We all have straps … and almost all of us have straps that are tangled, mangled, and messed.  Mine lived in a 5 gallon bucket all mixed and unmatched, knotted and split.  Anytime I needed a strap, or when someone asked to borrow one, I cringed at the thought of untangling the blob of straps that it had become.

The Strap Sack is going to make keeping the straps a whole lot simpler.  The concept is simple and smart … and a bit too obvious once you see it in action.  Essentially a baggie for your strap that keeps things neat and organized.  The sack seems to be a nylon material, but the inventor also sent along a sample of a newer material being used that is a bit thicker and should wear better for heavy users.

Check out the official company website at the link below for a couple videos showing it in action.

www.tie-down-storage.com

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An in depth opinion of this tool can’t be come to as of yet, only because this tool is brand new and I’ve only taken it through the basic test runs.  However, let me offer some initial opinions and we’ll re-review this at a later time once it has seen many hours of use.

First Impressions …Without a doubt, it is sweet to open up a tool only to feel the excitement of what’s to come.  Packed well and included with a handy case, the Dremel makes a strong first impression.  Included with it is a basic bit and abrasive kit — just enough to give you a feel for what you can do, but trust me when I say you’ll need to buy more in no time.  Since this is a cordless tool, you’ll find a single battery (already attached to the tool) and a smallish sized charger to keep you running.

As for the tool itself, it feels solid.  My old Dremel tool — at least 10 years old — is all that I have for comparison, but I can tell you that this one feels like it is built a bit more solid and is hefty.  It is a bit heavier than my old one, but that should be expected since it does have a battery attached.

The 8200 offers a variable speed from 5,000 to 30,000 rpm which will be needed for control and precision in the variety of tasks it will be used for.   In my shop the Dremel is typically used for moderate-to-light power carving and cutting/grinding lighter metals.  With this new model, I plan to experiment more on the power carving side to see how it holds up.

The marketing material reports that the lithium-ion battery holds a charge 6 times longer than standard NiCad batteries — only time will tell.  Other tools that I use frequently with this type of battery do last a bit longer, but 6x would be a miracle in actual use.  Hopefully it will prove me wrong.

One thing I really like about this model out the gate over the my older one is that Dremel separated the speed control from the on/off switch.  This means you can turn the tool off without losing that “perfect” speed from your last use.  This is essential when using a rotary tool for carving because it can take a bit of trial and error to find the speed that cuts best.

See Dremel’s website at: http://www.dremel.com/en-us/Tools/Pages/ToolDetail.aspx?pid=8200

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If you’ve never used a tool rest other than the one that came with your lathe, then you’re in for a real treat.  Typically the tool rests that come with a majority of lathes (all but the most expensive) are in need of major filing to smooth the top and possibly even adjustments to tighten the up.  After monkeying with mine for over a year and never getting the results I desired, I finally gave up and ordered a few of these tool rests from Wesley Graham.  Smooth sailing ever since!

The hardened tool steel that is used across the top of the rest, and the part that guides the gouge in use, is silky smooth and allows the tool to glide effortlessly across as directed by the turner.  Where my old tool rest would get caught up here or there, these don’t suffer the same problem.

Another cool thing about aftermarket tool rests …. you can get the size you actually need!  My lathe came with a 14″ tool rest … and while nice for larger work, it was not good with smaller items (like turning pens, small bowls, bottlestoppers, or boxes).  With a few different sizes on hand now, I just grab the one that fits most appropriately and slide it in.  It’s a beautiful thing!

Would I recommend these to a friend.  Yes!  I’ve not experienced any issues with them, plus I’m supporting a friend in the business who’s keeping stuff made in America!

More information about these tool rests at www.metal-made.com

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Weighing in at 2.2lbs and operating on a rechargeable battery, the Trend Airshield Pro should last an average of 6 – 8 hours between charges.  While I’ve never timed it to the minute, this range is rather accurate in my experience.  The dust collection it very good, with Trend estimating a 95% efficiency (though not NIOSH approved).  I’ve put this helmet thru the ringer, as they say, while building furniture that requires a lot of sanding with an angle grinder (a VERY messy and dusty situation).  While I can often still smell the wood being cut, I’ve yet to come away with the sawdust boogers since purchasing (and wearing) the mask … a good sign that it is doing the job.

Overall, the mask is fairly comfortable.  Snugged up on your head appropriately, the mask is well balanced and doesn’t typically interfere.  The few times I’ve had issues with the mask I found that it was not secured tight enough.  The issues I ran into in those circumstances were the mask falling off when leaning over, or dropping down into my field of vision.  It is also worth mentioning that though the mask is very light (2.2lbs), that is still 2.2lbs more than your neck is used to carrying around so the first day, or two, there was minor pains in my neck as it adjusted.  Luckily, after a few days the body adjusted and that’s no longer an issue.

Nowadays I use the mask for other tasks, such as turning on the lathe — especially during the sanding activities.  The filtration system not only keeps my lungs clean, but the mask also sends a nice cool breeze down the front of the face.  In the summer that little bit of air is a welcome treat, and in the winter it’s not so noticable (I suppose because the air is a heated and being circulated?).  There are times though, especially in the dead heat of the summer, when I have to give the mask a 10 minute timeout to let me cool off … while it’s cooler because of the breeze it provides, that doesn’t help the top and back of the head that is trapped under the plastic frame.

The Ear Defenders are an accessory item for the Pro mask.  They hook onto the side of the mask and when snapped down into place, provide decent protection for the ears.  While they function well, I probably wouldn’t buy them again.  They are (1) over priced for what they are and (2) not as snug to my ears the set I use more often.  However, with that said there is a great convenience in having them attached to the mask, so in some circumstances I still attach them for use.  One cool thing about the Ear Defenders is that you can “snap” them in the upward position, off the ear, when not in use.

Specifications:

• Airflow min: 5.6 cf/min
• Airflow fully charged: 7.06 cf/min
• Size of headband: 20-1/2″ to 24-1/2″
• Motor sound level: 70 dB
• Battery: 8 hr
• Weight: 2.2 lb
• Charger Voltage: 120 v
• Eye protection:ANSI Z87.1 (low energy impact)
• Respiratory protection (reference only): NPF50 to BS EN 12941 THP2
  Not NIOSH approved

The helmet / face shield:

The ear protectors:

The storage bag (a bit of a joke around here):

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Introduction
First, a bit of background: Before I bought this machine, I was using a 6” Grizzly Jointer and a Ridgid 13” lunchbox planer. That’s fairly standard equipment in the woodworking world. There were two main reasons I wanted to upgrade:

• Jointer capacity. I don’t like having to rip boards down because my jointer can’t handle them. Yes, a planer sled works, but it is very cumbersome.
• Setting knives. I hate setting knives. It often turned into an all-day affair, even with jigs and a dial indicator.

I estimate that an 8” jointer would handle 60% of all the lumber I typically buy, a 10” jointer would handle 85%, and a 12” jointer 98%. For those once-in-a-lifetime boards, I’ll find someone with an aircraft carrier.
As for setting knives, while there are indexed knife systems, by far the best solution is to use a helical head with carbide inserts. The carbide lasts longer, reduces tearout, and the inserts are easy to rotate/ replace. But it’s not cheap. And it doesn’t make a lot of sense to buy a jointer with a carbide helical head but use ordinary knives in the planer. That’s when I started to look at a combination machine.

Combination machine
With a combination machine, you use the same head for both jointing and planing, meaning you only pay for the helical head once. That’s a big plus. At 600sq.ft. I have a decent sized shop, but it’s not a ballroom. It’s not too hard to fit two separate machines; the tricky part is making sure you have enough room (8+ ft.) on both the infeed and outfeed side. That’s much simpler with a single machine.

There are many good combination machines available, but in my price category, there are only two real choices: The Grizzly G0634Z (which replaces the G0634) and the JET JJP-12HH. I had the good fortune to see both machines beforehand. Both looked very solid and well-made. In the end, I decided against the Grizzly for two reasons: First, the fence on the Grizzly must be removed from the machine before switching to planer mode . That’s not so easy to do in a small shop – where are you going to put it? Second, the machine is almost a foot wider (deeper) than the JET because of the rack-and-pinion fence system.

Installation and setup
The machine was delivered in a large, wooden crate. It wasn’t the best packaging (it was nailed to the pallet in a rather ungainly fashion), but it protected the machine, which is what mattered. This thing is HEAVY, so if you need to move it, get some help. Installation is a snap: Remove the packing material, clean the cosmoline off the tables (which was a only a very light coating) and attach a plug to the cord. Everything was dead-on from the factory.

I put casters from Great Lakes on my machine; they fit perfectly in the holes used to bolt the legs to the crate. Once lowered, the machine is very stable. There is a little “give” if you push hard against the top of the machine, but it doesn’t move at all, even when jointing large, wide boards with some force. I don’t plan to move this machine more than once a year (if that), so instant mobility was not high on the list of requirements (raising the feed requires getting down and dirty to move the turn wheels on the casters).

The machine was perfectly aligned out of the box. I put a 36” straightedge across the infeed and outfeed tables, and it was dead flat. I face jointed a 4’ board and put the straightedge on that – dead flat.

Motor and electrical
The machine has a 220V 3HP motor. The amperage requirements are somewhat confusing. The manual lists the motor at 12.5A, for both the helical- and non-helical versions. Yet the manual states the helical version requires a 30A breaker, whereas the non-helical version requires only a 20A breaker. I went with the motor specs, and plugged it into a 20A outlet. No problems whatsoever.

The machine makes a very satisfactory rumble when started up. It’s radically different from the noise my Ridgid used to make, it’s much, much quieter. Two simple buttons control the machine, one red, and one green. I didn’t need the manual to figure out which is which.

Jointer operation
The jointer uses a European style guard, which is quite different from the “pork chop” guard. I definitely prefer the Euro guard, the pork chop guard was always slamming back at the wrong time, or a thinner piece of stock would get caught underneath it. This is a much better design, and a breeze to adjust.

The fence is my least favorite part of the machine. It’s certainly solid enough, in that it doesn’t flex when you joint your boards. That’s critical. But to move the fence, you have to loosen it via two handles. There isn’t much room to turn them, so if you need to loosen/ fasten more you lift up on the handle and return it to the original position. I might replace them with some knurled knobs. Also, the fence is not parallel to the table. It doesn’t need to be of course, but if you’re used to the rack-and-pinion system, it takes some getting used to. This is where the Grizzly machine does better, and why it’s a foot deeper. I also found it slightly difficult to set the fence 90 degrees to the table. If I lock it down “as-is”, my Wixey digital angle gauge shows 90 degrees at the bottom of the fence and 89.5 at the top. If I apply a little bit of pressure to the top of the fence when I lock it down, it’s 90 degrees all the way. So I may need to do a little filing. I don’t think the 0.5 degrees really matters much anyway.

Enough has been written about a helical head with carbide inserts. So I’ll just add this: Wow. The machine comes with 10 replacement inserts, although for some reason the little plastic box I received only had 5. A quick call to JET’s customer service fixed that. So now I have 15. With any luck, they’ll go unused for a long time.

The infeed and outfeed table are “ribbed”, which supposedly reduces friction. I’m still on the fence as to whether I prefer ribbed or smooth. The stock feels more secure as you joint it, but I suspect the ribbing adds some friction, although I only noticed this as I was joining an 11 ½” wide piece of 8/4 Purpleheart. The cutterhead may also be contributing to this feeling of resistance; it feels as if the cutters are pushing the board down.

Dust collection in joiner mode is outstanding. Even with an ordinary 1.5HP DC, very few chips escape the jointer. The helical head helps here: there are no long protruding knives that fling the chips onto the table.

Planer operation
At first, the planer table appeared “short” because there are no infeed/ outfeed tables like my Ridgid had. But you don’t need them. I planed longer boards (6ft) as well as short boards (18”), zero snipe. There is a lever you have to move in order to engage the feed rollers, it’s a little stiff but works fine. Locking the height is easy and secure. When you feed the board, you can really feel when the roller grabs the board. And once it has the board, it’s held flat. I really like the tactile feedback you get from this. Dust collection is good, a few chips fall on/ beside the planer table, but 99% gets sucked up as expected.

Oh, and did I mention the helical head with carbide inserts? I planed a variety of species (QS red oak, FS white oak, Purpleheart, Hard Maple, QS Sycamore and QS beech) just to see how it would handle different grain patterns. The Sycamore had some very wild figure, and the oak had lots of knots and swirling grain. I planed each board with- and against the grain. The results were outstanding. With the red oak and Sycmore, I had to use slightly shallower cuts to avoid tearout, but not by much. The results were much better than with my Ridgid planer. The only way I could come close to these results would be with fresh knives and feeding the boards at an angle.

Jointer/ planer changeover
This is the real test of course. I am very happy to report the changeover is extremely fast. The most time consuming part is raising/ lowering the planer table. This is because the dust collection chute must be flipped between modes, and the planer table has to be 7” below the cutterhead for that. The table moves very smoothly, so it’s not too big of a job. I had seen a modification to use a power drill to move the table up and down, but I decided it’s not worth it. All-in-all, the changeover takes about 20 seconds. If I had a separate joiner and planer, I’d probably spend the same time wheeling each machine into position.

Summary
Overall, I’m very pleased with the machine. It is well engineered, it has plenty of power, and the helical head tackles even the toughest grain. I think JET has found a real sweet spot here, offering features normally found on much more expensive machines, and in a very compact form at that. I’m not going to presume it is in the same league as some of the more industrial machines from Hammer and Felder, but I don’t do this for a living. I suspect this machine will last me a lifetime, which works for me.

Would I buy this machine if I had a 30×40 shop? That’s tough to say. A 12″ jointer with helical head is only a few hundred dollars cheaper than the JJP-112HH combination machine, so is the extra cost of a planer worth it to avoid the changeover time? I’m not even going to worry over that!

Jet Planer/Jointer combo Jet JJP-12HH

Originally posted at http://www.ncwoodworker.net/forums/f35/jjp-12hh-review-28363/

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Many of you may know of Graham Blackburn from his many books and a few videos.  A few years back he started a subscription DVD called Woodworking In Action.  I recently checked out whats been going on with it. A lot it turned out.  Now, in addition to a quarterly DVD in the mail, you have full access to flash videos of all the previous videos.

A few folks you might have heard of, Frank Klausz, Alan Lacer, Marc Adams, Garret Hack, Don Weber and more. Most videos are either of the 10 minute or 22 minute variety. With an average of 10 different segments per video. Topics range from how-to, showcase of work and jigs. He covers both flat lander and Dark Side woodworking topics. Given the archive goes back to October of 2005, you get online access to 11 DVD’s worth of content.

On to the content! Its great. I found most videos to be a good blend of information and education. Without being insulting, the videos are what I’d call semi-pro. You don’t get a highly polished scripted and show, something more like a casual conversation. Many of the folks in these videos are used to talking to their subject, and that comes across.

If you are a video junky, which I am, I’d say its money well spent.

You can take a look and get a preview at
http://www.woodworkinginaction.com/

12/2009 Update

Boy, it pains me to have to post this, but….

I can’t recommend this site for now. They are 2 months late in releasing the new video. I’ve also not received two of the promised DVD’s and their last release had about 30% less content.

Only found one other person on Lumberjocks who has posted about this. He’s has had no response from the site. Their SSL Certificate expired on November 12th.

All this adds up to concerns. You still have access to all their prior videos online, but I’d really be careful if you were considering a new subscription.

Should they update, I’ll follow up here.

Originally posted at http://www.ncwoodworker.net/forums/f35/graham-blackburns-woodworking-action-21353/

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New Bedford Tool & Gauge Co. coined the phrase “Jobsite Automation” to describe their revolutionary new contruction industry tool -  SawGear.  SawGear is a portable, precise and rugged automated length measuring system for chop saws .

Tualatin, OR December 18, 2009 – “Yesterday we were doing the exact same cuts using a skil saw, tape, square and pencil to make these cuts,” says Paul Johns of Ronald Johns Construction Co.  “Using the SawGear today probably took a fifth of the time.  It’s not even comparable.”  SawGear is a tough, portable tool that attaches to your miter saw right at the job site.  Enter a dimension on the simple-to-use keypad, SawGear moves to position, slap your material against the rugged stop, and cut your board.

In the building industry, margins are getting thinner and competition is getting more aggressive.  SawGear is not a luxury item, like some tools, it’s the necessary tool to be competitive.  This tool sets up in minutes, takes seconds to learn, and saves hours of time.  Jobs are completing ahead of schedule with SawGear AND the quality workmanship is the result of accurate to 1/128” cuts no matter who is at the saw.

SawGear can be used by many trades including framing, finish, trim, siding, and cabinet installs.

To see a live demo of SawGear, visit Booth Number N2371 at IBS.  For more information on SawGear, please visit www.sawgear.com or e-mail sales@sawgear.com.

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A little about my SawStop cabinet saw:

• It was probably from one of the original batches of SawStop’s made as I purchased it not too longer after they began selling them.  I acquired this saw in 9/2006.
• Specs:
  • Industrial model
  • 5HP, single phase motor
  • 10″ blade
  • 52″ fence
  • Footprint: 20″x25″d
  • Cast iron table: 24″x30″d
  • Extension table
  • 685lbs
  • Left-tilt
  • 4″ Dust Collection Port
• It’s been in use in my hobby shop, maybe seeing 8-10 hours of use per month (light load by any measure).

It’s controversial.  SawStop has taken a fairly long road that ended with the company making their own saw in the end.  Although its not something I want to go into detail with in a review, the short of it is that SawStop creators came up with a revolutionary product that will stop a spinning blade if, and when, it comes in contact with human flesh.  Stephen Gass (SawStop inventor) started down the road of politics and regulations in hopes of getting laws changed to improve saw safety (and sell their devise/design).  There was a lot of push-back and resistance by manufacturers … so in the end, SawStop created their own complete table saw.  Search the net and you’ll get the whole story … but that’s enough to help you understand the high level details I think.

It’s impressive. To tell you the truth, it worked out fairly well for us (the end user) that SawStop ended up having to make their own saw.  Why?  They stepped up the game a notch and offered a superior cabinet saw with several improvements … going where none of the other mainstream manufacturers had gone.  The (new referred to as) Industrial version of the SawStop offers a larger cast iron table (30″ deep), heavy duty gears and inside components, quick-release riving knife, enclosed blade cavity for improved dust collection, and obviously the braking mechanism.

It’s safer, not safe.  There is a difference between “safer” and “safe”.  No tool with sharp teeth and powerful motors is going to be “safe”, however the SawStop is a “safer” tablesaw.  Even without the brake mechanism, the SawStop is a vast improvement over conventional saws on the market.  Between the riving knife (an anti-kickback device) and the larger cast iron top to support the material being cut, there is a level of “safer” reached.  Add to it the brake system, and this saw is light years ahead of the competition.  But like an air bag in a car, the brake doesn’t make it “safe”, just “safer”.  In the event you have an accident, there’s a darn good chance the brake will trigger well before you amputate a finger or destroy a hand.

It’s about time. SawStop set the bar high and now a few other manufacturers are following to keep pace.  While they don’t have the brake technology, they are bringing up the overall level of safety by adding riving knives and offering other improvements.  In the end, we (the end user) benefit.

It’s for anyone, but not everyone. Unfortunately technology and quality cost money and for some this added value will not be enough to justify the cost.  While the SawStop would be an excellent cabinet saw for just about anyone, the additional cost of the technology will keep some away where the cost cannot be justified — or afforded.  That’s unfortunate, but how most everything works (computers, automobiles, space travel, you name it).

Issues & Resolutions I’ve had:

• (10/06) Immediately after getting the saw, I equipped it with a brand new high quality blade.  One of the first tests I did was check the fence runout.  Runout was minor (+/- .003 – .006 in.).  That seemed acceptable to me, so after a few more tests I took to a cut.  For the next week, every cut I took had noticeable “scratches” on the edge of the board cut.  This was a bit frustrating.  In the end, the fix was to refer to the manual and tweak the fence a hair.  That did the trick and it’s run well ever since.
• (12/06) The saw began to screech when starting up.  Just a short, but concerning, screech.  After emailing SawStop support, they pointed me to a belt adjustment.  It would seem the belt had stretched a little after several hours of use.  That one tightening job did it and its worked fine ever since.
• (12/07) The most frustrating problem with the saw I’ve ran into was a continual slippage that would occur after I tilted the saw blade to 45 degrees.  Not every time, but it happened at least three times over the first year and each time I was down and out for a good 45 – 60 minutes trying to fix it.  The fix was to tighten a hex head bolt that keeps the gears in contact with one another.  It would appear that the stress of the 45 degree angle caused something to loosen just a hair … and just enough to cause the entire assembly to “slop” back to a lesser angle.  Fed up with my unsuccessful attempt to fix it, I contacted SawStop support.  They not only pointed me to the page in the manual where it was fixed, but also made themselves available for more emails as I continued to deal with it.  In the end, it would seem I just needed to make the bolt a bit tighter than I had been.  That sounds easy, but it’s buried in the cabinet of the saw and took a bit of squirming for me to make that happen.  However, even since the last adjustment (nearly two years ago), it’s not slipped again since.  Here are a few images that I had taken at that time, and a video, both of which I had provided to SawStop support at the time.
  
• (5/09) New Zero Clearance Insert, Accidentally Triggered Brake
  A bit embarrassing of a story, but none the less it happened so I’ll tell it.  It all started with the decision to buy a new, un-cut zero-clearance insert from my local Woodcraft.  I hurried home to install it, popped it in the cast iron top just as I had done so many times on my previous cabinet saw.  Turned the saw on and started to raise the blade.  See the problem yet?  Me either, obviously.  It was a bit of a chore raising the blade (first sign of a problem), but I “powered” thru it thinking ‘this is some tough plastic!’.  Things just didn’t seem right and it was getting tougher and tougher to raise the blade, yet it was not popping thru the insert.  Finally, I decided one more good crank should do it … when POP!  I knew that sound as I had heard it at so many woodworking shows hanging around the SawStop booth … the blade went off.  It only took a millisecond for me to realize the error in my ways.  Figured it out yet?  I forgot to remove the riving knife!  In essence I was jamming the riving knife into the underside of the zero clearance insert until it finally made contact with the blade itself.  And since my hand was on the saw, we triggered the brake.  So much for that Forrest WWII blade.  Lesson learned.  So hopefully someone will read this well before they make the same mistake and save themselves the embarrassment and money.  The good news … I know the braking system works!
• (5/09) After Triggering the Brake, It Wouldn’t Start Again
  After the incident outlined above took place, I installed a new brake and new blade.  When you turn on the SawStop it runs a 20 second diagnostic test before you can turn it on.  Well, it kept failing the test and I couldn’t figure out why.  Did I read the manual?  Well, of course not.  I emailed SawStop support and explained the scenario.  They graciously pointed me back to the manual (as they had done every time in the past), to the exact section and page.  It would seem the incredible force of the brake had caused the space between the blade and brake to become greater than allowed.  SawStop support recommended that I check the gap between the blade and brake. They recommended using a nickel to set the gap. The idea is to set it so the teeth are just barely touching the nickel.  Sure enough, the gap had gotten too wide because after an extremely easy adjustment I was back in business.
• (2008) Soft metal, tough bolts, hard headed.
  When I originally received the saw I installed the front tube with the included bolts.  While I didn’t think I was “heavy handed” (hard headed, yes), I must have been because nearly all had stripped out.  This really took away from the saws enjoyment because every time someone bumped the tube I’d have to check alignment and make tweaks (read: hammer).  I finally got to a point it was driving me nuts.  Though I had technically caused my own problem, I felt better blaming the soft metal used for the tube.  I contacted SawStop looking for the price of a new tube, when they decided to WOW me.  They could sell me a new tube, but they were not very cheap (well, not as cheap as me).  They then continued to offer that they would give me a tube off a returned, or serviced, saw if I would pay shipping.  Uhhhh, yes!  A few weeks later I had a brand new front tube along with the bolts to secure it.  I was a lot more careful this go around installing it, and it has ever since been great!

A few words about SawStop customer service

If you’ve read this far, then you already know they have treated me well.  I’m no one special, but they don’t mine.  They are a relatively small company, which is extremely nice.  When you contact them, you get real people who live and breath this product day in and day out.  They know it, and they know it well.  Up to this point they have impressed me with their knowledge, and pleased me with their service.

A few pictures of my saw

For more information about the SawStop go here.

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I first heard of the Bowclamp on SawMillCreek (SMC) message board some time back.  The concept is simple … almost too simple.  A piece of wood (hard maple?) is precisely cut in a gentle curve and given a T-slot on the back side.  This piece of wood will replace countless clamps (well, you could count them … assuming you had them!) and allow two (that’s right, two) clamps to do the work of many.  The gentle curve is used face-down on the to-be-clamped surface and secured on the ends with the two clamps.  The pressure is distributed evenly across the caul (Bowclamp).  Got it?

So, why didn’t I make my own?  I guess I could be asked that about everything … and the reason rarely changes.  My time is better spent building furniture for my family, not clamps for my shop, I’d have to use my expensive lumber, it takes time, and I don’t have a way to ID mine with a cool gold marking!  Okay, seriously … all the above.

The cool gold stamp

The T-slot on the backside is to capture the clamp’s tip, making the caul a lot more stable (and less fumbling around with it while you get it in place).  There is also a leather strap attached to make hanging the cauls in the shop easy.

Crook your head.  This is a side view of the LONG caul.

Would I recommend these to a friend?  In a minute, yes.  They not only require less clamps, but they save time (less clamps to tighten) and provide for more even pressure.  Some of the best glue-ups I’ve had to date have been with these cauls in full effect.  Now … if I only had a few more of them!  Maybe my friend will buy me a set!

More information about the BowClamp here

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