Take lathes, for instance. If a gouge catches while turning a bowl, the motor doesn’t know the difference and the piece keeps spinning, regardless of the damage to the wood or in spite of the fact that the tool is now jerked free of your grip. A typical lathe motor also can’t compensate accordingly for increased loads; if you make an aggressive cut that exceeds motor torque, it will bog down. And, of course, there’s the annoying need to change between drive belts if your lathe isn’t equipped with variable speed. Belts also increase vibration and decrease the efficiency of power transfer between the motor and the headstock spindle. It’s an inefficient pairing.

Teknatool took lathe motor technology to task back in 2003 and revolutionized it when it released the DVR 3000 lathe. Unlike any other lathe on the market at that time, the 3000 was powered by the company’s DVR switch reluctance motor. It has no brushes, rare earth magnets or windings around the rotor. That alone is major change. But of equal importance, it’s controlled by a computer that keeps tabs on motor performance every second the lathe is in operation.

“It is a true variable speed motor as it simply doesn’t care what speed it is set to,” says Joel Latimer, vice president of Teknatool International and president of DVR Technology Developments — an offshoot of Teknatool. “And the rotor is closely monitored in terms of position, so as more load is applied, more power is drawn to ensure the spindle maintains the set speed no matter what the load.”

For woodturners, those two aspects — speed control and constant power output over the speed range — are huge improvements. DVR lathes are also direct-drive and have no belts to switch, so underpowered bog-downs are a thing of the past.

Latimer points out numerous other advantages to DVR motor technology. For one, the only wear items in the motor are its bearings. There are no brushes and windings to replace due to friction, heat buildup and power surges at startup. They also draw low amperage when initially turned on, which prevents circuit breakers from overloading and popping off.

Smoothness of power delivery is another big plus, Latimer says. “Our famous coin test where we placed a quarter on the headstock and ramped up through the speeds has not been replicated.”

But probably key among the DVR improvements over conventional electric motors is the presence of a central processing unit that makes the motor functionally smart.

“Our lathes have intelligence that when you have a chisel catch, the lathe will stop instead of ripping the chisel away from your hand… We need that kind of intelligence in the workshop.”

These days, Teknatool offers three lathe models with DVR motors: the 16-in. DVR XP, a 20-in. DVR 2024 and a new-to-market 16-in. DVR Galaxi. And, coming in January, Teknatool will apply the benefits of DVR to another staple woodworking function: drilling holes. As the company’s answer to “smarter” drilling, its new NOVA Voyager 18-in. Drill Press will have 6-in. of quill travel and sports a 16-1/2-in. square woodworking/metalworking table. The machine will be floor standing at 65-in. tall with a compact footprint.

Latimer hopes the new drill press will appeal to seasoned woodworkers who would appreciate, among other things, not having to move grimy rubber drive belts between pulley sheaves in order to change drilling speeds. Voyager will be direct drive. He also thinks the technology will be attractive to today’s smartphone-wielding youth who are curious about woodworking but haven’t benefitted from traditional school woodshop educations.

For instance, the new drill press will have a speed chart among its touchscreen display options. That function will allow users to select from a wide range of drill bit styles, sizes and even types of workpiece material. The computer will tabulate this input and offer a recommended optimal drilling speed.

There’s also a depth set function, with the machine beeping a warning as the desired drilling depth approaches. “The motor automatically stops when the drill bit reaches the set depth,” Latimer adds. “Combined with the convenience of zeroing (the bit) at the press of a button, this makes drilling to an accurate depth quick and easy.”

A pilot hole and tapping feature will enable the motor to respond to input from the workpiece and bit, in a load-sensing mode, so it knows when the cutter is properly seated in hole and when it should switch direction for chip breaking as well as backing out of the hole at the end of the cycle.

Aside from ease-of-use convenience, Latimer says the Voyager will be resplendent with safety features too. For one, the motor will stop instantly when the drill bit catches instead of pulling the workpiece out of your hands or away from a vise. It does this by monitoring load levels and applying an electronic brake, which can be pre-programmed. The drill press can also be set to sense tilt and excessive vibration. There’s a password lockout, too, preventing unauthorized use.

Clearly, this will be a “next generation” machine, and Latimer hints that lathes and drill presses are just the tip of the iceberg in terms of how DVR could improve woodworking. When asked what other machines could be options for DVR motors, he believes “anything that needs a motor to perform, in all honesty.”

The company is even considering DVR for handheld power tools.

With the promise of versatility, reliability, constant torque across its powerband and better safety features, the new Voyager 18-in. Drill Press won’t be the least expensive floor-standing drill press on the market. Latimer says it will retail for $1,499 and will be offered through vendors such as Rockler. But it surely will be a game-changer, and that’s what Teknatool intends to do with all of its DVR offerings.

“At the heart of every tool is the motor. Unless you are designing and changing the potential of the heart, you are really (just) playing with colors and bells and whistles. This is what makes our work so exciting.”

Learn more about Teknatool woodworking products by clicking here.

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TRUEVIEW LED Spotlight

Milwaukee’s TRUEVIEW LED Spotlight (model 2353-20) is built to withstand jobsite impacts and has an IPX4 water-resistance rating. It is sold as a “bare” tool without batteries or charger for $69. Find it at Milwaukee tool retailers now.

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The saw’s 16 x 21-in. cast-iron table sits on a massive cast trunnion that tilts it 45° right and 7° left for making bevel cuts. A high/low aluminum resaw fence gives you stout ripping capabilities, and two 4-in. dust ports in the lower compartment should help whisk away the dust when the machine is connected to a dust collector. A task light (sold separately) can be added to the machine and mounts in two places for better visibility of the cutting area. A wheeled mobility kit is also available for this machine.

Laguna is increasing this saw’s versatility to meet the varying electrical limitations of different shops: you can buy a 1.75hp version that’s wired for 110 volts ($1,399) or a 2.5hp 14BX that runs on 220 volts ($1,499).

Learn more about the new Laguna 14BX Bandsaw by clicking here.

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Tim Inman: A cutting template is your easiest answer. Plus, learn to use the “back” edge of the saw blade when you cut. By pressing ever so gently against the part of the saw blade behind the teeth – where it cannot cut – you can learn to steady yourself and your cut against this part of the blade. If you have a template fastened to your cutting work, you can “rub” the blade against the template without cutting it, and make a more perfect cut. This works well with band saw blades, too.

Chris Marshall: When it comes to repetitive fine cutting, I’m not a big fan of jigsaws. Instead, I like to use a router, a template and a flush-trim bit to create parts that match one another exactly. The more carefully you make the template, the better the final parts will be. If you’re planning to make a “hen house” of those egg shapes, a router template will ensure that they turn out as perfect copies with no sanding.

But, 5mm lauan is soft and relatively thin plywood, so I’m wondering why you’re having difficulty cutting it accurately with a jigsaw. Have you tried using a fresh, sharp blade? Yours might just be dull. When you do, make the new one a metal-cutting blade with super fine teeth. I’ve found that they do a great job of making smooth cuts in splintery softwood and thin plywood — even better, in my experience, than jigsaw blades made for fine cuts in wood.

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The drawers are made out of some plywood and covered with a textured wallpaper.

-M. Adams

See Slideshow Below:

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“I’m actually setting up a small booth in the back of my (garage) shop for airbrushing and pouring lead. I try to make my own wood fishing lures and lead jigs. My wife thinks I should have ventilation for this. I also grew up in a cabinet/upholstery shop. My youth was more in the upholstery shop. When the economy slowed, we built cabinets and some back bars for a few. They are both in my blood, with a love for electrical.” – Jess Wingo

“I have a very small shop – 12×24 — so most of the equipment is on wheels.  I have a portable spray booth that I made with plastic and then use three box fans with filters on the front.  I use water-based finishes so there is no threat of fire or explosions.   Easy to set up and take down, and there is my spray booth.  I must add that it is not fancy, but it works and the best of all is that it’s cheap!” – Bryan Olsen

This reader provided an in-depth description of his spraying setup. – Editor

“During my 40+ years in cabinetmaking and general woodworking, I’ve found spray finishing a real timesaver on larger or multiple-item projects. However, with some of the currently available good wipe-on finishes, my sprayers are now only used occasionally. My setup is a home-built portable, located near an outside window at the back of my 20′ by 30′ shop. I used 1/2 inch PVC pipe and fittings to make a 6′ x 8′ frame. I strengthened the frame with pipes/fittings, spaced inside and perpendicular to the 8′ length. When done, I mounted the frame to my ceiling, with the window centered to its location. Mounting was simple, with the use of vertical pipe hangers at the corners, and others equally spaced around the perimeter. The frame clearance is 4″ from the ceiling

“A series of Dollar Store plastic shower curtains make up the walls. I suspended the curtains with standard shower curtain rings, using the suspended pipe frame as their mounting source. Curtains are mounted all the way around the frame, to also afford protection to the back wall. Back curtains are almost flush with the back wall. The rings ride in between the frame’s support hangers. Sides and front slide easily for desired entry and reclosure. Also, no cutting curtains to length. They’re 72 inches and the install was easy from my 7′ 6″ ceiling.

“A small window fan (easily removable) is used to exhaust spray and any fumes to the outside air. To protect the fan motor and blades from finish buildup, I attached a length of furnace pre-filter cloth across the width of the window frame. The cloth is available in rolls at most box stores and can be cut to desired lengths. It’s durable, fairly inexpensive, and most of the overspray sticks to the cloth, before entering the fan. When dirty, I just cut a new length for replacement. A small rectangle is cut out in one of the back curtains. The cutout is in-line with fan area only, extending to each side of the window frame. The edges of the cutout are wrapped with duct tape, to help prevent tears. During use, I secure the vertical sides of the tape frame to the window frame with tack pins. This helps to confine overspray and the exhaust pattern. Also, I partially open an adjacent wall window, which helps to maintain fresh air and aids in rapid exhaust.

“When done spraying, I roll up the curtains. Each length has a 3/4″ x 3/4″ wood strip stapled to its bottom width. The ends of the rolled curtains are secured to the pipe rails with Velcro strips. I do remove the fan and filter cloth and store it for future use, but it can be left in place. In the end, all is out of harm’s way and kept ready for the next use. Best of all, heavily soiled curtains can be quickly and economically replaced.” – Bob Hick

Some have made their own adaptations. – Editor

“I do not have a spray booth per se; I have hooks screwed into the ceiling in a pattern to extend a few feet larger on each side of my 4X8 torsion box assembly table. I then took heavyweight clear plastic slightly over 8′ wide, folded the top edge, then ran Gorilla Tape duct tape over that fold, making sure to cover both sides with a couple of thickness of the tape. I used an old school hole punch to make a hole for each hook. I numbered each of the four sheets so they would align every time I put them up. Each sheet overlaps the previous one by two hooks. I have a roll of brown builder’s paper mounted under the short back edge of my assembly table. I cover the top of the table with the paper, masking tape it in place, then go to spraying.

“ The time it takes to get the curtains put up is minimal. It takes longer to get them down, folded and put away for the next use. I would say that I use this setup maybe six times a year — counting on more frequency after retirement!”  – Rick Martin

And some told us about the spray booths they had once, or will in the future. – Editor

“I, too, used to have one, but we sold that place and moved to a home and shop without such amenities. I do not intend to put in a booth, but I just brush, roll, wipe or rattle can it nowadays.  I invested in a very nice polish setup with four heads; sometimes it is better and sometimes it doesn’t work at all, depending on the job.” –  Greg Thacker

“I don’t have one now, but will have an 8×10 dedicated finishing room in about six weeks. How often I spray remains to be seen. Looking forward to improving my shop at the new house.” – Bob Farris

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