We've narrowed down the entries for our contest to pick a T-shirt slogan for our Woodworking in America event. The front side of the shirt will say: Woodworking in America 2010." And the back will have a slogan.

Pick your favorite slogan using the poll below, but do it fast – we're choosing the winner on Wednesday, Sept. 8.

I'm spending the next few days in Boulder, Colo., at the Google SketchUp 3D Base Camp. Base Camp is a gathering of 250 expert SketchUp users from around the world. It's always fun to meet people face to face that you know from the Internet. And after a morning of great hospitality and excellent food, there was the announcement that a new version of SketchUp is now available. I'll have a full report in the next few weeks on the features woodworkers are interested in. The new release improves things, but it doesn't make the old release (or our instructional materials) obsolete.

Many of the features integrate Google Earth terrain data directly into SketchUp. The feature that grabbed my attention however, was the addition of solid modeling in SketchUp. Wouldn't it be cool if you could draw a tenon on the end of a rail, put that rail into a table leg and create a matching mortise with a couple mouse clicks? That sort of time saving is now a part of the Pro Version of SketchUp 8. Until now, I've advised most woodworkers to stick with the free version of SketchUp. You can still do everything you need to do for woodworking in the free version, but if you do a significant amount of detailed modeling, SketchUp pro is well worth the cost.

Look for more details next week.

– Robert W. Lang

• You can learn more about SketchUp on this page of our web site.
• Learn to use this software with these videos
• Or you can learn with this book in digital format

As woodworkers, we can build whatever type of furniture we'd like. Some styles require more complicated skills and time (early American pieces, a la Duncan Phyfe), while others are deceptively simple, but require time-intensive hand work and a sense of sculpture (such as a Sam Maloof rocker). Two styles that have enduring popularity are Shaker and Arts & Crafts. Both forms offer simple lines, solid construction and an accessibility that appeals to us as woodworkers. And why not? Both are great American furniture forms.

I like to refer to our books on these topics as the Great American Furniture series. "Pleasant Hill Shaker Furniture" was the first title in the series we published. Author Kerry Pierce took his depth of knowledge about the Shakers and focused on the Pleasant Hill, Ky., community. Shaker furniture was born from the need to have sturdy, functional furniture that could be created by a competent woodworker and that didn't require the adornment of earlier furniture styles. This book includes photos of the entire community (which now exists as a living museum), its dwellings and most importantly, its furniture. Kerry took measurements of many of these unique furniture pieces, and the illustrations are offered in the book for any who wish to build the pieces.

Arts & Crafts is a simple step from Shaker, but with a different look, and a different history. Arts & Crafts was born from a rejection of the Industrial Age philosophy. Its was a "back to basics" movement that raised hand-crafted, honest furniture to a "common man" ideal. While much of the furniture was priced somewhat out-of-reach of the common man of that time, the philosophy and the woodworking has found a new audience today. The author of "Grove Park Inn Arts & Crafts Furniture," Bruce Johnson, takes the reader on a tour of the largest public display of Arts & Crafts furniture in the country. Nestled in the hills of Asheville, N.C., the Grove Park Inn was built as a luxurious retreat from the busy world, and continues today in the same manner. The book is full of photos of this amazing resort and the many furniture treasures spread throughout its hallways.

By taking a good idea and adding to it, brothers Charles and Henry Greene created a new furniture style that evokes passion among many woodworkers. By infusing an Asian aesthetic to the Arts & Crafts form, the two architect brothers brought a new look to American furniture, and to Southern California specifically. Author David Mathias spent years gaining access to many of the homes and public spaces that showcase the Greene & Greene style. "Greene & Greene Furniture, Poems of Wood & Light" is the first book to focus on the furniture from a woodworker's perspective, looking beneath the form to study the mechanics and design philosophies that make these furniture pieces great American furniture.

We want to share these three impressive books with you by making a special offer. Buy both "Greene & Greene Furniture" and "Grove Park Inn" at 20 percent off ($28 each, for a total of $56), and "Get Pleasant Hill Shaker Furniture" free. When you add all three products to your shopping cart, use offer code WBS117 to get the third book free.

– David Thiel

At the Association of Woodworking & Furnishings Suppliers show in Las Vegas three years ago, Steel City Tool Works (SCTW) took the woodworking world by storm with the introduction of granite tops on table saws. Granite used in woodworking machines extended to jointers, lathes and even planers.

During the next couple years, the woodworking business as we know it changed. Companies found a difficult path toward keeping the doors open and many companies shut those doors or significantly downsized. SCTW was no different. There were rumors that the company was out. No longer were you able to get machines. In fact, I read more than once that the phones at the company headquarters were turned off. That's not a good sign.

At this year's major woodworking show in Atlanta, the International Woodworking Fair (IWF), exhibitors were at a premium. However, Steel City Tool Works was there in full splendor. Not only was the SCTW booth full of machines and sales people providing free-flowing information, the company displayed more innovation. In particular, the company showed table saws with a newly designed top.

Take a look at the photo above. Do you notice anything different? Look closely. I almost missed this detail while I was standing directly in front of the saw. Give up? Where are the seams that are generally found where the wings meet the saw top? Don't see any do you? That's innovation. No longer does your fence catch on the seam as it slides across the tabletop.

Here's what the engineers at SCTW did. The table attached to the cabinet has been downsized to stop just at the far edge (away from the blade) of the miter slot. The wing edges are milled to complete the miter slots, so when the two are joined, the seam disappears in the miter slot. Cool. Ingenious.

The first question that springs to mind is: With the amount of finagling that one has to do to get the wings set correctly, is the miter slot usable given that is where the joint is? I tried a few slots and they worked fine. The company representative whom I spoke with explained that the wings fit to the table in the same manner as most other saws, but that there are set screws that allow you to perfectly dial in the fit.

Also, many of the company's saws have the motors and pulleys tied together – both move in unison – and the motor is no longer hung by the belt. This setup translates into less vibration during start-up and run time. The rep. bypassed the nickel test and went right to conducting the test using a penny. The penny stayed balanced on its edge until the saw was shut off – the knock against the paddle caused the machine to shimmy.

If you're looking for an entry-level saw, take a look at SCTW's model #35990CS. This saw, with a cast iron tabletop and stamped wings, is priced at $499.

And, check out the knobs that lock the blade guard and pawls on the riving knife. With a quick turn you either attach the guards or pull them from the saw. It's easy to do and maybe that will keep us using them.

— Glen D. Huey