10 Great Fabrication Products You Shouldn’t Be Without in 2012
Peter J. Marcucci
Special Contributor
As we ring in the new year, I can’t help thinking of the challenges we as fabricators have diligently faced keeping our customers happy in 2011.
Competitive pricing while offering a high quality product and keeping a good bottom line is a tough balancing act.
Questions like...should we invest in that new machine–or should we squeeze another year out of the old one? Should we finally give in to offering a full line of quartz surfacing–or stay in a (natural stone only) mindset? I’m quite sure many an owner has lost sleep making these and other decisions trying to stay in the game. So, I was elated when the folks at the Slippery Rock Gazette handed me a list of 10 outstanding products ranging from saws to cup wheels that give us, the fabricators, the edge we need to produce a quality product, on time, day after day. Innovative and priced right, these hot products offer over-the-top performance in a cool economy.
ABACO SLAB LIFTER:
Built with integrity, the Abaco Slab Lifter’s intelligent engineering will give any fab-shop years of safe, reliable service. Thin where it counts with plenty of contact area for preventing slipping or breakage, this lifter will pay for itself if it prevents just one dropped and ruined slab–and you can’t really put a price on injuries prevented, or loss of life and limb. The Abaco Professional Slab Lifter is a must-have shop product, reasonably priced at $499.00.
HERCULES® VARIABLE SPEED AIR POLISHER:
Without a doubt, the perfect complimentary tool to the MEM Stone Router is the Hercules® Variable Speed Air Polisher. Well-balanced and weighing in at 3 lbs., this handful of precision power features a non-slip, rubber-coated handle, giving the user an easy-to-hold grip surface for hours of comfortable polishing. With a maximum spindle speed of 4,500 RPM and engineered using 5 heavy-duty bearings, this tool stays on the job and out of the repair shop, giving you, the fabricator, the edge! Cost is $164.95.
MARMOELETTROMECCANICA 2800 & 3500:
Electric RoutersNo CNC? No Problem. The MEM Marmo Master Stone Router gets it done. Safe, efficient and easy to use, the 2800 and 3500 are the right solutions for profiling complex edges quickly. Using a clever “Water System” design, the MEM Master easily glides over a film of water, preventing scratches and giving the user a quality edge, dust free. Built to give years of reliable service, the 2800 and 3500 are respectively priced at $2,697.95 and $3,895.00.
POWER WEDGE:
Another product worth its weight in gold is the Power Wedge and Power Wedge Jr. Constructed with break-resistant plastic, the brightly-colored wedge is easy to spot while the smaller “Jr.” can be kept in your back pocket; both save time and effort. It’s a simple, well-made solution to safely create space between slabs. Both are only $19.95. Don’t got it? Get it!
DIAMANT-D LAMPO 2000 TITANIUM BRIDGE SAW BLADE:
Let’s face it, the true sign of a great blade is not how fast it cuts, right out of the box; most blades do this easily at first. The true sign of a great blade is when it can sink its teeth into hard granite or quartzite and have it come back cutting fast and straight. Quiet and stiff, the Diamant-D Lampo 2000 is hands-down the most consistent performer I have ever used. I’ve thrown everything at this blade, and year after year it flat-out puts-out! It’s easy to love and hard to do without. Priced at $338.00 for the 16˝ (great for mitering), it has always been my first choice in blades.
CYCLONE FLAT RESIN CUP WHEEL:
If you’re dry shaping an edge by hand, the Cyclone Resin Cup Wheel is the right choice. Balanced and controllable, this cup wheel gives a precise feel all the way into a corner with no drop off and no chipped corners. Great for radius corners and laminating, it is a recommended product value priced at $79.75 each. Or better yet, dump those dangerous silicon carbide wheels and buy the fine, medium and coarse for $239.25.
HERCULES® MODULAR WORK STATION:
Easy to assemble and built to last, the Hercules® Modular Work Station offers a quality mix and match array of stable work tops. Fabricators now have the versatility needed to easily gauge thicknesses, match seams and edge profiles from one countertop to the other. Most cutouts are also a breeze due to the well thought-out 36-inch center opening. With 13 linear feet of work surface and a 1,500 pound safety rating, the Hercules® Modular Work Station’s (level) best effort has created a safe and durable work surface that easily conforms to any shape kitchen. It’s a top choice for any shop and I highly recommend it. Cost is $995.00.
RENEGADE BRIDGE SAW:
The Renegade Bridge Saw is a versatile, middleweight, workhorse brilliantly engineered with all the right stuff making it the perfect solution for any small or medium shop. Made in America with quality components, the Renegade Bridge Saw can be up and running in a jiffy and giving reliable production year after year. Coming standard with laser and tilting turntable, this cutting-edge saw is backed with a 6 month warranty on electrical parts and a 12 month warranty on mechanical parts. If you’re on a budget and want a bridge saw worth its weight in gold, consider the Renegade. This multi-purpose saw is priced at $34,900.00, but leasing options are available–an attractive option in a still-sluggish economy.
HERCULES® KITCHEN TRANSPORT A-FRAME CARTS:
If you’re like me, you like to keep your finished work safe and ready to go out the door so when it’s installation time, you’re loaded and ready to go. Introducing the Hercules® Kitchen A-Frame Carts, a well-engineered unit that lets you do just that. Key features include: powder coated carbon steel construction, nylon rubber-layered uprights to prevent scratching, and tie-down straps to keep your finished pieces safe. Offered in two sizes, these carts offer safe, long-term storage that can be easily moved or loaded using a forklift. The large model will set you back $1,839.95 and the small model $1,495.95.
OMNI CUBED T-31 PRO-ANCHOR SYSTEM:
Slick, trick and super quick, best describe this offering by Omni Cubed. At a stone show a few years ago, I had the pleasure of trying the Omni Cubed T-31 Anchor System. In the past, I had always labored by drilling sink holes with a hand drill. Twenty minutes later when the demonstration was over, I wondered why had it taken me so long to find such a well-made, easy-to-use, time-saving product. Get one and you’ll be thinking the same thing. Cost is $795.00 to $995.00.
For more information on these great fabrication products, go to www.braxton-bragg.com