ProTool Reviews and The WoodWhisperer both have some great articles about SawStop, a new rival flesh detecting table saw safety system, and what the Consumer Product Safety Commission can do to help lesson table saw injuries.

It turns out that SawStop as a brand was not the first choice for Stephen Gass, the inventor of the table saw braking system. He originally went directly to table saw manufacturers to try and get them to license his SawStop system from them; but his licensing efforts failed. The SawStop technology was too expensive, heavy, and ruined saws blades after each stop. Manufacturers were also afraid of the lawsuits they would get for only using the technology on certain table saw models; it was just not possible to use it on every model.

This is why SawStop went into the saw making business and also why Gass went from a great inventor in my mind, to another money grubbing Washington lobbyist. Instead of letting people make a choice on weather to buy his safety system by purchasing one of his saws, he went to the CPSC to try and force manufacturers into using a flesh detecting and blade stopping system. And because he had the only system, he would have SawStop on every saw sold in the USA. The CPSC never drafted new rules regarding flesh detecting tech back when Gass first went to them in 2008, but now it looks like the CPSC is taking another look; and this is where Gass' lobbying might end up hurting him in the end.

There is a new flesh detecting kid on the block called WhirlWind. WhirlWind might not be as flashy as the SawStop, but it has other things going for it that could make it make it the overall winner. Instead of requiring users to touch the blade in order to activate the blade brake, the WhirlWind uses a flesh detecting blade guard. This system might be a bit more cumbersome, but because your hand is further from the blade, the blade can be stopped without damage, and any false positives will also result in no damage. The WhirlWind is sure to be cheaper for manufactures to add to their saws, and can be done so without adding a ton of weight. A WhirlWind prototype has already be added to Makita, Delta, Powermatic, and Ridgid table saws, so the WhirlWind has already proven to be adaptable to even small jobsite saw.

If the CPSC does indeed require more protecting from manufacturers in the form of flesh detection, at least now there is some competition. And who knows, manufacturers might even be working on their own systems.

WhirlWind Tool
Additional Reading - USAToday

Back in the olden days when a man needed a tool, he made it himself; but now all we have to do is head to the local hardware store. Tech is really growing in the construction world, and this makes making your own tools almost impossible. But for those of you looking to get back to your home-made tool roots, check out this DIY ultrasonic distance measure. To make you own ultrasonic measure, all you need is the open-source Arduino ($35), a ping ultrasonic sensor ($30), a display ($50), and a bit of code (free). Of course the whole thing will cost you more then a more accurate laser distance measure, but don't let that stop you.

Via Make Blog

Many tool stores have a few of their tools out of the box and on display so you can get a better look and feel, but how much information can you really gather from a tool that is tethered to the display case? It is when you actually get to use the tool that you really begin to understand what it is capable of. The idea behind the Festool Test Drive Center is simple enough; provide access to the tools, and let people use them. WoodWerks wants people to have usable access to the tools so they can better understand them; let the customer make cuts with the Kapex miter saw, let them test out the drills to find out which one they need. This is a step in the right direction, and yet another area where the big box stores fail us. The Festool Test Drive Center can only be found at WoodWerks in Columbus Ohio right now, but if it is successful, it seems likely that it will make its way to other Festool dealers.

Side Note: WoodWerks will be holding their Woodworking Expo this Friday, Saturday, and Sunday, and Festool is bringing all of their new 2011 products to show off. If you live in the Columbus Ohio area, you might want to check it out. There will also be demos of the following new tools:

• Rotex RO 90 DX Multi-mode Sander
• RO 90 DX Accessories
• WCR 1000 Dust Extractor Workcenter
• UG-Kapex, a wheeled miter saw stand
• T-Loc Systainers

WoodWerks

I usually don't have much coverage on concrete tools because I don't use them much in my line of work, and know very little about them. But for those of you in the concrete industry, or those just interested in tools news, you probably want to check out the official Makita World of Concrete press release that covers a few of their latest demolition and dust collection creations.

La Mirada, CA Makita joined nearly 50,000 concrete contractors and dealers under brilliant sunny skies in Las Vegas for four days of hammering, surfacing and drilling at the annual World of Concrete trade show.

The World of Concrete is the concrete industry's largest annual event, and Makita was there with Experience More, the 53-foot interactive tool display on wheels. Makita also offered hands-on demonstrations of its latest concrete solutions, with several tons of 4,000 PSI concrete formed in flat slabs and upright walls so attendees could try out the tools for themselves.

"Makita power tools deliver industrial strength performance with less vibration in a more compact size, and are engineered to beat up the concrete, not the end user. World of Concrete is a great opportunity to demonstrate these concrete solutions in an interactive setting," said Wayne Hart, Communications Manager, Makita USA. "This year we offered more new products with more concrete and more demonstrations, and the response was overwhelmingly positive. Once again, World of Concrete delivered great weather, and a great audience that stepped up and felt the difference for themselves."

Makita offered several hands-on product demonstrations of new and existing products, including three brand new demolition hammers: the HM1307CB 35lb (1-1/8" Hex), HM1203C 20lb (SDS-Max) and HM0870C 11lb (SDS-Max), and two new dust extraction accessories.

• New 35 lb. Demolition Hammer (HM1307CB): Combines more control and less vibration with hard-hitting power. The new HM1307CB is powered by a 14 AMP Makita-built motor with 34.9 Joules of impact energy and 730-1,450 BPM. At only 12.2 m/s2 vibration, the HM1307CB is engineered to deliver more power to the work surface for more efficient work. Ease-of-use features include a rubberized ergonomic soft grip to provide more comfort and control, and the easy-to-operate slide switch to increase productivity and allow for continuous use. In addition, the side-handle swivels 360° for greater control.
• New 20 lb. Demolition Hammer (HM1203C): Engineered with more power, more impact energy, and less weight than the previous model. The new HM1203C is powered by a 14 AMP Makita-built motor with 18.8 ft. lbs./ 25.5 joules of impact energy and 950-1,900 BPM. At only 15.5 m/s2 vibration, the HM1203C is engineered to deliver more power to the work surface for more efficient work. The HM1203C weighs only 20.3 lbs. for an improved power-to-weight ratio, and it's ideal for vertical and horizontal applications.
• New 11 lb. Demolition Hammer (HM0870C): Engineered with more power than the previous model. The new HM0870C is powered by a 10 AMP Makita-built motor with 11.4 joules of impact energy and 1,100 – 2,650 BPM. At only 11.0 m/s2 vibration, the HM0870C is engineered to deliver more power to the work surface for more efficient work. The HM0870C weighs only 11.1 lbs. for improved power-to weight ratio.
• New Dustless Hammer Attachment: World of Concrete attendees tried out Makita's new Dustless Hammer Attachment (#193472-7), and discovered several advantages vs. competitive built-on systems including better tool performance (competitor built-on vacuum motors draw power from the tool resulting in less impact energy/BPMS), and longer cordless run time (battery has to power both the vacuum motor and tool motor on competitive tools, greatly decreasing the tool runtime on one charge). Other advantages include better dust extraction (industrial vacuums are much more powerful than built-on systems, and the result is more efficient dust extraction), and smaller size and less weight (25% less weight without vacuum components and motor attached to the tool). The new Dust Hammer Attachment features a 17" hose, telescoping spring-loaded barrel, depth stop and bit size adjustment knobs, and a built-in ruler.
• Grinder Dust Shroud: Makita also demonstrated the new dust shroud accessory for 4-1/2" – 5" Grinders. The accessory features a 4-spring suspension system that keeps the shroud flush with surface during movement and compensates for blade wear, a removable edge piece for surface work flush to edges or other objects, and soft brushes that prevent dust from escaping and help move the tool over the surface all along edge. The standard hose fitting (OD 1-7/16") will work with most vacuum systems. The new Dust Shroud is ideal for concrete finishing, concrete material removal, and paint or surface coating removal.
• Cordless Solutions: In 2005 Makita launched the industry's first 18V Lithium-Ion line-up, and today there are over 35 cordless solutions – and one battery. Makita offered demonstrations of several cordless solutions for concrete contractors including SDS-PLUS Rotary Hammers (BHR202, BHR241), the ½" High Torque Impact Wrench (BTW450), and the new 18V Compact Lithium-Ion Cordless ½" Driver-Drill (LXFD01CW).

In addition to displays and demonstrations of the latest concrete solutions, Makita was joined by the Rockstar Makita LeDuc Race Team and their 900 HP Truck (which they started-up a few times, to the delight of the many race fans at the event). Curt, Kyle, and Todd LeDuc are the best family race team in the off-road business, and they use Makita tools to keep their trucks on-track in high-energy racing throughout the year. The Rockstar Energy Drink models were also on-hand for photos and poster signing. All photos can be downloaded at makitanation.com