Travis Johnson
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I was thinking of this the other day. As a Machinist, we work with some unique metals, and now more than ever, unique composites. This requires some new methods and new tooling to deal with these new challenges. Now we all know woodworking has always followed closely behind metalworking. From adapting lathes, mills and bandsaws, to realizing carbide was better than high speed steel, woodworking has "borrowed" a lot of metalworkings machines and tools.
So what lies ahead? What tools, what materials, what innovations will woodworking borrow from metalworking in the near future?
Do you see computer numerically controlled tools coming into the home shop soon (CNC routers, panel saws, etc)? What about new cutting materials such as the new ceramic cutters that are so super hard they make carbide look dull? Will they make it into the woodworking realm soon? What about these new rotational cutters that the metalworking industry is now using? Will they make it into woodworking.
Basically what do you guys and girls see coming more mainstream into the woodworking world? And while we are at it, what areas? Do you think Flatwork will always be the big area of tooling improvement, or will turning be targeted next?
And finally what about the wood itself. Will it even be wood? You laugh but how many decks are now made out of composites? In the marine industry I work, we use tons of sheetgoods that are laminated with plastic cores, and use other odd woods with strange metal, fiberglass, and carbon-fiber cores to make the wood better suited for boats. Trust me, if we are using it, it will soon make it into a big orange box store soon.
So what lies ahead? What tools, what materials, what innovations will woodworking borrow from metalworking in the near future?
Do you see computer numerically controlled tools coming into the home shop soon (CNC routers, panel saws, etc)? What about new cutting materials such as the new ceramic cutters that are so super hard they make carbide look dull? Will they make it into the woodworking realm soon? What about these new rotational cutters that the metalworking industry is now using? Will they make it into woodworking.
Basically what do you guys and girls see coming more mainstream into the woodworking world? And while we are at it, what areas? Do you think Flatwork will always be the big area of tooling improvement, or will turning be targeted next?
And finally what about the wood itself. Will it even be wood? You laugh but how many decks are now made out of composites? In the marine industry I work, we use tons of sheetgoods that are laminated with plastic cores, and use other odd woods with strange metal, fiberglass, and carbon-fiber cores to make the wood better suited for boats. Trust me, if we are using it, it will soon make it into a big orange box store soon.
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