December, 2007

Tool Trends for 2008

New safety features for saws truly revolutionize this product category.

By Gary Katz

LBM Journal does a great job of covering new materials—windows, doors, decking, housewraps, and flashings, among others. And I know that dealers read these articles with care. After all, the number and variety of new materials introduced each year makes it tough for dealers to know which ones to stock. 

However, stocking the best materials isn’t the only way a lumberyard provides its customers with top-notch support.

In my next two articles, I’ll describe two new tools that are changing the way carpenters work on job sites, and I’m not exaggerating.

If you carry power tools for your customers, be sure to stock these—your best customers will always want the best tools.

Portable Table Saws

I’ve asked thousands of professional carpenters if they use a table saw guard on their portable saws; they’ve all said no. Think about that.

Table saws cause more accidents on job sites than any other power tool, yet the guard system has always been clumsy, difficult to install/remove, impossible to use for narrow rips, rabbets, dados, and—after one week’s use, too cloudy to see through.

What I’m about to tell you may sound like the Miracle on 34th Street, but it’s true: Tool manufacturers have banded together in a rare industry-wide effort to design a new guard system, and the results are impressive.

Bosch is the first company to release their new saw, model #4100, and they couldn’t have picked a better name for the new system: Smart Guard. Other manufacturers will be rolling out their models during 2008. Expect to see saws with new guard systems from nearly every company.

Eliminating Kickback

The heart of every saw guard is the splitter—that’s what stops a kerf from closing and pinching on the rear teeth of the saw blade.

In the past, installing the splitter and adjusting alignment so it wouldn’t bind during a saw cut has been a major headache. But Bosch has solved that problem.

Like the innovative Saw Stop cabinet saw (which is the model for all new table saws used in a shop environment), a single lever secures the splitter in the saw. Though the 2-in. lever isn’t nearly as robust as the Saw Stop 4-in. lever, the mechanism works well. Remember, this is a $600 saw, not a $3,000 saw.

The Riving Knife

So far I’ve been calling it a splitter, but this splitter doubles as a riving knife. Riving knives have been around on European tools for years.

In a previous article on safety (“Safety Saves Money” LBM Journal, Nov. 2006), I described how to convert a splitter into a riving knife. (See also: www.GaryM Katz.com /ToolReviews/RivingKnife.htm).

A riving knife is similar to a splitter but different: A splitter projects out over the top of the blade and supports the saw cover, whereas a riving knife is completely behind the blade, about 1/8 in. lower than the blade, and doesn’t support a plastic cover.

On Bosch’s new saw, releasing the lock lever allows you to slide the splitter down until it’s just beneath the height of the teeth on the blade.

In this position, the splitter never interferes with the operation of the saw, except when making dado cuts with a smaller blade. And for that operation the splitter can be lowered all the way beneath the saw table.

For all other cuts, carpenters have full-time kickback protection from a manufactured riving knife—no conversion necessary.

The Cover

The only similarity between the new Bosch system and conventional guards is that the splitter supports the cover and the pawls. All similarities end right there.

A tool-free lever latches the Bosch cover onto the splitter. Attaching and removing the cover is literally a snap. The Bosch blade cover and guard is also unusual in that you can always see through to the blade. Split down the middle, the alloy guard looks like a tuning fork. The two-piece plastic cover swivels independently on each side of the guard, which means you can flip the right side up—spring locks hold the cover in a vertical position—and slide the rip fence right up to the blade for narrow rips.

Because the guard and cover are split, and the cover is perforated as well, dust collection is not enhanced much. But the Bosch saw does a good job of dust collection even when using the riving knife alone—if you can find the right adaptor for your vacuum.

The Pawls

I’ve never been fond of anti-kickback pawls. Most of them scratch pre-finished material, and they always interfere with narrow rips. But when making repetitive rips on hardwood boards, they add a serious level of safety. Fortunately, the pawls on the 4100 are removable, too, and once again, no tools are needed; just squeeze the lock pin and lift them off. Replacing them only takes a second, so it’s easy to maintain a higher degree of safety while using the saw.

Onboard Storage

Another reason blade guards are seen once and never again is that there’s never been anywhere safe to store them. Bosch has solved that problem, too. Both the guard and the pawls clip and store beneath the saw. I can also verify that they won’t vibrate loose: One day I knocked my saw over and the only thing that fell off was the red throat guard.

Like I said, Bosch is the first manufacturer to market the new saw guard system. If your yard doesn’t stock Bosch power tools (note: the Bosch table saw always comes out ahead in every tool review published by Fine Homebuilding and Tools of the Trade), expect other companies to follow soon with similar innovations.

Ask your power tool representatives when you can expect their new saw. And make sure you let your customers know about it!

As a building products professional, always remember that some things you learn from your customers; some things your customers must learn from you!