BuffaloFeeds » Toolmonger » December 31, 2007

Toolmonger (9 unread)

De-Ice, Ice Baby With The Walk-Behind Salt Spreader

Posted: December 31st, 2007, 12:09pm MST by Audra Heaslip

If you’ve ever been unlucky enough to bruise your backside (or worse) after falling on a patch of ice, you know how important it is to keep walkways and stairs clear of the slippery stuff. Ice Buster’s walk-behind salt spreader provides a good mid-range solution for de-icing, with mittenfuls of kitty litter being at the low end and multi-thousand dollar hoppers attached to your truck bed at the high end.

The walk-behind spreader’s pneumatic wheels roll easily, and a regulator on the handle controls the flow. It holds up to 100 lbs. of dry salt or other free-flowing de-icer materials, according to the folks at Northern Tool + Equipment. Customers give the spreader generally positive reviews, with the main complaint being that the spreader requires a lot of assembly.

For those living in icy regions, the spreader, which retails for around $160, could be a good choice for keeping your walkways safe. Just be sure to have a vacuum handy for all the boot-shaken salt crystals near your front door.

Walk-Behind Salt Spreader [Northern Tool]
Via Amazon [What’s This?]
Pocket Saw Cuts (Almost) Anything (Lucas — Sked This Post For The 2nd)

Posted: December 31st, 2007, 12:01pm MST by Dan Kitchen

Emson claims their “As Seen on TV” MXZ Pocket Saw cuts though almost anything — metal, bricks, wood, and maybe even tomatoes. I’m a bit skeptical of all infomercial tools, but this three-position locking saw blade with a tungsten carbide edge “that never needs sharpening” still caught my eye.

Of course, one of the positions is closed. And the MXZ’s strange sandpaper-like carbide is impossible to sharpen – even if one day it doesn’t cut well. Still, its aluminum handle looks beefy, but comfortable. The MXZ’s “amazing blade” also appears to take the same shape as a Sawzall blade, so you might be able to switch it out for any other blade.

At a street price of $15 it might make a good jobsite saw — assuming you could swap in a better blade when it wears out. (Watch out — the MXZ sells for $20 via the corporate site, but Amazon carries it for $15.)
MXZ Saw [Corporate Site]
Street Pricing [Google Products]
Via Amazon [What’s this?]
Rip The Duct A New One

Posted: December 31st, 2007, 11:33am MST by Benjamen Johnson

If you need to cut a hole in the middle of a sheet of metal duct, Malco’s CDR duct ripper will get you started. Designed especially for puncturing and ripping ductwork, this tool looks somewhat like a standard blade screwdriver, but the similarities end there.

Malco grinds the tip of this hardened, corrosion-resistant blade to a perfect angle for puncturing sheet metal. A hanging hole penetrates the cushioned grip for easy storage. If you don’t want to ruin a perfectly good screwdriver, you can pick it up for about $12.

Duct Ripper [Malco]
Street Pricing [Google Products]
Let Them Eat Crow: Crittercam Shows Toolmongers In The Wild

Posted: December 31st, 2007, 11:04am MST by Audra Heaslip

It seems we’re humans aren’t the only Toolmongers in the animal kingdom — thanks to Researchers from the University of Oxford — who mounted tiny half-ounce cameras to the tail feathers of New Caledonian crows — we now know that these very special birds make and use their own simple tools.

The researchers, led by Christian Rutz, found that the crows not only stripped grass into thin blades to use as probes, but also foraged for specific grass stalks, used them for long periods of time, and carried them in flight to use at other job sites. These crows can also “fish” for insects using tools made from sticks or leaves. And in 2002, one New Caledonian crow named Betty repeatedly bent a piece of straight wire into a hook to retrieve food, working out her own solution to a new problem.

Because of Betty’s behavior, the researchers who worked with her claim that New Caledonian crows “rival nonhuman primates in tool-related cognitive capabilities.” That is, our feathered friends may have more tricks up their sleeves than being the best pilots around.

Crittercam Article [National Geographic]
Crow Makes Wire Hook [National Geographic]
Eat Anywhere With The French Army Bivouac Knife

Posted: December 31st, 2007, 10:27am MST by Benjamen Johnson

After a hard day slogging through the woods, you may want to swap your normal pocket knife for the French Army Bivouac Knife. Standard issue in the French Infantry, this knife unfolds to give you everything needed to eat your hard-earned meal.

This ABS and stainless steel multi-tool packs a spoon, fork, corkscrew, can opener, and folding knife into one 5 oz. package. Fork and spoon detach for ease of use, and the can opener unlocks a can of beans in no time. The 3-1/2″ blade, rated 50-54 on the Rockwell hardness scale, secures with a spring-loaded liner lock. And after your meal, you can clip this 5-1/2″ tool to your belt in the included nylon sheath.

Lee Valley lists it for $27. The corkscrew inspires me to pack a bottle of wine on my next camping trip. Does pinot noir go well with beans?

French Army Bivouac Knife [Lee Valley]
via Amazon [What’s This?]
It’s Just Cool: Adjustable Draw Knife Ad From 1884

Posted: December 31st, 2007, 10:02am MST by Audra Heaslip

While the folding draw knife was “new, novel, and selling rapidly” in the 1880s, draw knives have aided woodworkers since Noah noticed the clouds rolling in. Gripping both handles, the woodworker pulls the draw knife toward him (or pushes away, despite the name), peeling bark and wood from logs and leaving a unique hand-made look.

The two main styles are the English style, in which the handles angle 90 degrees from a straight blade, and the continental pattern, where the handles are set in line with a curved blade. A general rule of thumb: the harder the wood, the sharper the blade needs to be.

The continental draw knife pictured above has a 4-3/8″ blade — a rare find for a woodcarver working with small objects.

Draw Knife Ad From 1884 [Hyperkitten.com]
The Week In Tools: Toolmonger Top 5

Posted: December 31st, 2007, 9:13am MST by Sean O'Hara

Last week was a busy one here at Toolmonger. If you’ve been spending time in the shop — you should! — and you haven’t had a chance to keep up with Toolmonger this week, we suggest you start with these posts, which our readers helped to select:

Preview: Sears Brings Li-Ion To C3 Series Cordless
Sears finally plans to make li-ion batteries available for their affordable line of 19V C3 tools. We have a few of these around the Toolmonger shop and are very pleased that we’ll be able to keep ‘em around longer than their original Ni-Cd batterys.

Make A Lathe Out Of Your Drill Press
For those crafters short on dough but high on turning, Grizzly has an attachment that hooks up to your existing drill press and puts the power of turning in the shop for less than $30. If your stock is smaller than two feet, this could be your rig.

Jason Should’ve Wielded A Bill Hook — For Pruning
The bill hook looks mean – because it is. Wielded correctly it makes short work of brush and overgrowth. Though it looks like a slasher movie prop, this tool has been around for hundreds of years — mostly because it works.

Hardwood Levels By Crick Are Trick
Crick has been making sweet-ass, custom hardwood levels for the better part of 30 years. Though the waiting list can seem a little long, the features and overall quality of the product make them something to consider when a new level is in your future.

Bartender, Get Me A Gimlet
The hand-powered gimlet is the really old-fashioned way to get a screw started in that heirloom you’re building for the family. It takes some extra effort, but that’s kind of the point.

Help us choose next week’s Top 5!

We’d appreciate your help in choosing next week’s Top 5, which’ll be featured here, elsewhere, and in the podcast as well. While you’re reading TM this week, look out for the “Interesting Post” button at the bottom of the article:

When you see an article that piques your interest, click the button once. You’ll return to the same page, but TM’s software’ll score your click for future reference. We’ll check in on the totals before selecting next week’s Top 5.
Dealmonger: Overhead Storage Units For $20

Posted: December 31st, 2007, 8:36am MST by Benjamen Johnson

If you need a place to store all those Christmas decorations, HyLoft is discounting their 36″ by 36″ storage system to $20 apiece, while supplies last. Made from steel and finished in a scratch resistant white finish, this 36″ by 36″ unit adjusts from 16″ to 28″ high.

HyLoft backs their product with a lifetime warranty. Easily installed on finished or unfinished ceilings, each storage unit holds up to 150 lbs. Amazon is also discounting the Hyloft storage unit to $35 — and they’re throwing in free shipping to boot.

Storage Unit [HyLoft]
Street Pricing [Google Products]
Via Amazon [What’s This?]
TV Tonight: Violent Behavior

Posted: December 31st, 2007, 8:00am MST by Nick Carter
(Monday, December 31th, 2007) The new Weapon Masters premiers, although we’re not sure how Toolmonger-worthy it is. Anyway, it’s something new for New Year’s Eve.

All times are central.
- MythBusters: Killer Tissue Box (Discovery, 5:00 p.m.)
- Holmes on Homes: O-fence-ive (Home, 5:00 p.m.)
- Trains & Locomotives (RFD-TV, 5:00 p.m.)
- MythBusters: Archimedes Death Ray (Discovery, 6:00 p.m.)
- MythBusters: Exploding Water Heater (Discovery, 7:00 p.m.)
- Top Gear: Episode 6 (BBC America, 7:00 p.m.)
- MythBusters: Trail Blazers (Discovery, 8:00 p.m.)
- Top Gear: Episode 5 (BBC America, 8:00 p.m.)
- Weapon Masters: Roman Scorpion (Discovery, 9:00 p.m.) NEW
- MythBusters: Vodka Myths (Discovery, 10:00 p.m.)
Enjoy.