SawStop Unveils First Band Saw at IWF
SawStop has launched its first product beyond table saws: the Professional Band Saw, incorporating its safety technology.
SawStop has introduced its first band saw, moving beyond its two-decade focus on table saws. The company previewed the SawStop Professional Band Saw at the IWF Atlanta trade show.
SawStop CEO Matt Howard stated the company aims to keep safety and performance in equal focus for future products. The new band saw incorporates the officially named Sensic Active Safety technology. Howard indicated SawStop could release a new product every year, though he did not reveal what is next in development.
Harvey Shows Dream Saw and Baby Extractor
The Harvey booth featured several new and prototype tools. Two items stood out: the Dream Saw and the Baby dust extractor.
The Baby is a compact dust extractor built like a mini dust collector. It has the footprint of a large shop vacuum but offers significantly more suction. The reporter noted it would be ideal for a garage shop.
The Dream Saw is a more flashy offering featuring touchscreen controls. Its design has polarized some woodworkers, but the report credits Harvey for thinking outside the box.
New Hardware from Smaller Brands
Several other tool makers displayed new products. Swan Tool Group demonstrated its built-in vacuum system for workbenches, which the reporter found impressively simple and detailed.
Bow Products' Push Shoe, designed with input from Izzy, features small "push fins" to help hold workpieces. Although released in April, the tool's quality was highlighted.
Temple Tool, a relative newcomer, showed a range of products. The reporter was particularly impressed with its right- and left-handed marking knives.
Microjig revealed a Reverse Dovetail bit, a tool with an opposite orientation to a standard dovetail bit. Ralph Bagnall demonstrated its utility, especially for jig-making.
Corporate Shifts and Student Design
The report also covered corporate news. Shaper, maker of the Origin Handheld CNC, will be fully integrated into the Festool brand in January 2027. Shaper has been part of TTS, Festool's parent company, for years. Notably, Shaper products and accessories, except for Shaper tape, will not be available for purchase from either brand's stores from November 1st until 2027. The reporter speculated this could indicate a product redesign, as the Origin is already manufactured by Festool in Germany.
The IWF Design Emphasis Student Furniture Competition was also featured. The reporter expressed a passion for design and appreciated the fresh approaches of student projects, which often bridge functionality and art.
The Splinter Report is a weekly collection from Popular Woodworking. The full article includes video links and more student design examples.
