Cabinets & Closets Expo changed its mission this year, expanding from a home storage and closets exhibition to a full-fledged woodworking show.
One sign of that transition is the presentation of manufacturing machinery at a level not seen in the past verision of the show.
Some quick examples: Colonial Saw is showing a full-scale, automated vertical panel saw, under power. Felder is showing two woodworking production machines. Castle is showing its automated pocket screw machine.
Some exhibitors have overcome constraints of space for their biggest equipment in inventive ways: Komo has examples of dimensionally carved decorative wood embellishments, as examples of what its CNC machines can do. Stiles is presenting information on all its services, including productivity consulting, education and training, as well as its wide range of equipment, from woodshop-focused Ironwood lines to automated Stiles Machinery equipment.
Oliver Machinery has its Compact series 8500, also under power, on the floor. Instead of driving trimmers with motors, it trims edges with a durable scraping knife, said to last five years before it needs replacing.
Speaking of compact edgebandes, Felder is showing its new G330 Edgebander, with chain feed and precise edging, in a total length of less than six feet.
Eveready Hardware has expanded its reach from functional and decorative hardware for closets and cabinets, to the Festool line of portable power tools and cutting blades. Demos showed several power tools in action, including the Domino XL tenon joiner.
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