Why? Because it's a computer-controlled milling machine for your home, that's why. Invented by a couple of hobbyists with day jobs at NASA, Compucarve reduces woodworking to a process not much more arduous than doctoring an image in Photoshop. Using the included modeling software, you can design your own patterns or choose from a menu of drag-and-drop clip-art. Send the image to a memory card, slip that into the port, and your work is done — the machine does all the carving. No chiseling, drilling, or even talent required. It even comes preprogrammed with a wide range of routing and joinery.
$1,899, craftsman.com
