LRyIrue LnuINATEI USS CoruSrIruTION SNIM I ... - Wood Tools

Highlights from this
Year's Tbol Shows
For a lot of Americans, the end
of summer means squeezing i,n
that long awaited uacation,
scrambling to prepare for the
coming school year, or maybe
finishing outdoor projects
equipment costing upwards of half
a million dollars - all there to see
owners and small-shop woodworkers
like you and me. Trouble is,
and sample in the flesh.
not every tooljunkie gets a chance
One week later, Chicago's newly to see them. We knew we couldn't
expanded McCormick Place con- arrange for all of our deserving
vention center hosted the National Workbench readers to attend the
Hardware Show, where manufac- events (imagine the parking and
before the fall weather turns cold.
turers from across North America
showcased wares even more
diverse - hand and power tools,
name tags, for starters), but we
did do the next best thing - we
combed through several thousand
But for a couple of long weekends building materials, electrical and exhibitor's booths, pens in hand
in August, two of the biggest plumbing supplies, paints and fin- and cameras poised, to round up
woodworking and tool trade ishes, lawn and garden products, the latest and greatest these com-
shows in the country hosted over and more. If it goes into a home, or panies have to offer.
50,000 people intent on getting a home shop, odds are it was dis- Some of our favorites are fea-
down to business. The 1997 played somewhere amidst those tured in the following pages, but
Woodworking Machinery and miles of aisles.
we'll be bringing you more details
Furniture Supply Fair, held in Although these shows cater to on these and other new tools from
Anaheim, CA, featured everything industry professionals and retail- the shows in upcoming issues of
from dime-a-dozen dowel pins to ers, both feafure new tools and Workbench, so stay tuned. For now,
computerized manufacturing other oroducts aimed at home- here are some newsmakers.
36 \Torkbench r December 1997