. How did the world get along with out it for so many years?”

If you find/spot anymore coverage please comment this thread or send me an email: GFrench@ToolCrib.com… and enjoy the wait until 2009 when the new Unisaw ships ;)

Anyhow, this little article will first look at some of the forces driving iron prices up. And then I’ll come clean with the identity of the CEO of a major power tool company who tipped me off…

What’s Driving Iron Ore Prices:
First off, I’m no economist (or metallurgist for that matter). International markets seem like soap operas to me and the international iron market is no exception. There’s no shortage of drama. In a nutshell then it appears that there are two major factors driving iron prices up (and therefore power tool prices).

1) Rising Cost of Freight
Because China imports so much iron it relies heavily on freight. A recent article in CNNMoney stated that freight prices surged 10% last week alone. One analyst speculates this could increase Australian miners’ iron prices by as much as 85% (apparently China buys lots of Australian iron… I had no idea).

One expert noted here:

…there [are] too few new ships entering the market to meet rising demand meaning the cost of hiring the largest vessels had almost doubled in the last year to US$200,000 a day.

I’d also venture the assumption – though I’ve not seen it written in any of the financial sources I’ve read – that oil costs have driven freight costs higher.

Check out:
Rising Freight Forces China To Accept Higher Iron Ore Prices
Rising Freight Costs Increase Inflationary Pressure on Foodstuffs, Grains and Commodities

2) Increased Chinese Demand for Iron Ore
China’s drive to industrialize means they’re using far more iron than ever before. They can’t produce enough to keep up with their own demand. Chinese demand has also sent copper prices soaring. If you’re in construction you may have seen an increase in copper theft in recent years (you also might want to check out 7 Ways to Stop Copper Thieves).

The cost of freight prices is also impacted by the increased demand:

Peter Norfolk, research chief at ship broker Simpson, Spence and Young, said: “The main reason for the [freight price] surge is demand for iron ore in China but consumption of commodities is high across the board.”

3) Skyrocketing Spot Prices
Further, there are allegations from Chinese steel mills that the major Brazilian iron producer Rio Tinto has chosen not to fulfill contracts so that it can sell its iron on the “spot” market, where prices are skyrocketing.

Here you can see rising spot iron prices:

2007-01 75 USD per metric ton or tonne, 2204.83 pounds.
2007-02 82
2007-03 91
2007-04 95
2007-05 100
2007-06 102
2007-07 102
2007-08 125
2007-09 151
2007-10 170
2007-11 180
2007-12 185
2008-01
2008-02 196 (mostly contracts with Chinese firms)

data from: Iron Ore Prices.

So… Who Tipped Me Off?
Well I didn’t wake up this morning thinking I’d write a ToolCrib article about the international iron market. What happened is that I was cruising WoodNet and found a recent post titled: Any rumblings on Griz Summer Sale- PapaGrizzly ??? In case you don’t know, Papa Grizzly is Shiraz Balolia, the CEO and owner of Grizzly Tools. He’s also a luthier.

Here’s the question:

“I haven’t heard or seen anything yet and if I recall correctly their Summer Sales usually starts the middle of May. Wondering if they are going to have one this year with the way the economy is and the ever weakening dollar.

PapaGriz what is the word?”

Here’s Mr. Balolia’s answer:

For the first time in 25 years no summer sale this year. We have been hit with huge, huge price increases and have been absorbing them quietly.

The exchange rate is actually just a small part. Here’s an article showing what is happening to the price of iron ore, and it’s not stopping anytime soon.

http://money.cnn.com/news/newsfeeds/articles/djhighlights/200805160729DOWJONESDJONLINE000487.htm

Bad things are going to happen to machinery prices next year!

The thread again: Any rumblings on Griz Summer Sale- PapaGrizzly ???

If the CEO of Grizzly says that machinery prices are going up, then I think that’s a pretty solid indicator. The moral of this story is that if you want to buy a new power tool, the time to do it is sooner rather than later. Now, I’m not saying you should buy Grizzly, but I can definitely say that there’s a pretty high opinion of them in the major online woodworking forums.

Here are some articles in which we discuss Grizzly:
Grizzly Tools – What is Your Opinion? (links to forum threads on Grizzly + 32 responses from visitors)
Top 5 Woodworking Tool Companies with the Best Customer Service (Grizzly ranked 3rd)
What’s the Best Band Saw? Benchtop vs. 14 Inch vs. 17 Inch vs. 18 Inch
A Table Saw Buying Guide: Benchtop vs Contractor vs Cabinet vs Hybrid
Grizzly G5013 17″ Band Saw vs. Jet JWBS-18X 18″ Band Saw
Cyclone Dust Collectors: Gorilla vs. Clear Vue vs. Grizzly
Grizzly 1023 vs. Delta Unisaw and Craftsman Hybrid
$600 For New Contractor Saw: Bosch vs. Rigid vs. Grizzly vs. Jet

They give out power tool deals like they were Saturday morning cartoons or something…

Check out these Weekend Sale Deals that I added to the power tool deals section of our blog today:

• Bosch 1587AVSK Top-Handle Jig Saw Kit – $85.49
• GMC ATBR1500 2 1/4 HP Router Kit With 3 Bases – $47.49
• Denali 10 Inch Compound Miter saw – $47.49
• Gerber 22-41506 Clutch Mini Pliers – $9.99
• GMC AJS58LS 5.8 Amp Top Handle Jigsaw – $18.99

Tags: Amazon+Weekend+Sale, -, Great+Power+Tool+Deals