BuffaloFeeds » Toolmonger » December 28, 2007

Toolmonger (9 unread)

Dealmonger: GearWrench 10-Piece Metric Box End Wrench Set For $30

Posted: December 28th, 2007, 2:14pm MST by Stephen Cooke

In a promotion that ends tonight, Sears is selling its GearWrench 10-piece metric box end wrench set for just $30, half off the regular $60 price. With their thin heads and shanks, these wrenches excel in tight spots — the ratcheting mechanism requires only five degrees of movement instead of the usual 30 degrees needed by standard end wrenches. The set includes sizes 6, 8, 10, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, and 18mm and comes with a lifetime guarantee.

For the same price Sears offers the SAE version of this set which includes sizes 1/4, 5/16, 11/32, 3/8, 7/16, 1/2, 9/16, 5/8, 11/16, and 3/4-inches.

GearWrench Metric Set [Sears]
GearWrench SAE Set [Sears]
X-mas Loot: Wood Storage Projects Book

Posted: December 28th, 2007, 12:02pm MST by Sean O'Hara

I love building wooden storage projects, for two reasons: first is the simple joy of making something, and second is the added organization to my home and shop. I’m addicted to it. I must build tables, shelves, cases, and cabinets. Luckily, Santa saw fit to stuff my stocking with this sweet book from Black and Decker.

I haven’t had time to read it yet, but just looking at the pictures I can tell it was written in the ‘80s. Lucky for me wood projects haven’t changed that much, and a lot of them are still pretty cool with a twist here and a mod there.

Did you get any cool, tool-related loot this year? Post it up to the photo pool — we’d love to see it!

Toolmonger’s Photo Pool [Flickr]
Rock ‘N Lock Doorstop One-Ups the Ole’ Gray Wedge

Posted: December 28th, 2007, 11:31am MST by Audra Heaslip

How many times have you scraped the front door open onto a plastic wedge, returned carrying an arm-quivering load of shop gear/groceries/X-mas loot, and had the door slam in your face when you got there? Those inflexible wedges do lose their grip after a time. Luckily, inventor Michael Pendergrass of Rocklin (no kidding), California, came up with a doorstop that lets the door roll into place and then grips it there.

And since it’s made of Santoprene rubber, the doorstop won’t mar or damage your floors. At a street price of around $12, it may trip your radar, but it could be worth it if your most-used doors are as rebellious as ours.

Rock N Lock Doorstop [Corporate Site]
Street Pricing [Google Products]
Via Amazon [What’s This?]
It’s Just Cool: The Crooked Knife

Posted: December 28th, 2007, 11:02am MST by Audra Heaslip

The bikahtagenigan, or crooked knife, was an essential tool used by Native Americans in creating birchbark canoes, paddles and poles, brown ash split baskets, snowshoes, and clubs. The crooked knife is a drawknife made with a bent handle; the carver grasps the knife fingers-up with the blade facing him and pulls it toward himself, slicing and shaving the wood to form smooth surfaces.

Native Americans made the earliest crooked knives in the American Northeast and Atlantic Canada from beaver or porcupine incisors hafted into a wooden handle. Contact with French, English, and Scandinavian settlers brought the technology of metal blades to the Maine Indians by the early 1700s. The knives were widely made and used until around 1930, when modern manufactured goods replaced many items that were traditionally carved.

Crooked knife handles are often elaborately designed, displaying items such as the carved heads of animals, horse hooves, hands with wedding rings, snake bodies, inlaid photographs, women’s legs, and traditional deer and dove images seen in beadwork of the Iroquois. The knife pictured above shows a playing card motif.

Today, Maine Indian basketmakers and canoe builders still create and use crooked knives, and you can find a number of knives online at antique woodworking sites. And if you’ve used one before, upload your pictures — we’d love to see this traditional tool in action.

Crooked Knife Online Exhibit [Hudson Museum]
A Tale of Two Storage Systems

Posted: December 28th, 2007, 10:25am MST by Stuart Deutsch

Now that the holidays are over, ’tis the season to get organized! And to help you find a place for all those new (large) tools Santa brought, we’ve selected two great consumer models – Rubbermaid’s and Gladiator’s — from all the many storage systems on the market to profile here on Toolmonger. Read on past the jump for photos and details.

Rubbermaid’s FastTrack System

Rubbermaid’s FastTrack system, shown above, installs easily and reconfigures quickly. You can add on baskets and shelves and various hooks and holders. The FastTrack’s structural configuration draws heavily from Rubbermaid’s closet organization system, making the FastTrack perfect for those who want plenty of shelves.

Gladiator’s System

Gladiator’s system, shown above, resembles Rubbermaid’s in that it’s simple to install, and its accessories are easy to position and rearrange. Its “J”, “L”, and “loop” pegboard hooks attracted me to this system. Gladiator also offers repositionable wall-mountable cabinets, mobile drawer units, durable flooring, and even heavy duty appliances. The fact that they offer a heavy duty refrigerator shouldn’t be too surprising given that Gladiator is a daughter company of the Whirlpool corporation.

You can install both systems in most types of walls, but you may need to pick up the installation hardware for the Gladiator system while you’re at the store. Home Depot carries Rubbermaid’s system and the accessories. Both Lowe’s and Sears have the Gladiator system on sale this week.

If you know of other systems that are as good as or better than these, please share your opinions with us in comments, and photos in the flickr pool!

FastTrack Organization [Rubbermaid]
Garage Works [Gladiator]
Hot or Not? Rolling Snow Shovel

Posted: December 28th, 2007, 9:59am MST by Audra Heaslip

The folks over at ProblemSolvers claim their rolling snow shovel “clears snow faster and requires no bending or lifting, so you stand up straight while clearing snow from sidewalks or driveways.” Now, I can’t help but be suspicious when I’m told I can clear snow with no bending or lifting.

Admittedly, I was raised in an area where snow falls a foot at a time. But is it possible this thing really works? Or does it work in light, fluffy, just-fallen, dry snow, at depths only less than three inches? This thing’ll probably hold up in Houston, but can it take on Buffalo? Let us know what you think in comments!

Rolling Snow Shovel [ProblemSolvers]
X-mas Loot: Gardner Bender Automatic Wire Stripper

Posted: December 28th, 2007, 9:11am MST by Eric Dykstra

This year, Amazon Santa dropped a Gardner Bender SE-94 automatic wire stripper in my stocking. The SE-94’s jaws automatically adjust to strip 10 to 26 gauge wire. One set of jaws grips and cuts the wire while the other set pulls back the insulation — all with one squeeze. I’ve enjoyed it so much, I spent the last 36 hours looking for wire to strip.

Garnder Bender also included an integrated blade-and-anvil type wirecutter as well as a set of crimpers. If you want a really nice, super useful tool, cash in those gift cards and get yourself one of these for about $14.

Automatic Wire Stripper [Gardner Bender]
Street Price [Google Products]
Via Amazon [What’s This?]
Dealmonger: Spend $50 At Lowe’s, Get $10 Off Next Purchase — Sorta

Posted: December 28th, 2007, 8:35am MST by Chuck Cage

According to Lowe’s website today, they’re willing to give you a $10 “project starter coupon” if you’ll spend at least $50 in the store or online between now and Dec. 31st. As always, there’s a ton of small print, but hey — it’s pretty damn easy to spend $50 at Lowe’s. I spent $50 there on light bulbs the other day.

Spend $50/Get $10 Promo [Lowe’s]
TV Tonight: Ol’ Dependable

Posted: December 28th, 2007, 8:00am MST by Nick Carter
(Friday, December 28th, 2007) Woodworking and home repair shows never get old, do they?

All times are central.
- Holmes on Homes: House to Home Part 2 (Home, 5:00 p.m.)
- Build It Bigger: Mountain of Steel (Science, 5:00 p.m.)
- Toolbelt Diva: Attic Access (Home, 7:00 p.m.)
- How Do They Do It?: Black Boxes, Steam Turbine, Racing Car (Science, 7:00 p.m.)
- Take Home Handyman: Bachelor Party House: The Dingles (Home, 7:30 p.m.)
- How It’s Made: Episode 12, Aluminum screw caps, chocolate, pills, and pasta (Science, 7:30 p.m.)
- New Yankee Workshop: Canopy Bed (DIY, 7:30 p.m.)
- Holmes on Homes: Hullaba-Loo (Home, 8:00 p.m.)
- How It’s Made 4: Episode 16, Levels, Hot Dogs, Abrasive Grains, and Sandpaper (Science, 8:00 p.m.)
- New Yankee Workshop: Shaving Stand (DIY, 8:00 p.m.)
- How It’s Made 4: Episode 15, Curling Stones, Refrigerators, Aluminium Baseball Bats, and Opalescent Glass (Science, 8:30 p.m.)
- Wood Works: Jigs and Fixtures Tour (DIY, 8:30 p.m.)
- Build It Bigger: World’s Tallest Skyscraper (Science, 9:00 p.m.)
- Classic Rides: Harley-Davidson (DIY, 9:00 p.m.)
Enjoy.