S-OT: OWWM - to what's the most recent power tool introduced?

[mttt]

Surfin' OWWM; reading and learning. I was a tad surprised to see "planers" and "jointers" from the turn of the century. Like so many "kidz these dayz" - I thought our generation had invented most of this stuff.

Got me to wondering - what are the more recent power tools invented/introduced? The Biscuit/Plate joiner is pretty new, right?

Bandsaw, table saw - nope. Sanders (drum to spindle) - nope.

A certain amount of enjoyment in 'dorking for me is around the history involved. Even for us Normite's.

[James D Kountz]

Pocket hole machine maybe? Dunno actually.......hhmmmmmm now ya got me thinking and thats not good.........Maybe a biscuit cutter yes? You may be right.

Jim

[Bridger]

the main advancements have involved attaching computers to the machines to control them

20/30 years or so.

[Charlie Self]

mttt asks:

Sure. That's why there's so much massive iron in the things.

I think you're close there. Possibly that and the pocket hole machine such as the one Porter-Cable makes. The router goes back nearly 100 years if you want to get basic enough, so that's out. Of course, portable planers are only about

20 years old, but that's an adaptation, not really an invention. Combine a universal motor with a narrow, lightweight planer and zing! Sell millions. Careful picking up the newest ones, though, as they are now approaching or over 100 pounds as they hit the 13" mark.

Charlie Self "Health food makes me sick." Calvin Trillin

[Morris Dovey]

How about the specialized bow-tie routing machine?

[Charlie Self]

Morris Dovey asks:

You mean the templates? Template shapes are heavily variable. Can't call each new one an invention, I'd guess.

Charlie Self "Health food makes me sick." Calvin Trillin

[Morris Dovey]

bow-tie recesses (5mm?) in the edge of a board. Do that to two boards, fit then together and slip in the tiny bow-tie. I've seen two models and don't remember the exact price - I think a tad over a thousand. Might become popular when the price comes down. They look like they might hold promise for picture frames and wall panel assembly and some other specialized assembly.

[Unisaw A100]

1955 for Lamello (who are typically cited as the inventors but I've a suspicion that Lamello didn't actually invent the practice/technique/original tool for biscuit making but it's not something I can verify yet. Anyway, I think it might have been Lietz and I think it began life as a NeanderTool.

UA100

[Charlie Self]

Morris Dovey responds:

Haven't seen anything on that, but for a grand, I won't be looking. If they get the price down around $150, there might be a hobbyist market. Might be.

Do you remember who the manufacturer is?

Charlie Self "Health food makes me sick." Calvin Trillin

[Unisaw A100]

Made by Hoffman?

UA100

[p_j]

've also got a doweling machine that's sort of like a biscut joiner. Looks pretty interesting.

Then there's their tuh-ree touzin tree hunnert dollah miter saw...

[Russell]

Rotozip or metabo paint remover thingy with the blades,errrrrr....maffel dowel jointer,small triangular bandsander from bosch.Trouble is the machines might be new but the concept always revolves aroung a spindle with a thing on the end of it to cut drill or rub the material away

[Morris Dovey]

critters appear to be well thought out, well designed, and well built. I think it's a fairly new product type and until there's competition, they've priced themselves out of my range.

On the other hand, the concept /is/ pretty slick. I've been wondering if I should order some of their keys and a matching router bit - and experiment a bit with the equipment already in my shop...

Anyway, I think this might be a bit more recent development than the biscuit cutter.

[Groggy]

Sawzall?

[Unisaw A100]

Depending on who you believe (at Milwaukee Electric Tool no less) that would be 1949 or 1951.

UA100

[Unisaw A100]

It could be argued that it's a dovetail machine with a loose dovetail. Dovetail machines are over a century old.

I don't think there much of anything new outside of innovations.

UA100

[Morris Dovey]

Probably true. Probably also true that everything is a variation (or combination of variations) of the lever.

In the OP's context of recent power tool developments, I think these gizmos /are/ fairly recent. (-:

[Tom Watson]

I've taken apart a bunch of casing from the 1920-1930 era that had miters fixed with "lemon splines". I don't know what tool they used to produce the joint but the idea was there.

[Groggy]

I guess I shouldn't really be surprised - but I am. That old? Really? I gotta go research it now. Ahh jeez!

You're right of course, found a reference first hit in Giggle:

http://216.239.53.104/search?q=cache:gZzKuJV13d4J:

for lazy clickers.

Well, another day validated with learning, thanks for that. But what *would* be the newest tool that is not just a variation of a theme then?

[Mark]

Power miter box?

I don't remember seeing one before 20 or so years ago. IIRC