JLC Live New England 2016
JLC LIVE Highlights
Once again I had the pleasure of attending JLC LIVE New England. This is a trade show that takes place every year in March at the Rhode Island Convection Center. If you’re in the trades or into DIY this trade show is one you will not want to miss. The show offers the newest best practices for residential construction.
Innovative Products
Tool manufacturers attend the show to inform you of the latest and greatest tools they offer to assist you with your projects. After checking out the coolest tools you can choose one of the many building clinics they offer to get that in depth visual approach by expert specialists in their own fields. Lastly, but probably the most important part of attending JLC LIVE is the networking that can be achieved. It is absolutely priceless.
Warmup Foil System
My choice this year, for innovation, is the FOIL SYSTEM from Warmup Inc. This is an electric mat that can be used under carpet or laminate and floating engineered wood floors. One benefit of the foil mat is that it does not require thinset or adhesives and can be placed directly between the sub-floor and laminate or carpet flooring.
The mats allow customization, giving you superior warmth throughout your home. Warmup Inc offers an array of accessories and installation methods. As for the thermostats, they are available in programmable and WIFI compatible. They also give you an option to use color lens to match your décor with a sleek chrome edge. Since Warmup added the Foil System to their line they now have a heating solution for every room inside and around your home with varies types of exterior snow melting cables. For further information visit the Warmup website
Cutting Square with the Festool HK Carpentry Saw
We had the pleasure of meeting up with Rick Bush from Festool to be the first ones to see and upload Festool‘s newest saw on social media. The HK 55 EB with FSK Guide Rail is a carpenter’s circular saw that glides on a track. This new carpenters saw mirrors the track saw but it is designed for quick crosscuts and perfect for framing. The HK 55 EB has a 6 ½’’ blade and offers 3 different track lengths from 10”, 16 ½” and 27” at 90 degrees with positive stops.
Festool also offers the HK 55 EB in a cordless version called the HKC 55 EB. This new saw from Festool will change the way you crosscut and frame. The speed and easy to use features will defiantly be a time saver on the job site. Festool has 5 different blade styles to choose from so you can cater to the task at hand.
Now that Festool has teased us with their newest tool, it will not be available until fall 2016 and the price has not been determined. You can see a SNEAK PEEK this saw in action here .
For further information on Festool visit www.festoolusa.com
Cutting the Cord with Magnum Shear
The folks at Bullet Tools have a simple solution to cutting the cord, being quieter and reduce hazardous job site dust. I was able to spend some time with them at JLC LIVE to talk about siding cutting solutions. This peaked my interest for the reasons listed about, being able to cut Cedar Impression in single pass and the ability to attach to the Alum-a-pole system.
The tool is called Magnum Siding Shear model SST226 with the optional stand. The highlights of this cutter are a Laser guide, 5 year warranty, made in USA, and one blade will outlast 20 saw blades. The Magnum Siding Shear has 3 models to choose from. Models 13″, 20″ & 26″.
Another cool thing that is offered is a built in angle finder on left and right sides. The Magnum Siding Shear is design for cutting vinyl, wood, and fiber cement siding up to 1’’ thick. I was able to try the cutter out, finding it very easy to use and liked that it has the ability to slice a hair of your stock to get that perfect cut.
The construction of this siding shear was another thing that needs to be pointed out. It is built and constructed very well. The optional stand just completes the system. It has adjustable out feed arms, legs that fold in for easy transport, and quick mounting tool brackets. For more information on the Magnum Siding Shears please go to www.bullettools.com.
In Closing
Attending JLC LIVE New England has always been a great experience and never disappoints. Being able to stay on top of the best practices and promote the newest products to your clients will be a huge benefit for you. As for building a networking base, this is another tool in the tool box as you proceed in the construction field to assist you in completing anything from those everyday jobs to the head scratching ones.
Another exciting part of attending JLC LIVE are the Tools and show sale deals. Having the opportunity to try a tool out, and speak with other professionals before purchasing that tool will provide that you with assurance that you made the best decision.
The JLC LIVE Residential Construction Show offers 3 shows a year. They are located in Providence, RI, Navy Pier, Chicago and Portland, Oregon. JLC also offers a magazine subscription with tool reviews and building articles in paper or digital editions. Go to www.jlclive.com to learn on how it will improve your job site or next DIY project.
Enjoy the show.
