Comments on: Reader Question: What’s the next big thing?

By: jdog

jdog — Sat, 26 May 2007 15:14:04 +0000

The PowerPole system was engineered and manufactured by ReechCraft (http://www.reechcraft.com/powerpole.htm) and was originally marketed through Tapco. The system is now marketed by ReechCraft and available for about $2000 bucks at tool houses across the nation.

The cool thing is that since last year, a bunch of accessories were added like fall protection to keep OSHA happy, an outrigger systems that lets you quickly lean the system up against a wall (like a ladder), and a universal quick attach system to gives you many attachment options and also allows the system to break down and be put in the back of pickup.

A set can lift close to 2000lbs so it’s really more like a man and material lift than a scaffolding system. I see this thing going head-to-head with telehandlers and scissor lifts and with its optional 5 ft wide platform, it should replace or work along side traditional scaffolding.

By: willbone

willbone — Thu, 01 Feb 2007 21:28:09 +0000

Tapco has made the power pole, it is a alum-a-pole that uses a drill to raise and lower your scaffodling. the Power pole is avaiable threw all your industral ladder supplys.

By: Nate Bezanson

Nate Bezanson — Wed, 31 Jan 2007 14:49:50 +0000

I’m hoping we’ll see an interchangeable battery standard for the little drills. I think the Bosch Litheon have removable packs, but the Ixo and others are all built-in, right? I’d love to see a flashlight based around that pack.

LEDs will be big if Color Kinetics has anything to say about it. I picked up some of their Sauce fixtures recently and, aside from smoking one when I tried to run it from an inverter, I’m impressed.

By: Roscoe

Roscoe — Wed, 31 Jan 2007 13:09:47 +0000

1. I’m looking for more innovative designs of computer-engineered ladders and work platforms, akin to the fold-up chairs in a bag from Wal-Mart for $10. The market is ripe for innovation there as most ladders are unchanged in design for centuries.

2. High-end fabrics in affordable work wear. Critical mass is finally there and we can all expect to begin enjoying polar-fleece lined leather gloves and work pants. Gore-tex and its derivatives will also begin to find their way onto regular Joe outerwear. If you work outside and haven’t already invested in a few pair of “smart wool” socks, there finally cheap enough to make a regular part of your work dress.

3. JIGS. Rockler and a few others have long made a jig for everything, I expect to see more and more jigs in the mainstream. Sears is poised to make a killing selling kits of Craftsman branded jigs to woodworkers. While I’m not interested in a Craftsman miter saw to cut my crown-molding, I’d sure take a look at a slick Craftsman jig to to cut it with.

4. Aggressive marketing of smaller-voltage cordless drills. Makita, with their impact drivers, and Black and Decker, with their palm-sized models, have both shown that their is room for smaller-voltage tools, particularly with Lithium-Ion technology. I’m already thinking that it’s time to go back to a smaller, lighter 12 or 9.6V drill for woodworking in the shop. The 18V models I’ve been using are nice, but I’d trade the extra torque for a lighter model with more finesse.

By: Eli

Eli — Wed, 31 Jan 2007 05:35:22 +0000

apple will have an offering in the compucarve category called, ‘iWood’.
I think more LED’s, less cowbell. We’re using them to light film scenes now. very cool in temp. adjustable color gradient. you can have a very small shallow fixture that spreads even light with little heat. throw leaves something to be desired, but they can be focused with a lens.

By: James B

James B — Wed, 31 Jan 2007 01:07:57 +0000

I think we will see competition to the craftsman almost-CNC compu-carve. If the compu-carve takes off, we may see more dedicated woodcarving CNC devices. The market would be well served by a less ‘closed system’. A system that is controlled by a standard PC would move the cost of the computer away from the cost of the tool. A low cost carving tool that accepts generic g-code, and is bundled with software that has a library of carvings for drag, drop, resize, merge, etc would sell. The only advantage I see to the craftsman compu-carve is, based on what I read in their product literature, the simplicity of use. If other companies can get the simple factor down it would really expand what an average woodworker can do.