Woodworking Network July 2015

European birch is one of those woods that is very plain — except when it isn’t. Some of the distinctive patterns yielded include flame and curly figures. Another figure of note is Karelian birch, known also as Karelian burl and Masur birch.

This long, narrow space with angled ceilings provided a bit of a challenge for award-winning senior designer Debbie Cantrell of Closets By Design located in Manassas, VA, but not one she couldn’t handle. After taking a look at the homeowner’s request, she designed a master closet offering sophisticated style while maintaining a cozy look and feel.

With AWFS 2015 less than a month away, woodworkers are preparing to attend one of the largest woodworking events in North America this year.

Reader Service index for Woodworking Network July 2015.

It starts with an unhappy client. They bring up an issue like "Can the closet system get closer to the floor?" You tell them that it can and then explain the benefits of base moulding.

Home Improvement companies have to assess different leads. It is crucial for a business to determine which lead to pursue because they must develop a relationship with the homeowner. Gaining the homeowners trust means they are more willing to to agree to higher quality materials or larger projects.

There seems to be a huge amount of voodoo involved in setting up segmented platen sanding machines. Techs and the folks running them just don’t understand the concepts, so they just play with the settings until something looks okay.

Woodworkers involved in cabinetry, furniture, millwork and components are closely watching the trends and investments in the residential and multi-family housing markets. This exclusive study looks at the impacts on woodworkers' businesses and the actions taken to increase sales.

This exclusive study highlights the impacts of construction markets on woodworkers' performance and investment activities.

Kremlin's award-winning finishing system offers fast, efficient color changes. Here's how it works.

While still a male dominated field, the number of women in woodworking is increasing. As these pioneers continue to grow and succeed, it will open doors and highlight the industry as an option for numerous other women.

Associative contour parametric engineering for complex “one off” engineering is now available within woodCAD|CAM, says Roger Shaw & Associates, wood industry software applications specialist and developer.

MADISON, WI - Semiconductor chips made almost entirely of wood have been developed by research teams at the University of Wisconsin-Madison and the Madison-based U.S. Department of Agriculture Forest Products Laboratory (FPL).

With the recovering construction, housing and remodeling markets, members of the Wood Component Manufacturers Association are ideally suited to take advantage of improving business conditions. Many dimension and component manufacturers have diversified their capabilities and are looking for new applications for their products. The latest WCMA Benchmarking Survey indicates that responding members are projecting increased dimension and component sales, an increase in net income, increased expenditures on equipment and services, and an increase in plant capacity utilization.

For the 2016 Spring Annual Meeting we will be partnering with Stiles Machinery and Weinig to provide a European Plant Tour Event, a unique opportunity for members. Prior to the spring event, the annual Fall Conference and Plant Tour will take place in Sherbrooke, Quebec, September 20-22, 2015.

Conducted each year, the WCMA Fall Conference & Plant Tour Event provides an excellent opportunity for members to network and have open discussions on common concerns. WCMA members also tour the production facilities of dimension, component, cabinet, furniture, millwork, and related woodworking companies. These plant tours offer a unique opportunity to observe innovative operations and discover new manufacturing techniques, exchange ideas and learn about alternative manufacturing methods. Everyone comes away with at least one good idea that can be implemented in their own plants.

The Wood Component Manufacturers Association works with industry groups for the betterment of the North American woodworking industry, while keeping members informed of relevant issues that impact their businesses. On the radar are:

If you are a woodworking machine importer, distributor, or a company that services the woodworking industry, join WMIA to become more involved through networking, education, the largest industry expo in North America, and advocacy on behalf of the industry.

Each year the Woodworking Machinery Industry Association recognizes extraordinary wood manufacturing companies with the prestigious Wooden Globe Awards.

Menck Windows USA wins Innovator of the Year Wooden Globe for their new 75,000 sq. ft. facility in Chicopee, MA which opened in February, 2015. This new facility will cut the cycle time in half to manufacture and deliver windows.

New England Casket Co. improved the manufacturing of their caskets and cut down the production from 28 minutes per casket to 6.5 minutes. This reduction in time earned New Casket Co. a Wooden Globe for their “Commitment to Excellence through Technology.”

Pittsburg State University's Wood Tech degree program has inspired hundreds of students to great careers, usually ready to go even before graduation.

WMIA 2015 Partner of the Year Award Presented at Woodworking Industry Conference.

The WMIA has partnered with ANSI for the improvement of safety standards while operating woodworking machinery. ANSI's goal is to have these changes adopted worldwide in the woodworking industry.

WMIA and PSU have developed an instructional course that compresses a four-year woodworking program into a week of 10-hour days. This event is beneficial for sales professionals, managers, product mangers and executives.

WMIA’s Educational Foundation has awarded scholarships to those who want to study, and eventually pursue a career in, wood technology, machinery, and related fields. To date, the Foundation has provided nearly $300,000 to assist talented students with furthering their educational and career goals.

Partnership between wood manufacturers and their suppliers advocating for the wood industry, supporting technology development, advancing education — WMIA is the vital link between the supplier community and the wood industry.

Matt Krig, President of the Cabinet Makers Association, shares his thoughts on why joining CMA has improved his business and has helped him find solutions to problems that slowed him down.

The Cabinet Makers Association offers a host of benefits to members, assisting residential and commercial cabinetmakers and woodworkers to share hard-won knowledge and experience.

CabParts, located in Grand Junction, Colorado, specializes in high-end, European style frameless cabinetry for both residential and commercial applications.

The Cabinet Makers Association is launching a new Member Consultation program, as well as renewing its focus on regional events, during 2015.

The Cabinet Makers Association had a significant presence at this year’s Cabinets & Closets Conference & Expo, held April 14-16 in Schaumburg, IL. The CMA was not only a co-sponsor, but provided valuable knowledge through the sessions it provided for the Custom Cabinetry Track portion of the conference.

The Cabinet Makers Association and a host of CMA members’ companies will be exhibiting at this year’s 2015 AWFS Fair, an event attended by thousands of woodworking manufacturing professionals. The AWFS Fair will be held July 22-25 at the Las Vegas Convention Center in Las Vegas, NV. The CMA will be located at Booth #6534.