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Reader's Choice Award: Top 15 Products
This year’s top picks, chosen by YOU!

Top 15 Products

Every month, Surface Fabrication magazine searches for the newest in industry machinery, technology and materials that you want to read about.

Over the past 12 months, we’ve filled these pages with hundreds of new and updated products and while you were checking things out, we were keeping track of your reader response requests and are now offering you a showcase of the top 25 products with the highest reader response. Everything you loved about 2008 is now in one easy-to-find guide. We hope this year’s Reader’s Choice Awards, give you an opportunity to review the past year and catch up on anything that you may have missed.

Be sure to checkout the second half of this showcase, the Top 10 Materials.

For more information about any of these products, check out the Surface Fabrication Product Info Query.



AIR GLIDE Router Base
Router Base

The Betterley AIR GLIDE Router Base attaches to your hand held router to reduce operator fatigue and provide exceptional feedback and control of the cutting process, resulting in increased accuracy and smoother surface finishes. The constant airflow prevents debris from collecting under the base further reducing the possibility of material scratching while increasing consistency of the cut. Incorporating individually metered air chambers ensures that the base is effective whether the router base entirely, or only partially contacts the material, such as when cutting edge profiles.


Clean Sanding Discs
Sanding Discs

3M has introduced its Clean Sanding Discs for whitewood and finish sanding. The discs reportedly deliver longer life than standard high-performance discs, due to a breakthrough surface configuration. Designed to be used with random orbital sanders, the discs offer improved dust extraction when used with a maintained vacuum system. Less dust contributes to improved cutting action when whitewood sanding, top coat or solid surface finishing. The patented hole pattern on the discs' surface helps to effectively remove dust from the work area. The improved dust extraction can also help make workplaces cleaner, safer and more comfortable for employees.


CUDA Bridge Saw Blades
Saw Blades

The CUDA series of bridge saw blades from Salem Stone were designed to cut multiple types of granite and other natural stone, as well as quartz surfaces. These high-performance blades feature ATAK diamond technology that produces quick and clean cutting with controlled wear pattern yielding long service life. The Silent Core blades are available with a 50/60mm arbor hole and in 14-, 16- and 18-in. diameters


Eurovac I
Dust Collection

The Eurovac I industrial grade system's powerful turbine pump and cyclone, from Euorovac Inc., reportedly removes most sanding, router and saw dust from hand tools and small stationary equipment requiring a 2-in. or smaller vacuum hose at the source, leaving shops with cleaner, healthier work environments. Cyclonic filtration reportedly removes 99 percent of dust before the secondary filter. The remaining one percent of dust is removed by a secondary cartridge filter which is automatically cleaned by a compressed air pulse jet cleaning action states the company.


LT-55 XL Precision Laser Templator
Laser Templator

Laser Products offers the upgraded LT-55 XL Precision Laser Templator with a full working tablet PC running Windows XP. The system includes two digital cameras, Bluetooth support, an Ethernet port, SD card slot, a standard keyboard and is wireless internet capable. The software runs like a CAD program. All the command buttons are now on the screen for easy access. With a wireless Internet card the photos, template and a customer's signature can be emailed back to the shop from the field. The Samsung Q1 can load training videos where an internet connection is available.


Patriot M127-18 Gantry Saw
gantry saw

The Patriot M127-18 Gantry Saw, available through Granite City Tool, is suitable for cutting stone into countertops and vanities. The saw has a 10-hp motor and a touch screen control panel with easy to read display. The hydraulic turn table makes it easy to load the slab and a laser alignment guide makes setting up cuts simple. Other features include travel speed readout, automatic water activation with blade spin, digital ammeter for main motor (standard), steel structural foundation and auto mode concrete table decking.


PhotoTop
Digital Templating System

Fabricator's Choice offers the PhotoTop digital templating system, which works directly with CNC routers. The system makes a record of the jobsite by using a customized digital camera, specialized software, a roll of DotTape and 20 marker panels that are 8 ½ by 11 in. and covered with specifically sized and positioned dotst, creating a 3-D jobsite. DotTape defines the measurements and shape through its placement on the wall and sides of cabinets. It reduces the jobsite fieldwork times to an average of 15 to 25 minutes. The software processes photos and delivers a pixel-by-pixel representation of the jobsite.


Pinske Edge Thermoforming Ovens
Thermoforming Machinery

The Pinske Edge offers a way to bend Solid Surface Material, PVC or Vinyl with Pinske Edge Thermoforming Ovens. The ovens allow flat surfaces to become a radius or any other shape. It can even bend sheets to cover a column, fit a wet wall, add slope to a shower pan, and make a unique table base or decorative edging. The company offers several units and can custom build to suit specific needs.


Round Cornered Kitchen Sink
Kitchen Sink

Grifform Innovations' Round Corner Sinks come in a wide choice of color and style. Two or more of the standard size sinks can be combined to create a custom look. The sinks can be installed under any counter material, making the product suitable for solid surface, engineered or natural stone. The sink has both soft coved sides and bottom, available in many standard sizes. The product has been certified by NAHB Research Center to meet national ANSI standards.


Sink Hole Saver VC2
Material Stiffening Device

Omni Cubed offers the automatic Sink Hole Saver VC2 model, which protects finished stone pieces from breakage during lifting, moving and installation. The product is suitable for curved or "bump-out" countertops, and can be combined with the original Sink Hole Saver strengthening rail (mechanical clamp version) for additional versatility during installations. The 6-in. vacuum cups quickly slide and lock in the rail for custom placement around sink holes. The compact vacuum pump is secured to the rail and maintains pressure for all cups simultaneously. The pump operates on a single 9-volt battery. Included in this model is one rail (4-, 6- or 8-ft. lengths) with cups, automatic vacuum pump and protective vacuum cup covers.


Stone Dolly
Stone Dolly

The Wood's Powr-Grip Stone Dolly is a versatile device used for moving countertops, stone slabs and engineered surface materials between delivery vehicles and installation locations or from station to station during the fabrication process. The dolly is equipped with adjustable control handles that enable operators to ergonomically configure the dolly for pulling with maximum leverage and the least amount of effort. Large, pneumatic tires transport materials over rough terrain while revolving rubber-belted pressure skids are suitable for going up and down stairs.


Templamat
Templating Strips

Templamat LLC offers Templamat, a flexible templating material that takes the place of rigid lauan strips. The product comes in a kit weighing 10 lbs. and containing the equivilant of 30, 8-ft. strips of lauan. With this material there is no need for hot glue, electricity, saws or large vehicles. The material's adhesive bond, that sets up in six to eight minutes, does not separate even in heat and water, making the product suitable for wet cutting. The kit includes everything needed to template several kitchens and/or baths. The 48-in. strips are precision cut to any width. It can be used to make templates if there are void spaces for dishwashers, overhangs, etc.


TemplatePro
Templating Products

TemplatePro templating products, manufactured by FabQuick, is a complete line of countertop templating products including templating material, adhesive and templating clips. The products provide accuracy for the creation of cut-ready templates in less than half the time of traditional methods. The clips were designed for use with traditional face-framed cabinets. The templates can be digitized for CNC/waterjet applications.


Top Dolly and Top Saver
Material Handling

Hallmark Stone offers two exclusive products: the Top Dolly and the Top Saver, invented from within the company. The Top Dolly is designed to help countertop installation crews safely carry slabs from the work truck into a home. The product is a dolly with rubber wheels, constructed to allow a granite countertop slab to be clamped on top of it horizontally. The construction also allows the granite to sit higher off the ground, making it possible for install crews to transport granite slabs up stairs, through yards and down hills without damage to the countertop. The Top Saver boasts a flat clamp design that is nearly equal to the width of the countertop slab and does not require the use of steel rods, making it possible for install crews to vertically stack clamped slabs side-by-side.


Wavy edge Scuff & Buff Ball
Sanding Ball

Performance Abrasives offers the patent pending Wavy Edge Scuff & Buff Ball. Made with non-woven material, the ball is available in the following grits: Tan (60G), Green (180G), Maroon (320G), Grey (600G) and White (non-abrasive). The ball is made from a stack of individual wavy edge discs that are interchangeable and replaceable. Diameters available are 2, 3 and 4 in. Shaft lenghts available are 2 1/2, 3 1/2 and 5 1/2 in. with a 1/4 in. diameter shaft. Shafts mount into collets or drill chucks. They will work in a bowl area or radius area to sand, finish or polish.