Custom Shop
Robin Winter has been working in and around yachts for more than 30 years. What started as a job after college in a boat yard building plywood hulls led him to pursue a career as a custom carpenter. Aside from a three-year stint building high-end residential kitchen cabinetry for a builder in La Jolla, Calif., the majority of his business, Robin Winter Custom Carpentry, has been remodeling the interiors of large watercraft in San Diego.

Coponent Product Showcase
The Wood Component Manufacturers Association represents more than 140 manufacturers of dimension and wood component products. In the midst of a rapidly changing business climate, Modern Woodworking spoke with WCMA executive director Steve Lawser about the issues currently facing the component market, as well as the opportunities that outsourcing presents to various segments of the woodworking industry.

Finish Line
I like my coating material “stirred not shaken”— It’s called mixcology. Personally, I would rather spend production dollars on a uniform-looking finish than listen to customers’ complaints about a lack of finish quality. There are a variety of missteps that can occur resulting in a poor finish. Let’s focus on one of those unseen missteps called mixing. Mixing can be a major problem because stirring is usually done inside a container that has no viewport. Out-of-sight, out-of-mind!

Hot Gear
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IWF 2006 Category Breakdown
In this month’s installment of IWF Category Breakdown, we highlight machinery, products and supplies of interest to store fixture manufacturers.
What will store fixture manufacturers be looking for at this year’s IWF? Mark Bernhard, president of Northbrook, Ill.-based Bernhard Woodwork, says of his IWF plans, “I will be looking for a second CNC, a widebelt sander for primer and sealer sanding and anything innovative – particularly smaller machines or hardware, which will make a large impact. I always look at software, but have made a large investment in it in the last year, so I don’t think I will buy at the show.”

IWF First Impressions
Meet these first-time exhibitors at IWF 2006.

Material Issues
Wary of a declining customer base due to overseas imports, Sanford, NC-based Tramway Veneers knew it was time to venture into new markets. Bringing new technology into its Sanford, NC-based plant has made that a reality.

Production Line
Alpine Wood Products’ decision to produce its own moldings allowed the company to tap into new markets and increase sales, but the process presented its own set of problems that the company worked hard to overcome. The residential and commercial cabinet manufacturer, based in Marionville, Mo., added its first moulder in 2001 for its cabinet door production.

Proving Ground
Dust collection system's flexibility meets needs of expansion. For nearly 40 years, Carlisle Wide Plank Floors has been carefully handcrafting wide plank flooring for fine homes worldwide. Its continued success over the years has brought along with it a continued expansion of its manufacturing facilities. Dust collection equipment from Dantherm Filtration purchased through its New England representative, Thomas F. O’Brien, has afforded Carlisle the flexibility required to accommodate its changing needs.

Sanding Sense
A proper conveyor belt on a widebelt sander is essential in order for you to achieve your specific desired results. Years ago, widebelt sander manufacturers selected a conveyor belt for each machine based on each specific customer and his application. In today’s world of building “standard” machines in batches, that feature no longer exists. The selection of which conveyor belt will be used is based on lowest cost and a compromise of belt characteristics to create a “general purpose” belt. In almost all cases, this “general purpose” belt is not going to have the ideal characteristics for your specific application.

Supply Side
Today’s consumers want to get organized – and that means storage solutions. Home office furniture, kitchen cabinets, entertainment centers and closets all require their own special devices to help people stow away their gear.

Think Lean
Trying to get better placement and a few more yards, I have been working with a coach recently to improve my golf swing. With his help, I have experienced what he described as the perfect swing — once. It seemed effortless. The feel was light. The crisp sound off the head was solid, and the arc of the flight, direction and distance was perfect. Only problem is to repeat it. Ah, there is my downfall.

Trends
For the third year in a row, the U.S. Congress heard personally from wood processing industry professionals about what issues concern the wood industry and the health of U.S. manufacturing in general. The occasion was the annual WMMA (Wood MachineryManufacturers of America®) Public Policy Fly-In held February 6 – 8 in Washington, DC where participants asked members of Congress for their support in ensuring a strong U.S. manufacturing base in an increasingly competitive global economy.

Trends Extra
Woodworking equipment purchases cool slightly in 2005. While most categories held steady or increased, overall acquisitions of woodworking equipment decreased by 3 percent in 2005 over 2004 numbers. A healthy economy along with continuing strong housing and remodeling markets bode well for 2006 increased buying power.

Trends Wood Bits
The Woodworking Machinery Industry Association (WMIA) is requesting nominations for the 2006 Innovator, Educator and Commitment to Excellence Through Technology of the Year Awards.
According to Giordano Checchi, WMIA president, “The WMIA continues its commitment to the woodworking industry by providing it with the state-of-the-art equipment and technological services that make it possible for companies to re-engineer, retool and re-educate in order to compete more successfully in today’s challenging and evermore complex global markets. For 19 years, WMIA has honored individuals and organizations that employ high-technology equipment, machinery and systems provided by WMIA member companies to innovate and capture new markets.”

Words of Wisdom
In February’s issue of Modern Woodworking, this column urged woodworkers to market to baby boomers. Generations X and Y (Generation X — those born between 1965 and 1980; Generation Y — those born between 1981 and 1995) are a different breed of consumer, but nevertheless also form a buying power that wood products manufacturers cannot afford to ignore.