Adding a High-Tech Solution to Traditional Workflows

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By Brenden Mulder-Rosi

Avi Hadad is the owner of Avi’s Hardwood Floors in California. His 20 years of experience span all aspects of the flooring industry, including cleaning, refinishing, installation, and design. Avi also has particular expertise in marquetry and scrollwork, in which he uses  traditional tools and techniques.

Avi values the craftsmanship and rich heritage that support traditional flooring techniques, so a high-tech solution like Shaper Origin might not at first seem like a natural fit for his company. But he finds that Origin can augment his hard-won skills and expertise, rather than supplanting them. Avi says that “you have to understand marquetry and inlay technique” before you can effectively use Origin in these contexts. 

Origin also provides major benefits when working onsite. The tool’s precision and rapid cutter retraction give him the confidence to work on finished, installed pieces without worrying about the potential for damaging mistakes that can cost significant time and money. Avi also finds Origin’s dust extraction system to be invaluable when working onsite, when dust management is particularly vital. Connecting a vacuum hose to a traditional plunge router can make it difficult to see your cut while working. But “Origin’s screen allows me to keep an eye on my cut,” he says.

For a recent custom floor installation in San Pablo, Avi designed a series of interstitial inlays that he placed periodically across the floor. This double inlay required dozens of cuts at a small scale, necessitating a high degree of repetitive precision. Avi used his Origin to cut both the reliefs and the inlay pieces, following up with hand tools. He designed a simple jig to cut his reliefs, making registration simple, precise, and efficient. “I like how Origin does the bulk of the work and then I go in with my [hand] tools so there is still that human touch.”

Despite its technological innovation, Avi thinks of Origin as just “an awesome addition to my arsenal of tools.” It doesn’t supplant a flooring expert’s intelligence, technique, or expertise; it simply augments these qualities. Because it’s so versatile, the tool slots seamlessly into a wide variety of workflows, streamlining complex tasks and bringing reliable precision to repetitive tasks. “I’m not getting any younger,” Avi says, “and I don’t like spending time on repetitive cuts.” With Origin, Avi Hadad is able to spend more time on the specialized techniques and skills that set him apart from the competition.  

Watch Avi Hadad work with Origin.

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