Page 38 - HW March 2022

hand & power tools & accessories
Towards a better chalk reel
Ox Tools has come up with a trio of improved chalk reels, all using Kevlar reinforced line for improved durability.
The OX-P505830 Pro Aluminium Body Chalk Reel 6x Gear (above left) was designed for professional contractors with a Kevlar line to stand up against abrasion no less than 20 times better than previous models. The aluminium case is also made to withstand the rigours of the jobsite and keep internals safe from being damaged after drops, bumps, or knocks. The reel rewinds quickly with a high 6:1 gear ratio.
Also aimed at tradies, the new OX-P505730 Pro Compact Chalk Reel comes with an ABS plastic and a 6:1 gear ratio, while the OX- P506302 Pro Aluminium Kevlar Chalk Line Reel and Refill pack (above right) comes with 30m of abrasion resistant 1mm Kevlar braided line, a durable aluminium case, 6:1 gear ratio, push-button clutch to preserve the gears during line extraction, a felt gasket to prevent chalk spillage and distribute an even chalk coating on the line, plus an improved ox-horn hook steel crank
www.oxtools.co.nz
What happened to Airbow?
Back in October 2018, with interest high in its cool black compressed air-powered Airbow nailer, the company dubbed “the Dyson of nail guns” sold its first product into PlaceMakers under a three-year exclusive deal, with more air-powered products on the way.
Investors in Airbow and its board included some significant names, international design awards were accumulated, and the future looked bright for the locally designed and engineered start- up.
Airbow’s USP was that it used compressed air to drive nails into timber – no combustion system, no electronics or batteries, power leads, fans or chargers, no emissions released, no recycling issues.
Airbow products were unique for their Hammerforce valve actuation system which channelled small amounts of compressed air to drive the nails in.
Now, in 2022, you can’t buy Airbow products.
Hammerforce is also the name of the company that gave birth to Airbow’s compressed air power tools.
Hammerforce the company, complete with all that IP, is still going strong and these days boasts an equally impressive line-up of backers and board members.
Rather than make its own products however, Hammerforce
has evolved into a company offering consulting and engineering services to companies licensing its patent valve actuation and compressed air technology which can be applied to any product or industry that “requires high force delivered quickly.”
Such was the level of interest in licensing that the decision was made to close Airbow, although its website is still functioning, for the purposes of product support, warranty, and service obligations.
Proof of the pudding is that following its first construction- related licensing agreement, in October last year Hammerforce
announced a second exclusive multi-million-dollar licensing deal with a FTSE100 company that it says will lead to the “design and delivery of a range of fully customised end-products that use Hammerforce valve technology.”
So, you could say that Airbow served its purpose as a showcase for Hammerforce’s technology – and there is nothing wrong with that.
As to being the “Dyson of nail guns,” actually, unlike Dyson which holds its technology very, very close and sells its own products in fiercely competitive markets, Airbow slash Hammerforce is doing just the opposite.
www.hammerforce.com
36 NZHJ | MARCH 2022 MORE AT www.hardwarejournal.co.nz