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The New Festool Edge Bander – A Better Way To Band A Radius

 

Festool CONTURO Edge Bander

The new handheld Festool CONTURO Edge Bander is due out March 16th.  If you’re a fan of Festool I’m sure that date is marked on your calendar and have already seen the instructional videos.

Those of you reading that aren’t fans of Festool, after running the bander, I think you might be.

I’m not a woodworker, or even really that handy – I fix most things in my house with duct tape… That said I have been trained and know how to use a bunch of the Festool products.

As Festool comes out with new tools I don’t look at them like an 18 year old kid sleeping outside the Apple store waiting for the new iPhone.  I look at does it do the job, does it save time and is it worth the investment.

I have been playing with the CONTURO Edge Bander this week and I am convinced that it will save you time and money.

You no longer need to do corner shelves, hutch verticals or countertops by hand.

The CONTURO works on glue pucks which makes it very easy to change from white to natural colored glue.  It works on banding up to 3mm thick X 2-1/2″ high and is ready to use in 10 minutes.

I tried to rip the banding off after I edged the shelf, and due to the way the bander applies the glue, I snapped the banding every time.

You will still have to trim the top and bottom edges but you will never have to wait for contact cement to set again.

I can see the CONTURO as a nice addition to any shop that needs to band a radius.

Are you a Festool fan?  Which tools have saved the day?

I would love to hear your experience in the comments below.

 

 

 

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Are You Planning to Enter the Top Shelf Design Contest?

Well you should be and here’s why.

You have the chance to become an “Award Winning Designer” – Talk about differentiating yourself from the competition.  It’s something that you can add to your business card, promote on your website and include in your advertising.

Business owners with design teams you should encourage all your designers to take the time and enter… How great would it be if a couple of them won?  You could repurpose each entry as a “project” on your Houzz profile… Still don’t have one??  Click here to receive quick tips that will help you get started.

You will be recognized by your industry and you can leverage that with your potential clients too!  Check out some of the interviews from last year’s winners.

The cocktail party at the expo is always a lot of fun – it’s great catching up with friends and making new ones.

Start planning your entry now – The deadline is March 13th.

Click for contest details.

Need some inspiration?  Here are a few of last year’s winners.

  • Affordable Closets Plus

    Affordable Closets Plus - DeVoe Martin

  • Closets By Design VA

    Closets By Design VA - Debbie Cantell

  • More Space Place DC

    More Space Place DC - Rob Meyers

  • We Do Closets

    We Do Closets - Dave Skinner

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KBIS 2015 – The Mayor’s Top 3 Takeaways

The aisles were packed with people looking for new ideas and innovation – and the exhibitors delivered!

Couple that with over 90 educational sessions being offered and KBIS is becoming the MUST attend show of the year!

Rev-A-Shelf Booth @KBIS 2015

Rev-A-Shelf’s Booth Was An Attendee Favorite

In this post we discuss the finish that won’t go away, a new way for your customers to pick their decorative hardware and 360 degrees of storage.

Some of you may cringe when I say this – brass is showing up even more this year. No it’s not that ugly polished brass that you immediately think of.

KBIS 2015 Trend - Brass Is BackThis is a satin or brushed finish that works with wood grains and could be coupled with glossy white material to give a contemporary look. I saw entry sets, faucets, shower heads and decorative hardware in many of the booths.  We all know that once consumers start using brass in their kitchens and baths it will run thru the entire home… Closets are not far behind.

This next photo is a great way for your customers to decide on their decorative hardware.

KBIS 2015 Trends

Keeler used metal drawer faces wrapped in different melamine colors so that you could easily mix and match finishes. This is an awesome idea for your showroom and something that you could easily accomplish if you use FastCaps Power Magnets and your standard drawer faces. I loved this and everyone visiting the booth was playing with the display. This is a great way to get your potential customers to visit your showroom.  If you can get them in the door, it’s your job to lose and the price of the typically increases.

Shoe storage is always a hot button when it comes to designing closets.  Plus Closets had their Lazy Lee 360 Organizer on display. I had seen the video and was even more impressed when I saw it in person. The rotation is smooth and silent.  It could be used for shoes, you could add drawers or baskets – it was a nice way to use a corner. The only downside is the size – you need to have a walk-in closet large enough to accommodate the 40” x 40” unit.

It’s your turn – What was your favorite part of KBIS or IBS?

Click links below to share with your friends.

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Hour Glass Closet Rod

Who doesn’t like an hour glass figure??

That’s the inspiration behind the newest closet rods to hit the market.

New Closet Rods

The new shape keeps the hanger from scratching the face… A problem common with round rods.

The hour glass shape coupled with a clear plastic cap across the top will keep the rod looking good even after years of use.

The shape isn’t the only feature unique about these rods – they are reversible!

One side is a flat smooth finish, the other side is ribbed for a more contemporary look.

It doesn’t just look good – the new two piece flange allows for a very forgiving installation… Even if your rod is cut a 1/4″ short it will still lock in place.

Is our industry ready for a new closet rod?

What do you think?

I would love to read your comments below…

 

 

 

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A New Year… A New Time Saver From FastCap

Screen Shot 2014-12-20 at 11.09.15 AMWith all of the new melamine colors on the market sooner or later you are going to run into a situation where you need to make your own custom FastCaps or custom FastEdge.

FastCap does have the ability to run a custom color, but what if you can’t wait??

They have come up with the solution –

Check out this great new product

Let me know what you think in the comments section below.

Wishing you a Happy & Healthy 2015!!

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