Bells and whistles
A lot of tools we’ve used for years haven’t changed much, mechanically. Some nice improvements have come along, as well as enhanced safety features, but these are sometimes just nice…
A lot of tools we’ve used for years haven’t changed much, mechanically. Some nice improvements have come along, as well as enhanced safety features, but these are sometimes just nice bells and whistles. Certainly welcome and great to have, but not things that affect the way you work.
But that’s changing. A good case in point is Nova’s DVR drill presses with total digital control of just about everything. SawStop has been a huge leap for table saw safety. Battery technology has made cordless tools a professional mainstay. Now, I’m happy to see some real changes to band saws.
The band saw is special to me. It was the first stationary machine I owned – a couple years before my first table saw even – and over the years the band saw remains the main component of how I work. My 14” band saw is fairly high-end, but still basic.
A new introduction from Harvey Woodworking, the Alpha A-15 intelligent band saw – adds some real meaning to the term “bells and whistles.” First off, it’s a beautiful machine with 3-hp, 15” capacity, and two speeds (2,300 fps and 4,300 fps). But, oh, the bells and whistles.
First, a column-mounted 7” touchscreen monitors speed, table tilt, and blade tension in real time. An amazing fence system has a built-in gearbox for ultra fine adjustment, as well as flip-stop. Nickel plating gives a smooth, rust-resistant surface to table, wheels and the worm gear tilt mechanism. Digital monitoring notifies you if a door is open, there are belt positioning issues, or needed blade tension adjustments.
The safety features are excellent. The machine has not one, but two emergency stop buttons – one on the touchscreen and one on the right side of the table. The blade is fully enclosed its entire length. And a mechanical brake stops the blade in about two seconds.
Can you live without all these improvements? I suppose – my current workhorse band saw has none of them – but I would welcome them in a heartbeat. If this is the direction of bells and whistles for old reliable tools is going, I’m all for it.
A.J. Hamler is the former editor of Woodshop News and Woodcraft Magazine. He's currently a freelance woodworking writer/editor, which is another way of stating self-employed. When he's not writing or in the shop, he enjoys science fiction, gourmet cooking and Civil War reenacting, but not at the same time.