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(Saturday, May 31st, 2008) This night of reruns includes an oldie of Junkyard Wars. Why don’t they just bring it back?
All times are central.
Enjoy.
Starting a screw in an awkward place can vex even a veteran Toolmonger. If you can hold the screw with one hand and use a driver with the other, you’ve got a chance. Otherwise you’ve got a problem on your hands. Greenlee’s screw-holding drivers hold screws in place with a spring-loaded sleeve that makes for easy, one-handed driving.
The drivers come in an assortment of sizes including Phillips #0, #1, #2, and flat-head sizes 3/32″, 5/32″, 1/8″, 3/16″, and 1/4″. You push the sleeve forward with a thumb tab, and place a screw in the cage. Release the thumb tab, and the screw locks in tight, allowing you access to all those tight places.
The drivers feature a soft-grip handle, a corrosion- and chip-resistant black sulphate finish, and easy-to-read markings for easy size recognition. They range in price from about $6 to $15.
Screw-Holding Drivers [Greenlee]
Street Pricing [Google Products]
Before handheld can openers, getting to the food inside a tin can required a hammer and chisel — or, for many soldiers, bayonets, knives, or even rifle fire. The first claw-shape, lever-type openers were developed in Britain and America in the 1850s by cutler Robert Yates in Middlesex in 1855, and by Ezra J. Warner of Waterbury, CT, in 1858. The U.S. Army adopted Warner’s design for the Civil War and issued the bull’s head can opener (above) with its rations of canned “bully beef,” or shredded corned beef mixed with gravy. (British and Australian soldiers regularly consumed bully beef, too, usually with hard tack crackers and, on Christmas Day, whiskey.)
Warner’s patent came on the heels of the development of thinner steel cans, which helped make the can opener more viable and less dangerous. From American Heritage:
[The lever-type was] an opener with a pointed blade that the user pressed, rather than stabbed, into the can. A metal guard kept the point from penetrating too far, to “perforate the tin without causing the liquid to fly out.” A second, curved blade could then be worked to gnaw along the rim and remove the lid. Warner’s patent claimed, with more optimism than prudence, that “a child may use it without difficulty, or risk.”
The bull’s head opener was made of cast iron and often painted red, with the animal’s tail curving into the handle. A web article from the UK illustrates:
A two-part steel blade was fastened to the bull’s neck; one short vertical spike rising from the head intended to pierce a hole in the lid, and the other a cutting blade (under the chin of the bull) for see-sawing round the rim of the tin.
The bull’s head tin openers were produced up to the mid 1930’s and can still be found as a collector’s item — though old cans of bully beef are harder to find.
Article on Tin Openers [Research Pod]
History of the Can Opener [American Heritage]
The Tiger Claw reciprocating saw features a “3-D” joint that rotates at two different points, making it extremely flexible. It allows you to get at your work more easily, even if it’s between or behind a bunch of studs, pipes, or cables. It’s made by a company called Flex Power Tools, so what else would you expect?
The saw’s rear gear housing adjusts up to 180 degrees with 13 positive stop locations, and the front gear housing scrolls 360 degrees with 12 positive stop locations. A tool-less blade change mechanism makes blade-changing nice and fast. It also accepts regular jigsaw blades, and you can convert the saw into a semi-jigsaw. The saw support can telescope three inches, allowing you to rest the saw against your work for less vibration and a cleaner cut.
Now for the bad news: I can’t find this saw for sale anywhere in the US, only at German online retailers with a price around 430 Euros. That’s $664 US — yikes. FLEX, a German company, does sell to distributors in the US, but they don’t offer their line of saws, mostly just sanders and grinders. If I find this saw anywhere in the US, I’ll post it in comments.
Tiger Claw Recip Saw [FLEX]
FLEX North America [Corporate Site]
American FLEX Retailer [Master Wholesale]
When you’re working in tight quarters, you can never have too many options — one tool you might want in your arsenal is the CalVan gearless 90-degree socket adapter. Available in both 1/4″ and 3/8″ square drives, the patented gearless drive turns smoothly while exceeding the ANSI torque specs for universal socket adapters. You can find either the 1/4″ or 3/8″ right-angle drive adapter for as low as $10.
From the supplied picture, we’re not exactly sure how the mechanism works. If you have one of these adapters, or if you have any insight into its inner workings, we’d be interested to hear about it in the comments.
Street Pricing [Google Products]
1/4″ Drive Via Amazon
3/8″ Drive Via Amazon
Maybe I’m missing something — I don’t do much plumbing work, but this seems over-specialized to me. I know that, at least for residential, most pipe at this point is PVC, but I’ve always used a plain old pipe cutter regardless of what kind of pipe I’m working with.
I like specialty tools, because when they’re not too expensive they save my butt. This Black Rhino PVC cutter comes up at about $13, so it’s not too expensive, but do I need it? It seems to me this is like my left-handed board-stretcher — it’s the same as the right-handed one, and only worth a good laugh.
Is a PVC-only pipe cutter a hot item, or is this a board-stretcher? Let us know in comments.
PVC Cutter [Black Rhino]
Street Pricing [Google Products]
Via Amazon [What’s This?]
It’s been a busy week 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:
Turf Core Aerator
If a full drum aerator is overkill for your yard and you have some time on your hands, you can step on the Yard Butler Core Aerator to get air down to those roots. It may take all day, but it’s cheap and doesn’t take up much room in the garage.
Mend Your Fences With A Fence Stretcher
When you need to stretch, splice, staple, or reposition high-tensile, barbed, or smooth wire in the back forty, you’ll probably want to bring along a fence stretcher. Goldenrod’s #405 fence stretcher will keep those cows where they belong and save you some knuckle-busting in the process.
Carnauba Lathe Wax
We went looking for some nice carnauba wax, and Toolmonger readers responded with a ton of recommendations and places to find good deals. They also came through with a few sweet tips and recipes on wax paste and how to apply it.
What Do You Get When You Cross A Phillips And A Slotted Screwdriver?
The terminal-block screw can be driven with either a slotted or Phillips screwdriver — but there are drawbacks to both. Wiha designed these cross-slotted screwdrivers that offer the best of both worlds. The slotted portion transfers lots of torque, and the cross point doesn’t slip off of the screw head.
McCulloch Chipper/Shredder
If your yard doesn’t need a shredder that’ll tear an old refrigerator in half, a smaller, friendlier version like the McCulloch electric shredder might be the way to go. It can handle small lawn waste, like dead bushes or branches too small for an axe, without much trouble.
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.
This portable job site desk hangs from two nails pounded into any stud wall. It folds up and out of the way when it’s not needed, and you can carry it off the site by the handles like a portfolio when you’re done.
Two pieces of 2′x4′ plywood slip into the plan station’s fabric panels for the back and table. When it’s opened, the back sports two rows of mesh pockets for holding pens, pencils, invoices, notebooks, cell phones, and your drink — there’s even a place to roll up and store your blueprints. Use your laptop and keep your cords uncluttered with the cord access slot in the rear. If you want to set up the plan station for free-standing use, slip dowels into the slots in the sides to support the back.
Finley makes the plan station from 1200-denier nylon fabric and reinforces the seams to make it tough enough for the job site. The hanging rings are spaced 48″ on center to match most stud walls.
The plan station runs about $70 — wood not included.
Plan Station [Corporate Site]
Street Pricing [Google Products]
Via Amazon
(Friday, May 30th, 2008) So Home is running more reruns of Holmes, and DIY is trotting out the same old shows. Hammered may be the only show that’s still in production. So, is the DIY movement dead? Probably not, but it seems like the network enthusiasm has waned.
All times are central.
Enjoy.
Unless you’re a racing fan with really great vision, you probably haven’t seen this miracle in a can. Great Stuff spray foam expands as it cures — and, when cured, it’s tough, weatherproof, and bugproof. You can fill foundation cracks in old houses with this stuff, or just about any crack or crevice that needs filling. Just keep it in the back of your mind; you’ll know when you need it.
A 12oz. can runs about $5, and a 20oz. can goes for $8.
Great Stuff [Dow]
Street Pricing [Google Products]
Via Amazon [What’s This?]
You might want to change the chuck on your drill for any number of reasons. If you own an older drill, you may want to add a keyless chuck for convenience or replace a broken or rusted chuck. If you have a newer drill, you could add a keyed chuck for extra bit-gripping strength. These guidelines’ll help you replace your drill chuck.
Step 1. This step loosens the screw inside the chuck. Open the chuck all the way — if you see a screw inside, it’ll need to come out before you can remove the chuck. If there’s no screw inside, you can skip steps one and two.
Step 2. If there’s a screw inside the chuck, typically the threading will be left-handed, so turn it clockwise to remove it. Be careful, and use the right size screwdriver — you don’t want to strip the screw.
Step 3. Insert the largest hex key that you have into the chuck, short-side-in, and tighten the chuck. Tap the hex key sharply in a counterclockwise direction to loosen the chuck. Now you can remove it by hand.
This won’t work for every consumer drill ever made, but pretty close. Most drills will match one of two common chuck-threading standards: 3/8″-24 threaded mount for 3/8″-capacity drill chucks, and 1/2″-20 threaded mount for 1/2″-capacity drill chucks — but on some drills just the opposite may occur. To be safe, always check the thread count before you buy a replacement drill chuck.
Chuck Removal Guide [Jacobs Chuck]
Jacobs Replacement Chucks Via Amazon [What’s This?]
I’m not into wood turning, but I know a cool looking tool when I see one. The Gage’T may look like a deformed plastic C-clamp, but really this tool measures the wall thickness of turned bowls. Designed by Keith Tompkins, the offset design of the Gage’T allows you to measure to the center of bowls up to 18″ in diameter.
A glass-filled nylon body holds one brass gauge pin stationary while the second pin rides the wall of the bowl on a spring-loaded steel rod. Etched graduated markings on the rod show the bowl thickness in 1/16″ increments. You can gauge bowls with walls as thick as 2″.
The Gage’T bowl gauge will run you about $70.
Gage’T Bowl Gauge [Official Site]
Gage’T Bowl Gauge [Hartville Tool]
When I was six, my family awoke in our Yellowstone campsite to see a buffalo the size of a Ford Ranger standing right outside our tent. Luckily, it wandered off before causing any serious damage. Now Nite Guard makes a solar-powered deterrent to ward off the nocturnal riffraff of the wilderness. Its red LEDs blink in the darkness, mimicking the reflections of animal eyes and discouraging other creatures from getting too close.
While effective at covering campsites, the Nite Guard can also protect cabins and property (and trashcans), bird feeders, gardens, orchards, livestock, and poultry from predators such as owls, coyotes, raccoons, opossum, weasels, fox, muskrats, and wild boar.
The Nite Guard requires no batteries or electricity and automatically turns itself on at night and off during the day after a three-day full-sun charge. The unit’s also sealed from moisture and resistant to temperature extremes (as low as -20 F, heat threshold unknown). It appears bigger in the photo, but actual size is a handy 2-1/2″x 2″x 1″.
It mounts easily via a tab with a drilled hole on top of the box. Nite Guard’s website features mounting instructions with setups aimed at owls and hawks, small or large ground predators, and deer. Since the unit is uni-directional, the company recommends setting up several to cover a wide area — they claim effectiveness for up to half a mile.
Street pricing starts around $25.
Nite Guard [Official Site]
Street Pricing [Google Products]
There was a time in the US when the dream of every post-WWII suburban Dad was to have his very own backyard BBQ pit/grill — a monolith of brick and asbestos that he would work nights and weekend to construct, an atomic-age hearth to gather his family around. That trend seems to have passed, and now most people opt for a cheap disposable grill or a high-dollar stainless steel leviathan. But you have to admire something as solid and reliable as built-in masonry, made by hand, that can grill the living hell out of darn near anything.
So what do you think? Is this a relic that should stay in the past or a forgotten DIY treasure that deserves a resurrection? Tell us in the comments.
Free Backyard Grill Plans [Backyard Spaces]
Why clutter your drawers with specialized square drive bits for your ratchet, when you probably already have a complete set of 1/4″ hex insert bits? This socket adapter from Vermont American allows you to use those 1/4″ hex insert bits with your 1/4″ square drive ratchet.
You can find the 1/4″ insert bit adapter for as low as $4, but Amazon lists it for $7.
Note: We know the adapter in the picture says 3/8 - 5/16, but this is the picture on Vermont American’s site — obviously an oversight on their part.
Insert Adapter [Vermont American]
Street Pricing [Google Products]
Via Amazon(B000YY6ACO) [What’s This?]
Home Depot is gearing up for Father’s Day, June 15th, with this online coupon for $5 off any purchase of $50 or more. You can’t apply it to windows or siding, and there are other exclusions. To get your $5, enter the coupon code DAD2008 at checkout — as usual, orders over $49 qualify for free shipping. The coupon expires June 4, 2008.
Home Depot [Corporate Site]
(Thursday, May 29th, 2008) Remember when it seemed like all the car/bike shows were money in the bank for Discovery/TLC? What happened? Now they just trot out one or two new episodes a month and call it good. Today, they just give us reruns.
All times are central.
Enjoy.
Tired of lugging that 18V monster drill/driver around just to drive small screws and assemble stuff? Bosch’s PS20 sub-compact driver has provided an alternative for the last few years, but it’s seen little competition.
Until now. Milwaukee’s new sub-compact is similar in size and claims slightly better specs. But we needed to see it – and put it to the test in the Toolmonger shop – to believe it. Read on past the jump to see how it fared.
UNBOXING
Inside the Milwaukee’s shipping box we found a pretty sturdy-looking soft case with room to hold the drill, two batteries, and the charger. There’s also a little extra space that could hold, say, a couple of small boxes of screws, a drill bit set, or some fastener bits. If you leave the charger at home, you might fit all three inside.
The lights on the front of the Milwaukee’s charger are labeled only with pictograms, but a quick look in the manual explained that the charger’s red light is on while the unit is charging, and it flashes when the battery is too hot to charge. A solid green light indicates that the battery is fully charged, and an alternating green-red means that the battery is unchargeable (read: kaput).
Our test driver shipped with a battery in it, and though the instructions require a full charge before use our battery indicator displayed half a charge – and the driver had enough juice out of the box to drive screws.
The driver itself features a quick-release bit collar, which Milwaukee claims provides “true one-handed operation.” What this means is that you don’t have to hold the collar out to insert the bit. When you pull the collar out, it stays out, only snapping closed when you push in a bit. Pulling the collar forward causes it to forcefully eject the bit. Result: you don’t have to hold the collar with one hand while you insert or remove the bit with the other.
A fuel gauge on the side of the driver – as opposed to on the battery-like larger drivers – indicates battery charge via four red LEDs when you slightly depress the trigger.
The Milwaukee is roughly the same size as the PS20 but has a slightly larger battery and is about an inch longer; however, if they weren’t standing side by side it’s difficult to tell the difference in their dimensions. Like the PS20, the Milwaukee also includes an LED worklight that illuminates a small area around the collar.
Read on to page two for our in-use experiences.
If you think belt hooks on tools are stupid — they’re usually not well-designed, and my belt is generally too tight to easily hook a tool on it — strap on a drill holster. Black Rhino has adapted the gunslinger’s companion for the Toolmonger.
With a leg strap and a wide, open mouth, it looks like it would work great for standing and kneeling, but you might dump the tool out the back if you squat down. You can buckle your drill in, to keep it from falling out, but I can’t picture someone busy enough to want the holster wanting to use the buckle much — except during lunch.
Street pricing on a drill holster runs as low as ten dollars, but the design of this one makes it look worth the $15 on Amazon. Remember, this might be a good Father’s Day candidate!
Drill Pouch Holster [Black Rhino]
Via Amazon [What’s This?]
If that cursed rattle can is giving you “finger fatigue,” transform it into a spray gun with Krylon’s Snap and Spray. The pistol-grip-shaped Snap and Spray snaps onto any spray can, giving you better control and accuracy — and pulling the built-in trigger is much easier than pushing down on the spray head.
You can find a couple of different versions of the Snap and Spray floating about. Expect to pay about $3 to $4 for either version, or you can get a case of 12 for less than $30.
Snap and Spray [Krylon]
Street Pricing [Google Products]
Via Amazon(B0002YP7SO) [What’s This?]
Memorial Day is past, but I say there’s no time like the present to work on converting all you pegboard haters — and anyway, Fourth of July is almost here! Alligator Board offers metal pegboards and accessories in many varieties, but this specialty item really caught my eye. Whether your patriotism is flashy or not, this pegboard will set the record straight and put you back on the red-blooded-American list.
Alligator Board sells the flag pegboard for $200, plus $34 shipping.
American Flag Pegboard [Alligator Board]
Street Pricing [Google Products]
For lawns too big for the Yard Butler that still need plug-style aeration, this Craftsman Lawn Aerator will do the trick. Several readers commented that lawn moisture conditions had to be just right for their other aerators to work — the pics on Sears.com show a more open design of the coring points on this aerator, which should allow the plugs to fall out more easily, wet or dry.
The tool has garnered all positive reviews on Sears.com — it retails for $180.
Lawn Aerator [Craftsman]
Lawn Aerator [Sears]
If you’ve ever worked on a job site where you’re outdoors as well as indoors, you might find yourself choosing between clear vision and proper eye protection. Tinted specs blind you indoors, and clear lenses don’t help with the glare outside. SmartLens safety glasses incorporate the same auto-dimming materials found in prescription specs, for safety glasses that dim in just 30 seconds.
SmartLens glasses offer a mild tint indoors, blocking just 22% of light in dim conditions, but in the blazing sun, they’ll block up to 77% of the light. Regardless of lighting conditions they filter 99.9% of harmful UV light, and they meet or exceed ANSI Z87.1 impact standards. Spring-loaded temple springs and a soft, adjustable nose bridge provide all-day comfort.
Street pricing is about $45.
SmartLens Eyewear [AOSafety]
Street Pricing [Google Products]
Have you ever stripped one of those tiny screws — you know, the ones that no hardware store seems to carry? Fix the threads yourself, or even make new ones, with this mini tap and die set from Senter.
The hardened steel plate includes 14 dies ranging from 0.7mm to 2.0mm for threading fine screws and wire. A set of 14 taps allows you to thread the matching holes.
This mini tap and die set will only set you back about $20.
Street Pricing [Google Products]
Via Amazon(B000ZBVHJC) [What’s This?]
Tools Plus is selling this Milwaukee insert bit screw driving set for just $5. The set includes Phillips bits in sizes 1 x P1, 7 x P2, and 1 x P3; square drive bits in 1 x S1, 3 x S2, 1 x S3; Torx bits in sizes 1 x T15, 1 x T20 and 1 x T25; and slotted bits in 1 x S16-8 and 1 x S18-10. All the bits, as well as a magnetic drive guide, come neatly contained in a puck-shaped magnetic housing.
Insert Bit Set [Milwaukee]
Insert Bit Set [Tools Plus]
Via Amazon [B000QV0184] [What’s This?]
Street Pricing [Google Products]
(Wednesday, May 28th, 2008) Discovery once again shoots itself in the foot by rolling out a new program with little or no fanfare. Factory Made promises to be a lot like all the other how/made shows, but that’s not a bad thing.
All times are central.
Enjoy.
If you’ve got a yard with lots of “trash” trees or big old trees that drop lots of branches, you may not need an ark-sized chipper that costs a bundle. For as little as $175 you can get one of these garden-gnome-sized McCulloch electric shredders. It’ll handle the stuff not worth cutting up, and the rest goes on the woodpile for the winter. It’s not a beast, but it might be the right tool for the job — and maybe it won’t bring back unpleasant memories of that scene from Fargo.
Electric Shredders [McCulloch]
Street Pricing [Google Products]
Via Amazon [What’s This?]
For the sake of convenience engineers designed the terminal-block screw, which can be driven with either a slotted or Phillips screwdriver. Although a slotted screwdriver can transfer a lot of torque to a fastener, it can slip off the head — not very desirable if you’re working inside a service panel. On the other hand, a Phillips screwdriver stays on the screw head, but tends to cam out at higher torque. To specifically fit terminal-block screws, Wiha designed these cross-slotted screwdrivers, incorporating the best features of both slotted and Phillips drivers.
They test these insulated screwdrivers individually for insulation integrity and rate them to 1,000V, but Wiha claims they’ve tested them to 10,000V. The soft, cushioned grips fit comfortably in the hand and transmit torque effectively to the CRM-72 chrome-moly tool-steel blades. And Wiha super-hardens and tempers the drivers to make them more durable.
A set of two screwdrivers for #1 and #2 sized terminal screws will run you about $13.
Terminal Block Drivers [Wiha]
Street Pricing [Google Products]
If time isn’t an issue with your flat tire, and if you already own an air compressor with a standard air chuck, then this $5 kit will let you repair six tires. In addition to being cheap-ass, these kits won’t send your tires out of balance enough to notice, and they provide a permanent fix.
If money’s no object, you might prefer higher-quality versions of this kit which include an upgraded needle with a pistol grip, for pushing in the plugs, and a rasp to rough up the hole for better adhesion and a better seal. If you puncture your tires on a regular basis, you can get refills pretty easily.
Camel Tire Repair Kit [Plews & Edelmann]
Street Pricing [Google Products]
Via Amazon [What’s This?]
Many companies offer clothing branded with their name or logo — tool companies are no different. The company-branded gear flooding the market ranges from free promotional hats to rather expensive jackets.
From a company’s standpoint, branded clothing functions as a cheap advertising tool — or better than cheap, if they can make a profit selling it. But why do we willingly act as billboards, sometimes even paying for the privilege?
Do you proudly wear company-branded clothing, or do you rue the idea of being a walking billboard? Let us know your opinion in the comments.
If you’re going golfing after work, take along this little specialty tool from Dremel to keep your balls clubs clean; even if clean clubs don’t improve your game, at least they won’t make that slice any worse. Spinning at either 7,000 or 14,000 RPM, this rotary tool could drastically increase the number of golf-related eye injuries if people don’t wear protective gear! Toolmongers, of course, know better than to skip safety glasses when wielding a rotary tool — Sean says to wear a frackin’ face shield — but we have a responsibility to our fellow man. Get out there and spread the word, or that one-eyed golfer in your life may soon have company!
Street pricing is about $20. If you think you might get one for Father’s Day, ask for goggles, too.
Golf Cleaning Kit [Dremel]
Street Pricing [Google Products]
Via Amazon [What’s This?]
At some point, drilling shelf-pin holes became rocket science. You’d think most woodworkers would have enough skill to lay out a line of equally spaced holes, but it seems everybody has a trick or a new product to save us from our shortcomings. To give us yet another way of laying out equally spaced holes, FastCap created their layout tape.
FastCap’s layout tape helps you quickly and accurately position the holes when you’re installing adjustable shelves or hinge plates for small projects. The tape’s 5mm hole markings are spaced 32mm apart, with one row of markings located 35mm from the tape edge and another row 37mm from the edge. Simply line up the tape, and drill your holes.
According to FastCap’s website, a 60′ roll of layout tape will run you $15.
Layout Tape [FastCap]
I enjoy painting my house about as much as having my teeth removed with rusty pliers — but at least I can take some pleasure in buying a new tool for the job. Amazon is selling this Porter Cable abrasive paint remover for $202 with free shipping. Powered by an 8A motor, with gear-driven, all ball-bearing construction and a variable-speed dial which sets the speed from 3,300 to 4,500 RPM, the tool’s tungsten carbide discs remove paint faster and easier than more traditional methods. The paint remover comes with a side handle, a wrench, a disc, an allen wrench, and a one-year warranty.
Paint Remover [Porter Cable]
Street Pricing [Google Products]
Via Amazon
(Tuesday, May 27th, 2008) It doesn’t get much worse than tonight, alas.
All times are central.
Enjoy.
It’s Memorial Day at the Toolmonger shop and that means BBQ and beer wins out over shop work. To help you along on the road to good burgers and easy grilling take a look at a few posts that cover our favorite way to prepare food.
How-To: BBQ South African-Style
An awesome reader from South Africa named Freddie shows us how it’s done on the other side of the world. In short, big beef, big fire, big taste - we’re fans.
Hot or Not? Gas Grills (Vs. Charcoal)
The virtues of charcoal flame and gas powered grills still sets the grilling man to sing the praises of each.
What BBQ Tools Should Every Griller Own?
So you’ve picked your grill, now what? Try geeking out on some badass grilling tools.
Now if you’ll excuse us there’s a beer and some ground round that needs our attention.
(Monday, May 26th, 2008) On this minimal Monday, Rock Solid shows us another way to horrify the neighbors.
All times are central.
Enjoy.
(Sunday, May 25th, 2008) Ax Men is just a clip show tonight — hopefully you’re on vacation anyway.
All times are central.
Enjoy.
(Saturday, May 24th, 2008) We’ve got reruns on DIY and a Mythbusters mini-marathon tonight.
All times are central.
Enjoy.
Beer and tools come together once again, in the form of these NOS (new old stock) polished aluminum beer stein/coffee mugs being sold by eBay member 2speedyshippers. The seller claims these steins were distributed exclusively by Snap-on dealers in the mid 1980s and are extremely rare. The 5″-tall steins weigh two pounds each, with handles shaped like curved wrenches, and cups shaped like a double-hex drive sockets.
2speedyshippers is auctioning off several of these mugs — the last auction ends May 27, 2008. I couldn’t find any info about these on the Internet, so if you’ve ever seen one, let us know in comments.
Vintage Snap-on Beer Mug [eBay]
Dasco added this Target Guard to their mason chisel, concrete chisel, and brick set, to keep us from mashing our hands with large hammers. Now, a professional probably isn’t going to miss the mark unless he’s got a massive hangover, so I’m guessing they’re marketing this to the DIYers. Street pricing starts at $10 for the concrete chisel. It looks like a good idea to me, but it also looks bulky — the space and shape could be awkward.
Does anybody out there use one of these tools all the time? Is this a waste of space or a nice feature? Let us know in comments.
Mason’s Chisel With Target Guard [Lowe’s]
Street Pricing [Google Products]
Next time you’re repairing fence in the back forty, you’ll probably want to bring along a fence stretcher. Whether you need to stretch, splice, staple, or reposition high-tensile, barbed, or smooth wire, Goldenrod’s #405 fence stretcher will do the job.
Grab the ends of two wires with the fence stretcher’s hooks, and pull the ratcheting handle to bring the pieces together for splicing. You can also wrap one hook around a post while holding wire in the other for stretching, stapling, or repositioning. A controlled-release ratcheting mechanism helps prevent wire breakage.
The #405 fence stretcher’s gonna run you somewhere in the $35 to $50 range — a whole lot less than lost livestock.
Fence Stretcher [Dutton-Lainson]
Street Pricing [Google Products]
Via Amazon(B0000AX74B) [What’s This?]
If a full drum aerator is overkill for your yard, or if you have lots of time on your hands, consider aerating your yard by hand foot with the Yard Butler Core Aerator. You might be asking, “If I’m going to go the cheap route, why not just use a pitchfork?” Well, many people claim that core, or plug, turf aeration is superior to spike (read: pitchfork) aeration because more air can get to the roots — which is, after all, the point of aeration.
Core aeration of an entire yard with this tool might be so slow as to be useless, but you could aerate the trouble spots with it, and that might be all you need. If you have standing water in certain areas or packed high-traffic areas, core aeration should help — and with street pricing at $22, this tool might be the least expensive way to do that.
Yard Butler Core Aerator [Lewis Tools]
Street Pricing [Google Products]
Via Amazon [What’s This?]
It’s been a busy week 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:
Pimp Your Toolbox Snap-on Style
Now the fast and the furious can pimp their toolbox with neon. Snap-on offers 23″ tubes that attach to any ferrous surface with magnetic clamps. Choose from red, green, and blue lights for your sweet new Technicolor dream box. Pointless and immature, sure — but then again, so was the pet rock, and that sold millions.
Watering Crystals
It may sound like science fiction, but with modern chemistry you can modify your lawn to make it store water like a camel. Polyacrylamide polymer crystals can absorb 400 times their weight in water, swelling up to a jelly-like consistency and looking like watery ice. When the soils gets dry, the crystals release water to the roots as needed.
Hands-On: Paslode CF-325 Cordless Framing Nailer
For remote jobs, carrying an air compressor can become problematic — when you’re replacing a few slats at the back of your wooden fence, for instance, or building a shed in the back forty. That’s when the Paslode CF-325 cordless framing nailer shines. Big, bad, and gunshot-loud, it drives nails just like your standard pneumatic nailer, but without all the extra gear.
Mine Probe
If you’re in the market for Gerber’s Deluxe Mine Probe Kit, one of two things is probably true: A) you’re underpaid, or B) you need to move. People who remove unexploded ordnance work mostly on their bellies, inching across the battlefield, constantly in danger. For these serious people and their serious work, Gerber makes some precision mine probe tools to replace that old KA-BAR.
More Flexible Than A Romanian Gymnast
Some tools don’t lend themselves very well to dust collection — you have to manhandle the dust-collection hose with complicated twists and turns to get it into position right before it snaps. Rockler’s new FlexForm hoses can help. Think of it as a giant bendy straw that can flex and bend to almost any shape you need to get the job done.
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.
In response to our post on using leftover candles to finish woodturnings, Toolmonger Frank Townend asked whether the candles have to be beeswax. The answer is essentially “No,” but let’s take a look at some more detail. I went looking for descriptions of the different types of wax finishes and found this on WoodTurningVideosPlus.com: “Beeswax produces a nice, subtle satin luster,” and “Carnauba produces a very high gloss.” They also mention microcrystalline wax as another option.
On multiple sites, I found people using the carnauba wax on pens and pipes that they’ve turned, but I had trouble finding good sources of carnauba wax — I’ve linked to what I found. If anyone knows of good sources for woodturning wax or other finishes, let us know in comments.
Carnauba Wax 1/2-lb for $20 [Woodcraft]
Carnauba Wax 2-oz for $8 [Cup O’ Joe’s]
Woodturning Waxes [Wood Turning Videos Plus]
I traded in my gas-powered leaf muncher for this Toro garden vacuum last year, and I couldn’t be happier with its performance — what I’m not happy about is that I didn’t get it for $50 at Home Depot. The Toro Rake and Vacuum, a 3-in-1 blower, vacuum, and leaf mulcher, easily moves debris and wet leaves, with two speed settings and a top air speed of 210 MPH. You can attach the vacuum, blower, and leaf-bag attachments without any tools, and it comes with a two-year warranty.
Rake and Vac [Toro]
Rake and Vac [Home Depot]
Street Pricing [Google Products]
(Friday, May 23rd, 2008) It’s a standard Friday night, with the addition of three rerun episodes of the ill-fated and long-lost Junkyard Wars. We’re not sure why the Military Channel is rebranding episodes of old shows to fit their schedule, but we’re not going to complain. As always, don’t miss Forge and Anvil!
All times are central.
Enjoy.
The medium-class 18 to 24 volt cordless drill seems to be a consumer favorite right now, especially if the drill in question is lithium-ion-powered. Craftsman’s professional 20V lands squarely in this popular price/performance zone, though we’ve found Craftsman drills to be hit-and-miss when it comes to power and quality. So we put this one to the test. Read on past the jump to find out how it fared.
Not surprisingly, Craftsman stuck with their good ‘ole red color scheme with this drill and it’s assorted gear, and it looks good — though the bulky battery brick doesn’t seem to match the rest of the kit’s flash. Of course, testing isn’t about how the drill looks, so we thought no more about it.
Pulling the tools out of the box we discovered that the charger is prominently marked with the SmartCharge trademark — meaning that the charger will shut off after 50 minutes of charging. We gave a little chuckle when we spied the DieHard logo emblazoned on the side of the brick — oh yeah, you know you’ve been to Sears.
The set also includes a huge, soft-sided bag that holds the drill, batteries, the charger and still has room for tons of extra gear. You might think this is just a case of a the bag being too big for the drill, but we prefer to think of it as room to stow a crapload of other tools along with your drill/driver system.
The charger features a built-in cord wrap — a nice change from the shop norm of stuffing the cord behind charger in the hopes you don’t have to look at it. An actual button on the batteries lights up the charge indicator — no need to try to mess with a divot in the plastic that makes you feel button-impaired. Four red LEDs tell you how much juice is left.
We were pleased to see a 1/2″ keyless metal chuck that feels super solid. It’s not an advertised feature, but it should be. It’s also easy to grip, and you can put force on it even with a gloved hand. The clutch ring is located right behind the chuck and sports 22 positions as well as the familiar direct-lock drill position.
Read on to page two for our in-use experiences.
If you’ve ever wondered why there are a bunch of 3/4″ holes in your workbench, Lee Valley sells one answer. Their patent-pending Veritas bench anchors turn those holes into a good purchase for any 1/2-13 bolt or threaded rod.
The removable and reusable all-steel bench anchors wedge into through-holes 5/8″ or thicker, or into blind holes at least 1-1/4″ deep, giving you 3/8″ of threads in your bench-dog holes to attach jigs or stops to your workbench.
When you insert the anchor into the hole, a rubber o-ring temporarily holds the anchor in place with friction until you can wedge it into place by turning the internal hex-head screw. Lee Valley has tested the anchor’s pullout strength and found it to be 200 lbs in hardwoods and 150 lbs in softwoods. They recommend not using hex head fasteners, because you can apply enough torque to dislodge the anchor.
Lee Valley sells single bench anchors for $12 and five or more anchors for $10 apiece. They also sell various-sized fasteners to use with the bench anchors.
Bench Anchors [Lee Valley]
Get a grip on your carpet! Pulling out old carpet is usually hard on the hands, but a carpet puller gives you a comfortable and powerful grip, so you can rip out more carpet with less hand fatigue.
While many specialty tools are so specific and expensive that renting is the best approach for the non-professional, this one is so inexpensive, you might as well have it on hand for when you need it. Available for as little as $20, you’ll stretch your budget without straining your hands.
Shop Fox Carpet Puller [Woodstock International]
Street Pricing [Google Products]
Via Amazon [What’s This?]
While the Dash-Surfer might look like the unholy union of an ironing board and a piece of exercise equipment, you’ll immediately appreciate the utility of the thing if you’ve ever spent any length of time working under a dashboard. Without any support, the kneeling and twisting can turn into a real pain in the neck, back, shoulders, etc. The Dash-Surfer provides a level and stable surface to lie down on while working under the dash, eliminating the stress and strain of the more conventional method.
TTD Industries pads the Surfer’s plywood surface with 1″ of foam rubber and covers it with heavy-duty vinyl. The steel base adjusts to heights between 13 and 25 inches, making it suitable for anything from a low-slung sports car to a one-ton truck.
You’ll pay $85 for the 36″-long model — the 46″ version is five dollars more.
Dash-Surfer [Official Site]
Via Amazon (B00069ZZ2I) [What’s This?]
Automated machines, or robots, are starting to work with us on the jobsite. First they take on the dangerous jobs, where death, injury, and insurance put the capital “E” in Expensive. After the pioneering is done in those jobs, the robots will move on to the repetitive jobs next. Over time, bricklayers will become bricklayer-robot technicians, and other talented artisans will adapt in the same way.
The designer of the Mortar Machine is working on the cutting edge of the technology that could make such a future possible. For now, the Mortar Machine is barely half a bricklayer — it won’t actually lay the bricks, only the mortar. And someone will still have to lay the tracks it runs on, load it, fix it, and cuss at it when it doesn’t work. But consider how CNC technology is getting better and cheaper — and what is that but a stationary robot?
Toolmongers understand the unpredictable reality of the worksite, but it’s impossible to ignore that tools are progressing in complexity, quickly. How do you feel about working alongside a robot? Is this technological development hot or not? Let us know in comments.
Mortar Machine [ABC]
Toolmonger Photo Pool [Flickr]
Photo by tanakawho, posted on Flickr.
Safety cones aren’t exactly the most compact objects to carry in your trunk — sure, they stack, but they still take up a lot of space. But a set of EZ-Stor collapsible road safety cones only take up one cubic foot of space, allowing you to pack more of the tools you need into your vehicle.
To increase nighttime visibility, each cone also integrates a cluster of LED interior lights. Rest assured, these 28″ safety cones still meet federal standards.
A set of four EZ-Stor collapsible road-safety cones with carrying case will set you back $150.
EZ-Stor Safety Cones [Emergency Responder Products]
The average DIYer won’t need to pick up a flooring nailer more than once a decade, but if you install floors for a living, you might want to check out Primatech’s heavy-duty, automatic P240. You can strike the large head cap from any angle to set the nail, and Primatech boasts that the compact firing valve will get the tool tip 4-1/2″ closer to the end wall, saving you a lot of manual labor and time.
I found it online for $535, only a little higher than other pneumatic flooring nailers.
P240 Flooring Nailer [Primatech]
P240 Flooring Nailer [Harvester]
Amazon is selling the Leatherman Skeletool CX for $64 with free shipping — that’s at least $22 cheaper than I could find anywhere else. The CX differs from the original Skeletool by its combination straight/serrated blade and its “Tungsten DLC Coating,” whatever that is. If you want one, you’d better hurry; Amazon could raise the price any minute.
Skeletool CX [Leatherman]
Via Amazon [What’s This?]
Haven’t spent much time with jigsaws? Sean takes the worry out, showing you how they work, how to pick one, how to tell the difference between blade types, and — best of all — how to use ‘em.
(Thursday, May 22nd, 2008) Tonight we’ve got a new Overhaulin’ and tons of stuff you’ve seen before.
All times are central.
Enjoy.
Sears.com is offering up this slick Craftsman 95-piece mechanic’s tool set for $60 — talk about a great Father’s Day present. Normally I’d recommend in-store pickup, but with $7.50 for shipping, you’ll probably save a few bucks by not driving your gas-guzzler down to the local Sears.
The set includes 54 Easy-To-Read sockets in 1/4″ and 3/8″ drive, two open-end wrenches, three drive tools, and 36 specialty tools. The laser etching won’t chip, fade, or corrode, and the Easy-To-Read markings make identification easy, even in low light. The set comes with a fitted, blow-molded case.
Craftsman 95-Piece Tool Set [Deal News]
Craftsman 95-Piece Tool Set [Sears]
Getting started in blacksmithing usually requires a pretty decent start-up cost. But if you want to do it on the cheap, the instructions on Zoeller Forge’s site will show you how to build a gas forge without a welder or a cutting torch. With a drill, hole saw, tap, vise grips, and a workbench, you can make your own atmospheric gas forge.
Atmospheric Gas Forge [Zoeller Forge]
The electronics geek in me got giddy when I saw this picture of Knipex’s ribbon-cable cutters. OK, so not everybody is going to get as excited about this tool, but next time you have to cut ribbon cable, you’ll remember this tool exists, and you’re going to be bummed that you don’t have one.
Knipex’s cutters cut ribbon cable up to 56mm — that’s 2.2″ for you metric-impaired readers — without crushing the conductors. The integrated fence in the base allows you to make perfectly rectangular cuts, and you can replace the blade with a conventional, trapezoidal, utility-knife blade.
Knipex makes the handle and blade mount of these 8-1/2″-long cutters from high-strength steel. A spring returns the handles to the open position when they’re released, and a locking lever keeps them closed for storage.
Look to pay anywhere between $60 and $100. If you don’t have that kind of money burning a hole in your pocket, or if your employer can pinch a penny so hard that Lincoln cries, UltraShear makes a cheaper alternative — albeit without the fence — the Superknife.
Cutter For Ribbon Cables [Knipex]
Street Pricing [Google Products]
Toolmongers know that tools don’t always perform the way we want ‘em to. Similar to Ambrose Bierce’s Devil’s Dictionary, “What a Mechanic’s Tools Do” tells the truth about what really happens with some common tools. Here are a couple of examples:
ELECTRIC HAND DRILL: Normally used for spinning steel pop rivets in their holes until you die of old age.
VISE-GRIPS: Used to round off bolt heads. If nothing else is available, they can also be used to transfer intense welding heat to the palm of your hand.
These definitions got a few chuckles out of me, but I’d really like to hear Toolmongers’ takes on common tools. What definitions would you give? Tell us in comments.
Note: Thanks to Flickr member spacematters for the photo.
What a Mechanic’s Tools Do [SodWork.com]
Toolmonger Photo Pool [Flickr]
How do you create a round mortise that’s larger at the bottom than at the top, and how do you fit a similarly shaped tenon in the mortise? Most importantly, why the heck would you do such an infernally confounded thing? To answer the last question, such a joint would be so strong, the wood would have to fail before the joint. To answer the how-to part of it, Rockler created the Tenon-Lok cutter.
Place the Tenon-Lok cutter into a pre-drilled mortise of the same size. Bottom out the cutter in the hole and spin it up. As you press down on the bit, the spring action blades flare out to create the reverse taper. When you’re finished, just pull up on the cutter — the blades retract, and the cutter comes out of the mortise as easily as it went in.
Fitting the tenon into the hole is even easier. Place a sharpened and tapered steel wedge ring in the bottom of the mortise and drive the matching tenon into place. As the tenon is driven into the ring, it flares to match the reverse taper of the mortise. You’re left with a joint that ain’t coming apart, at least not without destroying the project first.
Rockler sells the Tenon-Lok cutters in 1/2″, 5/8″, 3/4″, and 1″ sizes for about $20 apiece, give or take a few bucks. Twelve-packs of wedge rings run $5 to $8.
Tenon-Lok Cutters [Rockler]
This plumb bob level might look clunky next to a level with a bubble vial, but back in the day this may have been the only type of level you could make yourself, unless you had moderate glassblowing skills. Union Hill Antique Tools markets this particular level as “one of the great super-rare levels of the world. A Bradford Union Patented Cast Iron Inclinometer, Bradford PA. 18 inches long. Best one of 2 known.”
You can own this antique level for the price of a bulldozer, $15,000. Or, if you’re just looking for a good DIY project or a conversation piece, you could probably save a little money by making one yourself.
Bradford Level [Union Hill Antique Tools]
Brooklyn-based company Scrapile makes furniture from old offcuts and scrap pieces of wood that would otherwise be discarded. They glue and press the scraps together and run ‘em through large planers, a process that inspired me to write this post. Brand Tools Online is selling the DeWalt DW734 12-1/2″ portable thickness planer for $370, down from $690, and shipping is only $7.
Powered by a 15A, 10,000 RPM motor, this bench-top planer will plane material up to 12-1/2″ wide and up to 6″ thick, with a three-knife cutting head that makes 96 cuts per inch. The plane features a four-column carriage lock, and it comes with a dust hood and one-year warranty.
My shop is cluttered with bins full of scrap wood, and the possibility of turning that scrap into furniture totally justifies the expense of this planer. If you need more justification, check out this refurbished unit at Tool King for $290.
DW734 Planer [DeWalt]
DW734 Planer [Brand Tools Online]
Refurbished DW734 [Tool King]
Via Amazon [What’s This?]
Street Pricing [Google Products]
(Wednesday, May 21st, 2008) Ho-hum, there’s nothing new tonight. It appears Made In America will be moving to Saturdays at noon at the end of May. Does that seem insane to you? Who watches TV at noon on a Saturday, especially in the summertime? Way to go, Travel Channel!
All times are central.
Enjoy.
With so many worthy belt sanders on the market, it’s hard to go wrong, but also hard to choose between them all — the choice of accessories available for a particular model can sometimes swing the purchasing decision. Both DeWalt and Bosch offer belt sanders that can be used in their traditional manner or, with the aid of accessories, converted into bench tools.
DeWalt designed its bench mounting stand to be more of a permanent solution — it mounts directly to a work bench — while the Bosch is more mobile, mounting with a set of clamps to a work surface. Either way, a useful power tool becomes a capable bench tool.
The DeWalt stand sells in combination with the DW44k sander for about $230, or on its own for about $70. Bosch sells its stand and fence as separate units for about $30 each.
DW4055 Stand [DeWalt]
DW4055 Street Pricing [Google Products]
DW4055 Via Amazon (B0000CCXTW) [What’s This?]
Stand and Fence [Bosch]
Bosch Stand Street Pricing [Google Products]
Bosch Fence Street Pricing [Google Products]
Bosch Stand Via Amazon (B0009H5OSC) [What’s This?]
Bosch Fence Via Amazon (B000A8PISQ) [What’s This?]
If you want to secure a large solid item, bungees, tiedowns, straps, and rope will serve just fine, but for a plethora of little junk, go with a cargo net. Cheap nets sell for as low as $10, and you can pick up a reasonably good net like the one pictured above for as little as $20. If you want quality and time-saving features, look for a net with adjustable straps across the middle.
And if you’re in the mood for overkill, you can get a steel net rated at 10,000 lbs. for $500.
Cargo Net [etrailer.com]
Street Pricing [Google Products]
Via Amazon [What’s This?]
I promised in the comments of A Label Maker For The Shop that I’d write a Dealmonger post next time the Brother P-Touch went on sale. That day came this last Sunday — Office Max discounted the Brother PT-80 to $15, 50% off the retail price. They list this deal both in their weekly circular and on their website.
The labeler comes with a starter tape that’s labeled several of my multi-drawer storage units, a file drawer full of file folders, and all the wires behind one of my computers. The last replacement tape I bought cost $12 — that was walking into the store without any bargain hunting.
The PT-80 features the familiar qwerty keyboard. You can’t touch-type on it, but it’s a heck of a lot easier to type a label on this keyboard than on a labeler with some non-standard layout. A 12-character LCD scrolls to display everything you’ve typed. You can choose from six type sizes and nine type styles in the label maker’s only font, and you can print the label on either Brother’s 3/8″ or 1/2″ wide “M” tape in a variety of different background and text colors.
The feature set of this device is limited compared to more expensive labelers, but do you really need a ton of features for a shop label maker? I’ve never used anything but the default settings.
This deal ends Saturday, May 24th, 2008.
PT-80 Labeler [Brother]
PT-80 Labeler [Office Max Website]
PT-80 Labeler [Office Max Circular]
Street Pricing [Google Products]
Via Amazon [What’s This?]
When we’re building stuff in the Toolmonger shop, whether of wood or metal, we often consult plans, and not only to make the project easier — a lot of times the plans’ll spark other ideas. Though the plan for this shop stool is simple enough, maybe it inspires you to modify the plan to make planter stands, or a bench support, or a workpiece glide for your table saw. If you look at enough plans, you’ll notice that most projects start from a simple box shape; where you end up is limited only by your imagination.
Shop Stool Plan [Miller]
With the Gecko suction cup holder from Festool, you can lift and carry loads with smooth, non-porous surfaces that weigh over 100 lbs — pretty cool. Add the guide rail adapter to all that coolness, and you can hold Festool guide rails on any surface that the Gecko will cling to, without using clamps.
The Gecko’s sturdy frame supports a suction cup on either end and a handle in the middle. Each suction cup features a securing lever and a sliding ring beneath the cup to prevent it from sticking when the levers are released.
The set together runs $65. If you were to buy the Gecko and the guide rail adapter separately, it would run you $57 for the Gecko and $18 for the guide. Buying the set saves you $10.
Gecko Set [Festool]
Street Pricing [Google Products]
Grab some candles that’ve seen the end of their use as a light source, and you can finish woodwork on a lathe beautifully and economically. Once the actual shaping is complete and you’ve sanded to your satisfaction, simply hold the candle stub to the wood and watch the shine grow. It may not be the highest quality finish, and it’s certainly not the most complicated, but the candle wax produces a warm glow that brings out the beauty of the wood — and it can be as cheap as free if someone in the house is forever burning candles.
Photo from Flickr member Paraflyer.
Lathe Finish Tips [Ask Dresdner]
Toolmonger Photo Pool [Flickr]
Here’s another reason to dive into Bosch’s line of 10.8V cordless power tools: with the purchase of a PS10-2, PS20-2, or PS40-2, you can get a free PS20 via mail-in rebate. The free driver doesn’t come with a battery, but the various kits come with two. Shop wisely and you can turn your dream of double-fisted PS20 action into a reality. The deal is valid from May 15 to July 15, 2008.
Rebate Form [Bosch]
Bosch 10.8V Litheon Street Pricing [Google Products]
(Tuesday, May 20th, 2008) Tonight we’ve got Overhaulin’ and American Chopper on the Military channel, and precious little else.
All times are central.
Enjoy.
It seems to us that tool guys obsessed with the latest recip or computer-controlled cutting machine often overlook jigsaws, but jigsaws offer a cheap and effective way to cut curves for woodworking projects. Even we’d been infected with the craze. So when we got off our high horse and headed to the store to pick up a quality jigsaw, we were surprised how far the modern jigsaw has progressed.
Skil’s 4690 corded jigsaw delivers a few new features that weren’t available on the unit we cut with in high school shop class. Its six amp motor plows through wood a lot faster, too. For the testing process we decided to see how the 4690 faired against a real world project: the 18-1/2′ plywood dinosaur we built a few weeks ago.
Read on to see how it — the saw, not Bob the big-ass dino — performed.
The 4690 includes a slim hard case the that doesn’t take up much more space than the saw and is easy to transport to the jobsite — or stuff in the back of a truck or toolbox. Lifting the saw out of the case, we noticed that the saw is reasonably light — just 5.7 pounds — which isn’t bad considering its six amp power plant.
It’s comfortable to grip, and its smooth two-fingered trigger — right under the handle — controls the saw’s variable speed mechanism, delivering 800 to 3,200 strokes per minute.
A four-position dial right above the trigger controls the laser and LED light located near the blade. The addition of lasers and LEDs to power tools is fairly common these days, and we’ve been known to make our share of “unnecessary laser” jokes. But if you don’t like ‘em, you can turn ‘em off with the dial — so it’s a plus all ’round.
Moving down from the trigger on the side you’ll find a five-position switch that controls the orbital motion of the saw.
In this case “orbital motion” means that the saw moves the blade not only up and down, but also forward and backward slightly. (The blade mount moves in a slightly oval path.) That “orbital” motion provides the saw blade more opportunity to clear cutting debris, thus increasing cut speed. However, the orbital motion also makes for a rougher, less finished cut.
With the switch you can select orbital motion ranging from a fast, aggressive plywood setting (lots of orbit) to a scroll mode that virtually eliminates orbital motion.
Selecting the scroll setting also unlocks the blade’s 360-degree scrolling pivot motion.
When in scroll mode (and with the right type of blade attached) the 4690 becomes a hand scroll saw capable of making super tight corners and complex shapes. The direction of the cut is controlled by a redesigned knob on the top of the saw sporting a large black arrow pointing the direction you’re cutting. It’s a small feature, but we appreciate the simple visual feedback.
The 4690 also includes a built-in dust blower that feeds out the back and which you can, once again, turn on or off with a switch. If you feel the need to keep a tidy shop, you could also connect a hose and adapter to the rear port to act as a dust collection system. It’s a nice added feature but we didn’t wind up using it at all during our test, so were grateful it could be turned off.
Loading a blade is pretty straight forward. Just press down on the large rubber collar to disengage the locking mechanism and insert the blade with the teeth facing towards the front of the saw, then release the collar. We gave the blade a stiff tug to make sure it was installed correctly, then started in with the testing.
Read on to page two for our in-use testing.
Textured walls still seem to be the craze, and texturing with a sponge still seems painfully slow. If you’re tired of sponging it on, try shooting it out of this hopper gun instead. You can find less expensive hopper guns, some of which only handle paint, but the Sharpshooter I features seven different orifice sizes, a handy air-control valve, and a big trigger for less hand fatigue.
Though the instruction sheet calls the tool a drywall hopper gun, it goes on to mention that the gun works with any material that’ll gravity-feed from the hopper and fit through one of the orifices. So, for about $72 you’ll be able to spray a lot of different materials in a lot of different patterns.
Sharpshooter I Hopper Gun [Marshalltown]
Street Pricing [Google Products]
Via Amazon [What’s This?]
The Steam Stripper makes heavy-duty restoration work easier, by harnessing this basic principle: heat and wet make things softer. At first I didn’t buy the idea of steam working on oil or latex paint; I generally think of these as waterproof. But as I studied the website, it started making sense. Tiny imperfections in the paint allow steam to get under the surface — and with old paint, you’re even more likely to find imperfections in the coat, whether from age or accidents. Window Restoration Systems claims that their Steam Stripper actually works better with more layers of paint.
The Steam Stripper measures 72″ x 44″ x 2-1/2″ on the inside. Though it’s designed for window sashes, it could probably also restore individual panels of large furniture. There isn’t any pricing on the site, but you can call or e-mail Window Restoration Systems if you’re interested.
Steam Stripper [Window Restoration Systems]
It seems like everyone’s re-engineering their screwdriver line — Klein’s no exception. In a departure from their instantly recognizable yellow and black screwdrivers, this month they introduced the new Journeyman series of screwdrivers which they designed to meet or exceed applicable ASME/ANSI specifications.
These new Journeyman screwdrivers copy other manufacturers’ three-sided design with their “tri-lobe” handle, made with a soft-grip material molded over a solid inner core. The butt of the handle features Klein’s Tip-Ident — these patented markings allow you to instantly see what type of screwdriver you’re holding and the orientation of the tip.
Klein precision-machines the tips to precisely fit the fasteners, and they weld a hex-shaped “bolster” to the hard steel shaft for extra strength. Although they don’t mention it, I’m sure the bolster can also help you get that extra bit of torque with a wrench.
Klein makes their new Journeyman line of screwdrivers in the USA. They’re offering them in 3/16″ cabinet, 1/4″ and 5/16″ keystone, and numbers 1-3 Phillips.
I haven’t found any prices yet, but I’m betting these screwdrivers aren’t cheap.
Journeyman Screwdrivers [Klein]
Some people will tell you that real DIY maintenance of a gravel drive is impossible, even with a lawn tractor or ATV and a grader attachment — they’ll tell you the only real solution is a full-size tractor or grader. However, lots of Toolmongers will tell you differently. I’ve heard about or seen rigs made of I-beams, box springs, and welded monstrosities, pulled behind every kind of contraption commonly seen in a yard, field, or worksite. This patented Driveway Groomer, designed to be pulled by a truck with a trailer hitch, seems as good as any.
Now those of us without cool tools like ATVs and bulldozers can convert our trucks, minivans, and SUVs into workhorses. The Driveway Groomer runs $350, and the Groomer Jr. goes for $265 — about the same cost as an attachment for heavier equipment.
Driveway Groomer [Official Site]
Toolmongers are always improvising. If they have a job that needs to get done, they get it done, regardless of whether the proper tools are readily available. A prime example, this gentleman from Mexico needed to sharpen his tools but had no sharpener — so in true Toolmonger fashion, he made his own.
Depending on where you live, porch-swing weather may be upon you or closing in. If you don’t already have a porch swing, or if the old one needs to be retired, take a gander at the plans on Black & Decker’s site. Though it’s nothing fancy, it’ll satisfy the basic requirements: space for a butt or two, and something to hang the swing by.
The curve in the seat base prevents the edge of the swing from putting your feet to sleep. And you’ll be able to easily replace the slats, when they eventually break.
Of course, you can find lots of designs all over the web — plugging “wood project plans” into Google will net you nearly four million entries, and “wood project plans porch swing” only narrows the selection to 350,000. Let us know in comments where you get your favorite plans.
Porch Swing Plans [Black & Decker]
If you ever remodel something, you’ll probably need to add or move an electrical outlet, and a fish tape’ll make that job a lot easier. No, a fish tape isn’t an adhesive for catching fish; it’s a steel tape that you “fish” through walls or floors — you attach your cable to the end of the fish tape, then retract the tape to pull the cable through the cavity. Ideal makes this 120′, 4.6-pound fish tape from high-grade steel, and it’s housed in a molded plastic case with a non-slip, oversized, finger-grip handle. Sears has marked it down to $30, so it won’t break your bank.
Tuff-Grip Fish Tape [Sears]
Tuff-Grip Fish Tape [Ideal]
Street Pricing [Google Products]
(Monday, May 19th, 2008) Airbots looks interesting, and a new Dirty Jobs salvages ice from leftover drink cups at McDonald’s — or something like that.
All times are central.
Enjoy.
If you’re wondering exactly how an “internal combustion” cordless nailer works, Sean’s here to show you. He walks you through the basics, then drives a few nails to give you a feel for the nailer.
It’s been a busy week 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:
Perfect Punch Placement
When the name of the game is accuracy, and optical center punch can introduce a whole new level of “dead-on” to your projects. With this center punch system you can punch within .002″ of your mark, so your final hole position will be about as accurate as it gets.
Irwin’s Line-Marking Tape Measure
Irwin’s 25′ Strait-Line tape measure features a pencil-less, quick-marking tip. Just measure out your distance, press the bottom of the tape against your material, and mark your line. It’s not laser-accurate, but it’s great when speed is the key.
Maglite With A Side Of Beat Down
Rothco has expanded on the notion that Maglites look like modern-day Billy clubs. Their new side handle system turns any C or D Maglite into a police style tonfa club — for defense or for just showing off your mad flashlight-twirling skills.
Hole Saw Slug Problem
Recently we were testing some hole saws in the Toolmonger shop, and we managed to get a giant, circular hunk of two-by-four stuck in the cup. We ended up removing the chunk with a small drill bit and a large common screwdriver, but we couldn’t help but wonder if there are better solutions. Toolmongers answered “hell yes.”
Preview: Hitachi’s New Pneumatic Staplers
Hitachi recently released a new 1/2″ standard crown stapler and a new 15/16″ wide crown stapler. Both lightweight staplers are sleek, metal-clad stapling thoroughbreds. There’s no crazy green rubber, either — just metal and performance. We dig it.
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.
Some jobs are remote enough to make carrying an air compressor problematic — for instance replacing a few slats at the back of your wooden fence or building a shed in the back forty. That’s when the Paslode CF-325 Cordless framing nailer shines. It drives nails just like your standard pneumatic nailer — but without all the extra gear.
Read on past the jump to find out how this sucker turns butane and battery power into nail-drivin’ fury.
We’ll start with the most important bit: the battery ships fully discharged. You’ll need to charge it for at least two hours before you start driving nails. That’s ok, though, because you can use the two hours to check out the instructions, and (ahem) safety tips. You’ll learn all sorts of useful information, like why you shouldn’t puncture or burn the gas canisters even when they’re empty. (They still contain propellant even after the butane is gone.)
The case comes crowded with goodies, including some that don’t really have a storage spot in the case — like the lubricant and cleaner — but do physically fit in the case using the “cram it in there” method. The case does offer storage for two batteries and two gas canisters along with the standard charger, extra bump tip, and a few loads of fasteners — in case you need to grab it and head to the middle of nowhere.
A charge indicator light near the nailer’s grip flashes constantly whenever the battery is installed, so you’ll want to remove the battery if you’re not planning on shooting nails soon. Otherwise you’ll spent another two hours recharging. The belt hook is spring loaded for comfort — or perhaps to combat plumber’s crack.
A sliding lock mechanism holds nails tight and makes loading simple. The action that feels much like loading a sub-machine gun.
The gas canister loads into a space via a hatch located along the bottom for the spine at the back of the nailer. The battery slides into a slot along the nail sleeve, and the nails load into the back of the nail sleeve. Now you’re armed for construction.
Read on to page two to hear about our fun times in testing.
Join us as we run down this week’s top five, plus give you a peek into our testing this week — specifically Husky’s 5-in-1 drywall tool, Stanley’s new FatMax levels, and Paslode’s CF-325 cordless framing nailer. Remember, if you’ve got a question or comment you can call us at 866-718-9403. (Podcast Download)
Some tools don’t lend themselves very well to dust collection — you have to manhandle the dust-collection hose with complicated twists and turns to get it into position. Rockler’s new FlexForm hoses can help.
The 12″ FlexForm hoses can expand to three times their compressed length, and the segmented design maintains its shape no matter how you position it. Rockler makes the hoses from polypropylene plastic in both 2-1/2″ and 4″ diameters.
The 2-1/2″ FlexForm hose retails for $13, and the 4″ FlexForm runs $15.
FlexForm Hose [Rockler]
What does your shop floor look like? In the Toolmonger shop, we work on a concrete floor sealed with a water- and oil-proof coating. It gets a bit slick when there’s a spill, and it’s hard to stand on all day long. So when I saw this photo of a non-slip mat posted by photo pool member Looking Glass, it really got me thinking. I know there are a ton of anti-slip and anti-fatigue mats, floor coverings, and whatnot — but are they worth it?
Growing up, I always held with the dogma that a workshop should have a concrete floor. My reasoning: “What does it matter if it gets stained?” Since then I’ve worked on dirt floors, wood floors, lots of tile, and even carpet — and I’ve discovered there are benefits to each.
What do you do in your own workspace? What’s most important about your shop floor? Let us know in comments.
Toolmonger Photo Pool [Flickr]
Wouldn’t your rolling toolbox look bitchin’ with ground-effects lighting? Snap-on seem to think so — they recently introduced a few colored light kits to pimp your toolbox.
The 23″ tubes attach to any ferrous surface with magnetic clamps. UL-Listed in the US and Canada, each two-piece set is wired in series to use a single cord. Snap-on is a little sketchy on exactly how you power these lights, but from the specs it appears they come with an AC adapter of some sort.
Snap-on sells a set of two red lights, a set of two blue lights, or a single (dual?) green light for $90 on their website. This seems a bit pricey considering you can get kits like this to pimp your computer for a third the cost. Maybe you’re paying for the magnetic mounting, but more likely you’re paying for the Snap-on name.
Note: The page for the green lights contradicts itself — the title says it’s only a single light, but the description is for dual lights. So if you’re ordering I’d double-check with Snap-on.
Blue Magnetic Light Two-Pack [Snap-on]
Red Magnetic Light Two-Pack [Snap-on]
Green Magnetic Light Single(?) [Snap-on]
No, you’re not lost on an arts and crafts blog. These polyacrylamide polymer crystals can absorb 400 times their weight in water, swelling up to a jelly-like consistency and looking like watery ice, and photo pool member Poekie knows how to capture the beauty of that process. But these crystals can also save your lawn and your pocketbook.
Those of you with lawns, especially if you’re in the southwest, are probably dreading the summer water bills — or you’ve abandoned your yard to the summer scorch and the fire ants. These polymer crystals’ll catch and hold the water that hits your yard, slowly releasing the water as everything dries out.
About four to five pounds will treat 1,000 sq. ft. of lawn or garden, and you’ll want to work it in, spreading it after a lawn aeration or tilling it into your garden. Many sites offer advice on how to use the crystals. The great news: they last for years — though estimates vary, five years is conservative — and they’re biodegradable.
The crystals are sold under many names and brands, but in general you’ll pay $9 to $14 for a single pound — bulk prices are less if you can find them.
H2Oasis Watering Crystals [GTG Hydroponics]
Toolmonger Photo Pool [Flickr]
Watersorb.com [Resource]
Via Amazon [What’s This?]
If you’re in the market for Gerber’s Deluxe Mine Probe Kit, one of two things is probably true: A) You’re underpaid, or B) you need to move. People who remove unexploded ordnance work mostly on their bellies, inching across the battlefield, constantly in danger. For these serious people and their serious work, Gerber makes some precision mine probe tools to replace that old KA-BAR.
Gerber includes an LED flashlight in the kit, as well as a fairly standard Gerber multi-tool with a black, non-reflective coating — but the real star of the show is the probe. With all three titanium shafts screwed to the handle, it measures about 25″. The tips, made of titanium or non-conductive Delrin, transfer the slightest contact through the shaft. You can easily stow the kit in the included ballistic-nylon case that attaches to your belt.
For about $250, you can probe around in your yard.
Deluxe Mine Probe Kit [Gerber]
Street Pricing [Google Products]
Via Amazon
While it might be better to job out major asphalt repairs, you can definitely manage smaller projects yourself, and this patch kit can help. The FloMix kits advertise no dig-out — just sweep away loose material, then mix, pour, and spread. You can apply FloMix even in sub-zero temperatures. According to the instructions, once the components are mixed you have 9-12 minutes to work with the patch compound, and the patch cures in one hour.
Note: You may want to get a mixer attachment for your drill if you don’t have one — the video on the site makes it look easy with the power mixer, and I’m guessing that using a paint stirrer would be an exercise in futility.
A three-gallon kit runs $66 and a five-gallon runs $98, or you can get the pallet if you need that much. Keep in mind: the FloMix kits aren’t the only game in town. You can find less expensive kits and kits for more specific applications. But it looks like it would be hard to go wrong with FloMix, even if it might be overkill.
FloMix Pourable Asphalt Repair [PTI]
PTI Pavement Repair Products [Corporate Site]
Street Pricing [Google Products]
In the aftermath of my nail-gun accident I’ve gotten on a safety kick, so I’ve been looking for a good pair of safety goggles. I stumbled upon these DeWalt DPG82-11C clear, anti-fog, dual-mold safety goggles over at Amazon for $12. DeWalt makes the goggles from a tough polycarbonate for impact-resistance, and they feature a replaceable lens and built-in ventilation channels to cut down on fog. An adjustable cloth head-strap and an injected rubber seal provide a comfortable fit.
I own a few pairs of those horrid, $3 splash goggles that cut into your face because of the underwear elastic that’s used to hold them on your head, but they spend most of the time on top of my head. I hope these DeWalt goggles’ll serve less as headwear and more as eye protection.
DPG82-11C [DeWalt]
Street Pricing [Google Product]
Via Amazon
(Friday, May 16th, 2008) As always, the bright spot for tonight is Forge and Anvil, with tons of good reruns on Home and DIY as well.
All times are central.
Enjoy.
In the past few years, the price of ultrasonic cleaning technology has dropped so low that a cleaner costs less than most power tools. Nowadays, you can buy an ultrasonic cleaner like the Sonic Wave CD-2800 for just $20 — and while it’s billed as a jewelery cleaner, you could just as easily clean small parts with it. Just drop the parts in the one-pint stainless steel tank; the Sonic Wave’ll blast ‘em for three minutes with 42kHz waves, then automatically shut off.
Ultrasonic cleaners work by creating cavitation bubbles in the cleaning solution. When these bubble collapse they release a lot of energy which breaks up and removes dirt from the objects in the solution. This means two things: the ultrasonic cleaner will clean faster and more uniformly than you could, and it removes dirt from all the nooks and crannies that you’d have a hard time reaching with anything else.
The Sonic Wave’s $20 price tag doesn’t include cleaning solution. Most retailers claim you can use water, but you’ll definitely get better results using the proper solution, which is also inexpensive and available at most places that sell this unit.
Street Pricing [Google Products]
Ultrasonic Cleaner [Harbor Freight]
Via Amazon(B000GTQUAO) [What’s This?]
Airplane mechanics keep detailed service and maintenance records in the plane’s logbook — it helps ‘em prevent that long drop with the short stop at the end. But a logbook can also remind you to do routine maintenance on your car, or it can help you diagnose the reason for loss of gas mileage before a serious problem develops. For tractors, combines, bulldozers, graders, generators — the machines that run and build civilization — logbooks can save jobs and lives. Mechanic Support makes this Mechanic’s Logbook software that you can configure for almost any application.
You can put Mechanic’s Logbook on your computer for $16 — you might pay more than that for a dead-tree logbook.
Mechanic’s Logbook [Mechanic Support]
Mechanic Support [Corporate Site]
In the Tool Talk Podcast #38, a caller asked about replacing the chuck on his Skil hammer drill. Though Chuck and Sean weren’t able to answer his questions on the spot, I found some answers at eReplacementParts.com, which boasts the Internet’s largest selection of power tool diagrams and replacement parts . By looking at a diagram on their site, I found that the chuck in question is standard-thread and removable. Also, before you can remove the chuck, you have to remove a securing screw that goes down the middle of the barrel.
I also turned to eReplacementParts to help out a buddy of mine who owns a granite countertop shop — he was throwing away high-end Makita grinders every month because they were wearing out after long periods of use. I told him to save the next ones for me to look at before throwing them away. After opening one up, I quickly found that the bearing casings were breaking apart, causing the grinder to shake violently.
So I went to eReplacementParts.com, entered the model number, found the part, and ordered ten new bearings, which arrived in a timely manner. With a little work and a trip to the auto parts store to buy compression-ring pliers, I installed the new bearings and put the three grinders back together. Now they purr like new — and the six dollar bearings were a lot cheaper than buying new $130-plus Makita variable speed grinders.
Next time you have a power tool breakdown, try fixing it. It’s fun, and you’ll learn a lot and save some serious money in the process.
eReplacementParts.com [Corporate Site]
For $15,000, you too can own a bulldozer! Every boy I know dreamed of driving a bulldozer, and although this one isn’t the huge general contractor variety you see at the highway work sites, you might find it handy for back yard applications. You could artfully arrange the dirt in the back yard into tasteful and trendy landscaping piles in the front yard, or knock down the neighbor’s garden gnomes, or even pull stumps on the south forty.
Regardless of what you do with it, having a bulldozer is just fun. Imagine being able to rip out the rosebushes in five minutes — that’s a great Toolmonger rush.
The NorTrac 30 HP Bulldozer goes for $15,000, but did I mention that the shipping on this baby is free?
NorTrac Bulldozer [Northern Tool and Equipment]
Northern Tool and Equipment [Corporate Site]
Street Pricing [Google Products]
Via Amazon [What’s This?]
While doing the yearly maintenance on your lawnmower like a good Toolmonger, you pull the spark plug and discover it’s covered in crud. While replacing the plug is a fine idea, you might save a little dough and a trip to the store by cleaning it and using it for another year. And though you could clean the plug with a little elbow grease, why do it the hard way when this cheap-ass pneumatic spark plug cleaner’ll do the job for you?
Both Harbor Freight and Tool King sell a low-cost pneumatic spark plug cleaner. They look slightly different, but both seem to function similarly. Hook the 1/4″ inlet of the cleaner to your compressor, crank the pressure regulator to 90 PSI, and pray you have enough CFM’s (7.7) to get this baby to clean. Then choose air or abrasive cleaning with the turn of a switch, stick the plug in the opposite end, and hit the start button — and see whether the plug looks like new or, more probably, slightly cleaner.
The $10 price even includes the abrasive material — but is this cheap-ass tool a bargain, or is it just a cheap tool? If you’ve had experience with one of these things, let us know in the comments.
Spark Plug Cleaner [Harbor Freight]
Spark Plug Cleaner [Tool King]
In a recent Dealmonger, we let you know that the big boxes were clearing out their Circuit Alert wire strippers, but it turns out it wasn’t because of slow sales. In fact, the Circuit Alert tools have sold so well, they decided to completely overhaul the product line. Now all Circuit Alert tools come with the same tiny, interchangeable voltage sensor.
The Circuit Alert line of tools includes an electrician’s knife, three screwdrivers, three wire strippers, three pliers, and two work lights. Each tool comes with its own no-contact voltage sensor which gives both audible and visual warning in the presence of AC voltage (50-600V). With these tools, you’ll have no excuse for touching a live wire.
The tools are sold separately. You can buy the sensor alone for $12 — but considering the screwdrivers start at $13, I would just buy one of those if I needed an extra sensor, and get the insulated screwdriver for $1. Street pricing is between $12 and $24.
Circuit Alert Tools [Gardner Bender]
Product Video [Circuit Alert]
Street Pricing [Google Products]
Via Amazon [What’s This?]
The mind boggles at all you could do with five gallons of free lube. Before you get too excited, this is cable-pulling lubricant, and the promotion comes with a catch: to get your free bucket of Cable-Gel lube you have to buy one of Greenlee’s new UG5 Ultra Glider packages. The UG5 Ultra Glider regulates the application of lube when you’re pulling and feeding cable, eliminating the need for a second person on the job to hand-lube it.
It’ll set you back a pretty penny — the UG511ST, pictured, costs around $3,500, so it’s really a tool for the professional tradesman. Still, check out the data sheet for some double entendres that’ll make you blush.
Free Lube Promotion [Greenlee]
UG5 Datasheet [Greenlee]
UG511ST [All2ools]
Street Pricing [Google Products]
(Thursday, May 15th, 2008) Sprint Pit Crew Challenge might be worthwhile, and there are a bunch of interesting reruns to watch as well — but no new Foose? Is it some sort of negative sweeps week effect, as the fringe channels withhold their premium material while everyone is watching Lost and Grey’s Anatomy?
All times are central.
Enjoy.
Driving fasteners into concrete or steel can be painfully slow and difficult, but Toolmongers during WWII needed a fast way to attach a steel-plate patch to the steel hull of a damaged ship. So, Yankee ingenuity produced powder-actuated tools. A chemical propellant — like gunpowder — explodes inside the tool and drives the fastener, with action similar to a firearm.
For a guy with a home shop, who infrequently needs to attach things directly to steel or concrete, a single-shot model like this one should fit the bill nicely. If you’ve got a lot of fasteners to drive, you might want a semi-automatic model.
Street pricing for the Ramset Single Shot RS22 is about $75.
Single Shot RS22 [Ramset]
Ramset [Corporate Site]
Street Pricing [Google Products]
Via Amazon [What’s This?]
Veritas adds versatility to your precision steel rule with their ruler stop. They designed the stop to be positioned and removed quickly and easily. Slide this little stop over your ruler and tighten its brass set screw to create a reference point for repeatable measurements.
The Veritas ruler stop fits rulers between 7/8″ and 1-1/8″ wide and up to 1/20″ thick. It’s made from anodized black aluminum, with raised ridges and a contoured body so you can easily grip it between your thumb and forefinger. And the brass adjustment screw won’t damage your precision ruler.
The Veritas ruler stop costs about $15 at Lee Valley, ruler not included.
Ruler Stop [Veritas]
Ruler Stop [Lee Valley]
Today’s trash collection technology is focused on reducing man-hours, since the industry’s biggest cost is labor. Robotic trash trucks, operated by the driver alone, collect the garbage; trash compactors reduce storage size so it doesn’t have to be collected as often. Now, the folks at Big Belly Solar have combined clean energy with the trend toward ease and efficiency — they’ve come out with a solar-powered trash compactor.
They claim their solar-powered tool is a real time saver, and they’re conducting case studies in New York, Boston, and Cincinnati to prove it. The Portland Zoo has also started a new pilot program with similar cans, though they may be made by a different company. The only drawback: with a $4,000 price tag, it’ll take a while to recoup the expense.
Trash Compactor [Big Belly Solar]
Big Belly Solar [Corporate Site]
KATU [Portland News]
Tangles of wires have become as ubiquitous as the computers they connect to — you’ll find them in the shop for controlling CNC machines, in the garage for diagnostics, and in my favorite personal hangout, the electronics lab, for everything. While the WireMate isn’t strictly a tool, it can help unclutter your workspace.
Note: this is an “As Seen On TV” product, and some of their marketing has the same feel as an instruction manual translated from Chinese, especially the phrases, “Function So Easy!” and “Form So Perfect.” Despite the marketing, the concept looks sound.
Attach the WireMate with either the provided 3M double-sided tape or the provided screws. Then route all your loose wires through the WireMate and wrap the excess wire around a series of integrated posts. The snap-on cover hides the coiled mess inside for a neat looking install.
The 14″x 8″x 2″ WireMate is made from a high-impact molded resin that can be used indoors or out. It can hold up to 224 cubic inches of wire, which translates to about 12-18 wires, depending on their gauge.
You can get it in white, black, or gray for as little as $15 — about the same price as other wire organization products. If you’ve used the WireMate, or if you have your own product/method for keeping cords untangled, let us know in the comments.
WireMate [Corporate Site]
Street Pricing [Google Products]
Via Amazon
When you’re working on a complex project with wood, you can save a lot money by efficiently laying out the pieces, especially if you work with expensive wood. CutList Plus will calculate the most efficient layout for your project, so you have fewer total board feet to purchase, less waste, more useable leftover pieces/bigger chunks, and more money in your pocket. For a Toolmonger, this could also mean more projects — if only they could do this with time!
Just tell the software the panels you need and the board stock dimensions, and it’ll figure the most efficient arrangement for you. It probably won’t handle a project like Bob the Dinosaur, but this looks like great software if you hate to figure out sheet layout and your projects suffer cost-bloat as a result.
They offer a free trial download if you want to take a look before you buy. (Sorry, Mac users, you’re hosed again.) The LT version will only run you $30, or you can get more expensive versions for as much as $500.
CutList Plus [Corporate Site]
To ensure 90 degree corners and plumb walls, a contractor runs string lines between batter boards when laying out foundations, pools, or landscaping. Rousseau claims their reusable batter boards reduce labor costs by making setup faster and easier. You could also see long-term savings by using their batter boards instead of expensive wooden ones.
You can adjust the reusable batter boards in two planes — they slide up and down over the forming stakes, and laterally with a steel slide. Rousseau constructs the batter boards out of heavy-duty steel with a powder coating, for durability through job after job.
To use the batter boards, drive 3/4″ forming stakes through the frame. Set the elevation, and lock the batter boards to the stakes. Then set the string lines with the slide, and lock the slide into position.
A four-pack of batter boards runs a little more than $60. To save a little money you could buy the eight-pack for about $105. The steel batter boards, adjustable locking sliders, and string line are included in each pack.
Reusable Batter Boards [Rousseau]
Street Pricing [Google Products]
Four-Pack Via Amazon
Eight-Pack Via Amazon
We posted a review of these nice new levels from Stanley just a bit ago, but here’s your chance to see first hand how we tested ‘em — and to meet the latest addition to the TM crew, JR Bluett.
We spent a little time with Stanley’s new 24” FatMax magnetic (43-525) and non-magnetic (43-524) levels here in the Toolmonger test shop. They look like any other level — and even a bunch like the old FatMax lineup — except for a few new features. But instead of just checking out the new features and moving on, we decided to put them through a little hell to find out how they hold up to some real-life abuse. Specifically, we dropped them each from eight feet onto concrete a hundred times.
Guess what happened! Wait, don’t guess. Just read on past the jump and we’ll tell you.
First of all, let’s go over the necessary parts of a level and why they’re important. A level is made up of a beam that provides as flat a surface as possible and a reliable plumb (or bubble) either parallel or perpendicular to that surface — depending on whether you want to check walls or floors and ceilings. It’s a pretty simple system. The modern level offers additions that make life easier, but the core is the same: beam and bubble.
We noticed the new FatMax’s two biggest additions right off: Stanley added a second hand grip to the 24″ model — previous 24-inchers had only one — and the bridge across the center bubble is now half-closed, allowing you to scribe a line the full length of the beam. The other side remains open to help increase bubble visibility.
The second grip was a much anticipated add-on to last year’s model. Both grips are well-placed and very comfortable. And, of course, you can now position the level in either direction with one hand.
Stanley also completely redesigned the shock-absorbing caps for the new FatMax line, going from simple rubber stoppers to high-impact structures built to take a beating. They’re also a lot beefier and take up more space than the old end caps, which means the metal part of the level is slightly shorter. To make up for some of the loss of metal, small red tabs on one side of the end caps allow you to draw straight lines all the way to the ends.
The top and bottom beam surfaces are now pattern-milled into a rigid surface instead of a smooth finish, but it appears to be a purely aesthetic choice. It does, however, help to prevent sliding.
The new FatMax’s vials are the same as last year’s — Stanley had the good sense not to mess with what works. These vials have been proven to hold up well and are easy to read even at a good distance — like across a room.
In Use
Scribing lines with the new FatMax levels is easy. It makes a flat, straight line nearly two feet in length. The line was easy to mark almost end to end, though you do miss the absolute end by about an eighth of an inch on either end of its 24″ length.
We also put it on a few surfaces and found that the bubble vials work quite well. You can read them from a good distance — just like last year’s models.
Read on to page two to see us treat these levels badly.
On the hunt for a hand truck or dolly, I found satisfactory offerings at Sam’s Club, Staples, Office Max, and Office Depot, for between $50 and $70 — pretty reasonable, considering the alternative could be back surgery. For $20 to $30 Ace Hardware, Lowe’s, and Home Depot sell dollies that’re rated for max loads of 250 to 300 pounds. But for my money, I’ll take this gem I found at Northern Tool and Equipment: a $20 hand truck rated at 600 pounds. It really pays to look around!
Note: Thanks to House of Six Cats Photography for the photo. If you like an interesting view of the world, take a look at their other fantastic photos on Flickr.
Industrial Hand Truck [Northern Tool and Equipment]
Street Pricing [Google Products]
Toolmonger Photo Pool [Flickr]
(Wednesday, May 14th, 2008) A new custom chopper show debuts on CMT, and Modern Marvels looks at two dangerous yet useful things. Made in America is still missing, which is somewhat perplexing.
All times are central.
Enjoy.
Let’s be clear: the press hates Husky’s 5-in-1 drywall tool. Popular Mechanics named it one of their “10 Worst Gadgets of 2007″ — along with the Zune, leading dozens of Microsoft fanboys to blog, “at least my Zune isn’t as uncool as the Husky 5-in-1.” And it’s not pretty. It’s freakin’ huge, and it looks like unplanned result of a one night stand between a utility knife and a Swiss Army multi-tool.
But sometimes form follows function. The Husky 5-in-1 wasn’t designed to cram five drywall tools into a smaller space, but rather to combine them in a way that they can still function. Specifically, its boxy end makes squaring off freshly cut drywall holes a breeze.
Is it a misunderstood tool or waste of toolbox space? Read on past the jump to find out.
Have we mentioned lately how much we hate clamshell packaging?
The Husky’s packaging indicates that it serves as a replacement for a drywall rasp, a keyhole saw, a utility knife, a tube/seal punch, and a pry bar.
We noticed a few issues right away: the keyhole saw doesn’t have a point for punching through drywall, and the utility knife is on a weird hinge that lets it move — but not flip out. Plus, the button for replacing the blade in the utility knife is almost too easy to push and too close to the tip of the knife — you could easily hit it when cutting and release the blade unexpectedly.
Read on to see how it works in actual use.
In Use
To test the 5-in-1, we built a wall simulator — a free-standing “wall” with a few electrical boxes inside covered completely with fresh drywall. Then we tried cutting holes for those boxes.
It’s a relatively easy task: locate the box. Punch a hole. Twist the corner. Saw out the rough hole. Surprisingly, the 5-in-1 features tools for all these steps. While the Husky’s saw-without-a-point can’t poke a hole, the tube/seal punch awl makes a fine hole. We were concerned that prying with the saw might snap it, but the tool’s pry bar is quite sturdy. Switching between the tools is a bit annoying, though.
When we started cleaning up the hole with the 5-in-1’s rasp, we began to understand the point of this tool. Notice how the sides of the 5-in-1 are squared off from the rasp? This makes squaring off hole corners very, very easy.
The rasp also works very well for thinning a piece of drywall to cover the tab sticking off the side of our cheap plastic electrical box.
A little more experimentation revealed the reason why the 5-in-1’s utility knife only swings out a little bit.
If you position the flat, angled side of the 5-in-1 against the drywall and cut, allowing the utility knife to extend as far as it can, the blade sticks out exactly the depth of standard drywall. (See picture above.) This means you can cut without worrying about slicing wires or other material beneath the drywall. Of course, it’s a little awkward.
Read on to page two for our conclusions.
In part two of this week’s Tool Talk double-feature we run down this week’s top five tools, walk you through building your own giant plywood dinosaur, and review Skil’s handy 6.0 amp corded jigsaw. Remember, if you’ve got a question or comment you can call us at 866-718-9403. (Podcast Download)
In our haste to build a giant dinosaur we forgot to put out podcast #38. So join us as we run down of the top five tools — from a few weeks ago — track down some answers for a caller who wants to know why pneumatic nailers feature different nail angles, and shoot the bull with our friend Mr. Jalopy who tells us about a Japanese tool magazine that visited his shop. Remember, if you’ve got a question or comment you can call us at 866-718-9403. (Podcast Download)
Here’s a familiar scenario: you want to install a shelf, or a flat-screen TV mount, or something else with those little slots or hooks for wall mounting. You measure the distance between the slots and put some screws in the wall with that same distance between them. But when you go to mount it on the wall, the two screws don’t line up, and even if they do they aren’t level. Black & Decker’s 3′ Accu Mark Gecko Grip level ends this common frustration — and keeps you from scarring up your walls with unneeded holes.
The level features two adjustable targets to measure your wall mount’s spacing. Simply align the level’s targets with the wall mount, hold the level against the wall, and mark the surface with a pencil — then hang your object, with accurate results.
Street pricing is around $15.
Gecko Grip Level [Black & Decker]
Product Demo [Black & Decker]
Street Pricing [Google Products]
Via Amazon [What’s This?]
Sometimes a pencil isn’t the marking tool of choice — when you need long-lasting, weatherproof markings on wood, concrete, ceramics, metal, or just about any other surface, grab yourself a lumber crayon. These crayons also mark oily, slick, and wet surfaces.
You can get these non-toxic lumber crayons from Irwin in red, blue, green, black, white, and yellow. They’re sold singly, in two-packs, in six-packs, and in twelve-packs of the same color.
At slightly less than a buck for a single crayon or $7 for a twelve-pack, these crayons cost a bit more then Crayolas — so keep the kids away from your stash.
Lumber Crayons [Irwin]
Street Pricing [Google Products]
Via Amazon(B0011402M0) [What’s This?]
XS Scuba designed the FogCutter X knife for scuba divers, but the 4-3/8″ blade with built-in shears could likely fill a lot of needs on solid ground as well. When you need more precision than the single blade, the shears provide extra control for cutting rope, fabric, monofilament, or even kelp.
XS Scuba protects the 420 stainless steel blade with a corrosion-resistant chromate treatment. The rubber-coated plastic handle provides a comfortable grip for easy handling, and a handle lock prevents accidents. It comes with a positive-locking plastic sheath.
Street pricing is around $75 — underwater prices will vary.
FogCutter X [XS Scuba]
Street Pricing [Google Products]
Via Amazon (B000GGC1KA) [What’s This?]
With gas prices soaring, cost-conscious Toolmongers hate to waste even a drop of liquid gold — not to mention that spilling gas all over your hands and clothes leaves you smelly and flammable. If other fuel cans have you frustrated, take a look at No-Spill’s CARB fuel cans. They allow you to easily regulate the flow of gas with the push of a button.
Push the button to pour up to three gallons a minute — release the button, and a stainless steel return spring stops the flow. While you fill your tank, a stainless steel screen filters debris, and the nozzle recovers gas fumes while automatically venting. The semi-translucent plastic allows you to see how much gas is in the container.
It’s available in 1-1/4 gallon, 2-1/2 gallon, and 5 gallon sizes — you’ll pay anywhere from $13 to $30 for the No-Spill fuel cans, depending on the size and store.
CARB Fuel Cans [No-Spill]
Street Pricing [Google Products]
Via Amazon(B000W72GBC) [What’s This?]
A lot of companies are competing for the “shake” or “no-battery” flashlight market, but Valor makes a $10 version that’s both more efficient and much less expensive than many of the other offerings. While other companies promise only four to five minutes of light for 30 seconds of shake, Valor boasts that their light’ll provide 100 minutes of light for just 60 seconds of shake — for a survival/”green”/no-battery light, that seems reasonable.
They probably don’t compare to battery-powered lights for brightness, but that’s a tough comparison since the products have totally different application niches. One of these babies could sit in your barn, tool shed, or boat for 50 years, and when you need it, you just shake and point. You don’t have to worry about the batteries corroding in the case — no need to even think about it until you need it.
Ever since these “shake” lights hit the infomercial circuit, I’ve been looking for a really good one, and this at least looks passable. If you have one that you like, or if you know any DIY tips for how to build one, or if you’re interested in seeing a Hands-On or comparison of them — please post in comments.
Shake Flashlight [Valor]
Street Pricing [Google Products]
Via Amazon [What’s This?]
This bad-ass combination rake/hoe, commonly called a McLeod tool, is designed to fight wildfires, but you can also garden with it. The tines are made for raking fire lines, the sharp hoe edge cuts sod or branches, and the head can also be used to tamp and compact. Whether you’re a firefighter or a weekend gardener, you can appreciate the tool’s versatility.
Nupla makes the 4′ handle of their McLeod tool out of their proprietary fiberglass, Nupaglas. They offer a version of the tool with a Protec, abrasion-resistant sleeve which minimizes handle wear and protects against fiberglass splinters — because who really wants fiberglass splinters?
Nupla’s McLeod tool will run you about $55.
McLeod Tool [Nupla]
McLeod Tool [Med Tech Resource]
McLeod Tool [Illinois Fire and Police Equipment]
If you’re planning to graze the tool isles at True Value, print out this coupon before you go. Save $5 off your $25 purchase at any of the 6,100 True Values stores nationwide. The offer’s good through July 4, 2008.
$5 Off Coupon [True Value]
True Value [Corporate Site]
(Tuesday, May 13th, 2008) On this minimal Tuesday, Rock Solid reminds you how many outdoor projects you haven’t completed.
All times are central.
Enjoy.
Lately I’ve been thinking a lot about efficiency and which tools are most necessary to have around all the time, so this survival tool kit from Flickr pool member Alexander Becker caught my eye. All these tools fit into an Altoids box, which is a smaller package than I’ve been thinking of — but it would’ve been great for the Boy Scout campouts I went on as a kid. Alexander also posted pictures of how the toolbox packs and closes.
He obviously put some thought into the kit, with the mini flashlight, lighter, and knife — half the problems you’ll run into are covered right there. Of course, Sean would say you can’t have a survival kit without super glue.
Toolmonger Photo Pool [Flickr]
Mac Tools, embracing its role as a NASCAR sponsor, just released a limited-edition Hendrick Motorsports tool box set with racing logos and graphics on the door lids. The set consists of a cart and an MB1000A base box with a newly configured top hutch for added storage — they both feature Casey Mears in the No. 5 Carquest/Kellogg’s Chevrolet; Jeff Gordon in the No. 24 DuPont Chevrolet; and Dale Earnhardt Jr. in the No. 88 AMP/National Guard Chevrolet.
For the diehard NASCAR fan, this is hotness on casters. But if you just want a sturdy place to keep your tools, or if you’re satisfied with the current setup in your shop that already has 300 logo stickers plastered all over it — you might feel the need to skip this one. If not, you can call it in and have a truck drop it right at your shop’s door.
Mac Tools [Corporate Site]
After the work day is done *wink* you can head straight for the fishing hole, if you’re carrying the Packer fishing rod. It weighs eight ounces and measures less than 22 inches long, so you can make room for it even in a crowded toolbox. Check out this guy holding one — it’s really small.
Emmrod designed the spring-steel rod with coils, to give it flex like a normal pole. They claim that their short poles will cast as far as 6′ graphite poles. The handle detaches from the pole for tighter packing and also for changing out your pole — you can choose from poles with varying numbers of coils, for different levels of strength and sensitivity.
Emmrod offers several combos, but for $57 you can get just the pole — it could be a lot of fun for your money, especially if you like pan-fried bluegill.
Packer Fishing Rod [Emmrod]
Emmrod [Corporate Site]
Street Pricing [Google Products]
Via Amazon [What’s This?]
A water detector in the basement will save you a major headache — unless you’re not home to hear it. Leave on vacation for a week, and you could come home to a dead battery in your water detector, thousands of dollars of water damage, and a floating sofa. Like your basic water detector, a backup sump pump sounds a nice little alarm, but it also does something about the problem.
This pump from Wayne will sit quietly, charging a deep-cycle battery, until the power goes out and the water rises. Then the ESP25 system sounds an alarm and begins pumping water at up to 3,300 gallons per hour at zero feet, and over 1,000 GPH at 15 feet. It may not handle a full hurricane, but it should save you from most flooding problems. At $220, it might pay for itself with reduced home insurance premiums alone.
Backup Sump Pump [Wayne]
Wayne [Corporate Site]
Street Pricing [Google Products]
Recently Hitachi announced the release of their new N5010A 1/2″ Standard Crown Stapler and N5021A 15/16” Wide Crown Stapler. Both lightweight staplers look very different from Hitachi’s alien-skinned power tools. It seems Hitachi’s pneumatics division designed these staplers to be practical for the jobsite — there’s no green rubber, just metal — and we dig it.
These staplers’ll work for a variety of tasks, ranging from light construction sheathing to roofing applications — and you’ll probably need to put the tool to a lot of those tasks, in order to justify the steep asking price. We’ve found spots online offering the new staplers for around $385, which puts them in the higher-end price bracket for staplers.
Pneumatics [Hitachi]
Street Pricing [Google Products]
If the zombies attack and civilization ends, this Survival Radio will still serve as a flashlight. And while civilization still exists, this tool can help you return to it if you ever get lost. Say you’re hunting javelinas in South Texas, and you get separated from your buddies. Your cell phone isn’t getting any reception, and you run down the battery trying. The Survival Radio can save the day! Crank it up, and charge your phone and listen to the radio while you walk. Maybe you’ll only pick up Tejano stations, but when you finally get reception on your phone, the battery’ll be charged!
It also features a thermometer, to tell you just how hot it really is in South Texas, and a siren to scare away the javelinas.
Survival Radio With Phone Charger [Valor]
Valor [Corporate Site]
Street Pricing [Google Products]
Via Amazon [What’s This?]
(Monday, May 12th, 2008) Dirty Jobs brings us an even more disgusting farm job tonight, although you don’t hear the turkeys complaining.
All times are central.
Enjoy.
(Sunday, May 11th, 2008) A new Ax Men tonight shows a rather negative outlook on the logging profession.
All times are central.
Enjoy.
(Saturday, May 10th, 2008) Reruns on DIY, a How It’s Made marathon on Science, and some electric vehicle racing on Discovery fill your Saturday evening.
All times are central.
Enjoy.
I’m the last guy who wants to get in a fight, but I’ve had the same idea I’m sure a lot of you have while hefting a meaty Maglite: if worse comes to worse, I could give a bad guy a good thwack with this thing. Rothco has expanded on that notion with their side handle system. It turns any C or D Maglite into a police style tonfa club, for defense or just showing off your mad flashlight-twirling skills.
Rothco makes the Maglite side handle system of nylon and fiberglass, so it’ll put up with some abuse. Two inset screws clamp it to the knurled part of the Maglite tube to prevent slipping.
Street pricing is about $25, but check your local weapon ordinances to see if it’s legal where you live.
Maglite Side Handle System [Rothco]
Street Pricing [Google Products]
It always brings a big smile to our face when we see a group of kids learning about tools and what to do with them. Reader tmib seattle posted up a few pics of a local scout troop getting down on blacksmithing and forge work.
We love seeing this because it’s essential that youngsters learn early both how cool and how handy working in the shop can be — whether it’s metal work like this or plastic hobby-crafting. We have to pass the crafting spirit along to the next generation, or they’ll start to lose something very indefinable — until it’s gone.
It’s a little soapboxish and corny, but if you teach love of the shop — and the projects and tools in it — to young kids, they’ll carry it the rest of their lives.
Toolmonger Photo Pool [Flickr]
An optical center punch can introduce a whole new level of accuracy to your projects. With the On Mark optical center punch, you can punch within .002″ of your mark, so your final hole position will be about as accurate as it gets.
First, locate the center punch over your mark. Using the optical pilot, line up your layout lines with the optical target. Then remove the optical pilot and replace it with the punch. Tap the punch with a hammer to leave your indentation in the exact location.
The 9x acrylic lens magnifies your layout lines without distortion or parallax, and the center-dot-and-circle target allows you to zero in on the the correct location within .002″. The optical center punch comes in a kit containing the punch holder, acrylic lens, and punch insert, all of which store in a sturdy cylindrical case.
The kit runs as little as $60 or as much as $80, depending on where you look. A Cheap-Ass Tool it’s not — but if accuracy is your primary goal, this is your center punch.
Optical Center Punch [Mitutoyo America]
Optical Center Punch [Product Resultants USA]
Optical Center Punch [Products Engineering Corporation]
Street Pricing [Google Products]
Via Amazon(B000VBEL08) [What’s This?]
Recently we were testing some hole saws in the Toolmonger shop, and we managed to get a giant, circular hunk of two-by-four stuck in a saw. After some thought we ended up removing the chunk with a small drill bit and a large common screwdriver, but we started wondering if any of you have a better solution.
I found some interesting tools that could’ve helped — a slug ejector for $12 and a hole saw hook for $5 — but waiting for a tool to ship would’ve been downtime with no hole saw.
What would you have done? Let us know in comments.
Macro Hole Saw [Flickr]
Slug Ejector [Qk-Saw Store]
Hole Saw Hook [mytoolstore.com]
Irwin’s 25′ Strait-Line tape measure features a pencil-less, quick-marking tip. Simply measure out your distance, press the bottom of the tape against your material, and mark your line. I wouldn’t recommend using this for precision work, but for rough marks I’d use it all day long.
With the dual-sided blade, you can easily read both elevations and flat-surface measurements, and the blade’s bright white color will keep you working until that last minute of daylight — if you’re into that sort of thing.
Street pricing starts around $20.
25′ Strait-Line Tape [Irwin]
Street Pricing [Google Products]
Via Amazon [What’s This?]
It’s been a busy week 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:
Turn Over A New Leaf To Gauge Hole Size
When you need to measure the diameter of a hole, you can either start looking for objects about the same size for comparison or reach for a taper gauge. Aptly named for their tapered shape, the taper gauge measures hole and slot sizes quickly and accurately. The Starrett No. 267 taper gauge can measure hole and slot sizes from 1/16″ to 1-1/16″, to the nearest 1/64″.
Cheap-Ass Tools: $15 HF Micro Die Grinder
With Harbor Freight’s micro die grinder, you can grind or sand in tight areas or go to town on a carving project. The 1/8″ collet will accept most Dremel bits, which makes it good for all sorts of jobs — from sanding down the burs on your safety glasses to polishing up your iPod.
An Ambidextrous Tape Measure
Reading a tape measure upside-down is a good way to make errors, so FastCap makes a tape measure in their ProCarpenter line that reads both left-to-right and right-to-left. You don’t have to twist your neck to read the scale, so you’re less likely to misread the tape and wind up making a cut short or long when dyslexia kicks in.
How To: Build A Giant Dinosaur
Why build a giant dinosaur? Kids – and adults – love ‘em. And nothing spruces up a dinosaur-themed birthday party better than a giant wooden dinosaur. The best part: you can build your own for around $150 and a little sweat. It’s time to break out your tools for something whimsical.
Woodworker’s Bling
If Marlon Brando had carried a carpenter’s rasp in The Wild One, this would have been it. This rasp, originally used by staircase makers to smooth curved handrails, can shape tightly curved or concave areas where a straight rasp won’t work — but we can’t help but point out how mean it looks. Anything that looks like Klingon battle armor is good with us.
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.
Protect your ears, the ozone, and your wallet, all at the same time. Amazon is selling bulk boxes of 50 corded, reusable earplugs via Mytoolplace.com for $30, with free shipping. The earplugs feature a noise reduction rating (NNR) of 27dB.
Bulk Milwaukee Earplugs [dealnews.com]
Street Pricing [Google Products]
Via Amazon [What’s This?]
(Friday, May 9th, 2008) It’s Friday again, with nothing new on Home or DIY, just the same old tired reruns. But again we have salvation in the form of Forge and Anvil.
All times are central.
Enjoy.
Whether you’re navigating the urban jungle or you just want to hop the neighbor’s fence to crash his patio party, the Tactical Fence Climber will get you to the other side a little faster. ZAK Tool designed it especially for police and fire departments — the tool creates sturdy scaling rungs on both sides of a chain link fence, for rapid traversal.
Zak Tools updated this version of the Tactical Fence Climber with a larger step area and an improved gripping edge. It’s collapsible to make carrying easier, and installation and removal won’t damage the fence. Simply push the climbers through the links for a makeshift ladder. When you’re done, you can remove them from either side of the fence, so you don’t have to leave them behind.
Made in the U.S.A., the Tactical Fence Climber kit includes three collapsible steps and a carrying case. The kit’ll only set you back about $25, but with this set of climbers and the High-Steppin’ Fence Tool in your bag, the world is as open as a cattle rancher’s dream — if you have permission, that is.
Tactical Fence Climber Kit [Zak Tool]
Street Pricing [Google Products]
Cable ties belong in the esteemed category of tools that includes gaffer’s tape, super glue, and locking pliers — they’re almost infinitely useful, and if you’ve got some, you’re halfway to fixing nearly anything. However, if you’ve ever spent time bundling up a bunch of cables just right, only to have to snip apart all your hard work when you notice what you did wrong, you owe yourself a big bag of releasable cable ties.
I hate wasting stuff, and it’s always bugged me that you have to destroy a perfectly good cable to undo it. The first time I saw these reusable ties, I thought, “Duh, why haven’t I seen these before?” They’re identical to standard zip ties, except for a plastic tab sticking out from the ratcheting mechanism that locks the tie in place. Press this tab while pulling on the locking part to release the tie and gain access to whatever it’s holding.
Prices vary depending on the manufacturer, retailer, and quality of the material used, but generally the releasable ties cost a little more than standard ones.
Catamount Releasable Ties [Thomas and Betts]
Street Pricing [Google Products]
Via Amazon (B000L9CLJ8) [What’s This?]
File this one under Reckless. This guy was just asking for it, and — guess what? — he got it. I still don’t understand why he had to stand on the top step; ladder manufacturers print “DO NOT STAND” up there for this exact reason. Even so, I’ve committed that sin a few times myself, but I did so with extreme caution. Fortunately the guy wasn’t hurt — or was he?
The Task Force jigsaw we have here in the shop died last week. We’d like to be upset about it, but we’re actually amazed it lasted this long. The Task Force cost us $19 brand new — and though it was never a looker, it did work for a little over a year.
When you break it down, our saw cost us a little over a dollar a month during its time here. We’d have liked it to hold on another year, but the non-stop action in the shop of hard knocks didn’t exactly prolong its service life.
In the end we’re left with this question: Is it better to pay up for a longer-lasting tool, or to take the disposable tool for all it’s worth and see what you get out of it? Looking back over the life of the saw this last year, we’re inclined to think we got our money’s worth out of it. What do you think? Is this a bad deal or a great way to get some work done cheap? Let us know in comments.
Task Force Orbital Action Jigsaw [Lowe’s]
When the proud day finally comes, and your son/daughter/mother/girlfriend loved one is finally moving out, what tools do they need? Whether you donate some of your extras or head off to the big box in search of a tool kit, you’ll have to decide which tools are the essentials for someone moving out on their own. From previous posts, we obviously all agree that they’ll need a knife, at least a utility knife — but what about wrenches, pliers, and other handy life-saving tools?
Let’s say you’re limited to what can fit in a small tool bag, like the size of an overnight bag, or an average-sized men’s boot. What critical tools go with your loved one, to get them through the shock of not being able to borrow yours? And which tools do you wish would fit in the boot? Let us know in comments.
When you’re setting posts for a deck or fence, you need either an extra set of hands or some jury-rigged bracing to keep the post plumb until the concrete sets. But with Cepco’s Post-Pod, you can set up and hold posts without the extra helpers.
Using the Post-Pod is simple: set the Post-Pod over the hole, tip the post into the hole and guide it into the Post-Pod bracket, plumb the post, and clamp it in place with the set screws.
The Post-Pod bracket adjusts to secure posts up to 8-1/4″ wide. Three user-supplied 2×4s attach to the Post-Pod for legs, which means you can cut ‘em to accommodate the terrain and/or the height of the post.
If you’re only setting a few posts for a deck, you might not want to pay $80 for this extra set of hands — but if you’re regularly setting posts in the ground, it might be worth the expense.
Post-Pod [Cepco]
Post-Pod [McFeely’s]
Via Amazon(B0015313DO) [What’s This?]
You know a tool’s good when the only place you can buy it is from the online corporate store. The Flexiwrench Plus smart tool system is so hot, they can’t keep it in stock anywhere else. Yes, I’m being sarcastic. The system features two different handles, each with a 3/8″ socket that accepts different wrench or socket heads, similar to the Stanley MaxDrive. One handle sports two pivot points for snaking the wrench into hard-to-reach places, and the other handle functions like an articulated screwdriver.
In addition to the handles, the 19-piece Flexiwrench Plus set includes 3/8″, 7/16″, 1/2″, 9/16″, and 5/8″ open-end, box, and socket heads; a universal socket adapter for using standard 3/8″ sockets; and a generic looking case.
We can’t vouch for how well this tool works, but we’re pretty sure it isn’t the tool set we’d choose if we crashed our boat into a desert island. Can anybody take this tool seriously considering the Comic Sans-like font they chose for the case?
It’s a little late for Mother’s Day, but only $20 buys the Flexiwrench Plus 19-piece set for the father that has everything — if you really want to disappoint your father.
Flexiwrench Plus [Corporate Site]
(Thursday, May 8th, 2008) New episodes of Overhaulin’, American Chopper, and Cool Tools will keep you glued to the set tonight. Modern Marvels reminds us once again that we should get the mower working…
All times are central.
Enjoy.
Cortec corrosion inhibitors sold at Lee Valley will protect your rust-prone tools for up to two years. Instead of coating your tools with sticky, greasy, or oily substances, just throw one of these anti-corrosion emitters into any enclosed box, cabinet, or drawer where you store your tools.
These products emit a harmless corrosion-inhibiting vapor that forms an invisible barrier on most metals. Lee Valley sells three different types of emitters. The 10″x10″ foam sheet protects areas up to eight cubic feet, and you can cut it to fit where you want it. The small emitter measures 2-1/4″ in diameter by 3/4″ deep and protects areas up to five cubic feet. The large emitter measures 2-1/4″ in diameter by 1-1/4″ deep and covers a maximum of 11 cubic feet. The circular emitters come with a self-adhesive backing.
The 10″x10″ foam sheets will run you about $7 apiece. The small emitter costs $7, and the large emitter runs $10. Of course, these anti-corrosion emitters are no substitute for taking good care of your tools — they’re more like an insurance policy against rust.
10″x10″ Foam Sheet [Cortec]
Small Emitter [Cortec]
Large Emitter[Cortec]
Street Pricing [Google Products]
Anti-Corrosion Emitters [Lee Valley]
Sometimes we find better uses for our tools than the manufacturer had in mind when the design specs were originally laid out. Loading up this toolbox with tools made it too heavy for a second floor apartment — so we filled it with toys that needed a bit of organization which turned it into ultimate mobile toybox.
It might not be the most macho use of the 4 in 1 toolbox but for the household it sits in this is noble work indeed. The best part is the wheels and travel luggage handle that lets this rolling fun-time box go wherever needed.
4-in-1 Mobile Workstation [Stanley]
Toolmonger Photo Pool [Flickr]
If you’re stumped for a Mother’s Day idea for your mom, don’t go the standard route and send flowers or candy. It shouldn’t be a surprise that Toolmonger recommends giving mom a set of tools to help around the house. You don’t have to shell out for a new Snap-on rolling tool chest filled with ten grand worth of shiny chrome — though that would be cool — but a nice set of sturdy gear makes a great gift for anyone, including mom.
Before you rush off to the Net to get the latest in pink fashion tools, stop and think about that. You wouldn’t want a set of pink tools that aren’t up to shop-quality, so why would she? Think decent and functional, the types of tools anyone could use around the house. If you can’t find a set that fits the bill, make one yourself, especially if you have a clue what she might need or what she’ll use ‘em for.
Here’s where you get to channel all your creative tool-buying knowledge gleaned from hard research and firsthand experience, and put it to work. Does she like to hang pictures? Then perhaps your mom’s kit should include a tack hammer and a box of angled picture hooks that hold 5, 10, and 25 lbs. apiece.
The best part: you’ll get to explain why you got her the items you did, showing her, through your selection, that you were really thinking about her and about how to make her life a bit easier. What would you get mom? Let us know in comments.
Street Pricing [Google Products]
Some Toolmongers can open a bottle with practically anything: this Appalachian Trail pocket knife, for instance, or the edge of a bar. For myself, the choice of tool is critical — so I opt for a pope bottle opener, which makes a great conversation piece as well as a functional answer to my need for refreshment. If you want a popener for yourself or for your favorite beer drinker, you can find at least one online.
Street Pricing [Google Products]
It’s hard to get a job done without the right tools, but I’ve often found it close to impossible to get even simple tasks done with no tools. So what do you do if you find yourself faced with a job that requires a few hand tools, and you’re stuck with no tools? Believe it or not, your local grocery store might be able to help you out when you’re in a bind.
A grocery store might not carry anything but the simplest tools, and those tools’ll be poorly made and cheap at best, but they’ll work. You can get yourself out of a lot of different kinds of trouble with just a few screwdrivers, adjustable wrenches, and three or four types of pliers.
What you’ll find will most likely be overpriced for what they are, but just keep the “Something is better than nothing” mindset, and you’ll get through it. Also, if it’s late at night and there’s not a Wal-Mart around, you might not have any other choice.
Teflon tape can take the place of a good thread sealant, but there are plenty of other alternatives. Occasionally you even hear stories about people confusing thread sealants with thread lubricants or, worse, thread lockers.
Worse still, you may someday be told not to use super glue on threads, and the admonishment could end with, “Ask me how I know.” Duct tape isn’t the only substance that holds the universe together.
I’ve always preferred Teflon tape, because that’s what my dad used. Do you choose Teflon tape over the alternatives? Why, or why not?
Street Pricing [Google Products]
Via Amazon [What’s This?]
Your shop-vac may not be the most efficient dust collector, but you can turn it into a two-stage dust-collection system with the Mini Cyclone Separator from Woodstock International. You’ll change the bag or clean the filter less often, because larger chips will drop out into the attached five-gallon bucket.
Woodstock molds their Mini Cyclone Separator from ABS. It sits on top of a standard five-gallon bucket, where it accepts two 2-1/2″ hoses. To empty the bucket, simply lift off the separator.
Look to pay anywhere from $17 to $24 for the Mini Cyclone Separator. You’ll have to supply your own five-gallon pail. If you have 2-1/4″ hoses, you can get a reducer for about $5.
Mini Cyclone Separator [Woodstock International]
Street Pricing [Google Products]
Via Amazon(B0000223XZ) [What’s This?]
(Wednesday, May 7th, 2008) The Travel Channel promised us a new episode of Made in America every Wednesday night, but for some inexplicable reason we’re getting a show about McDonald’s instead — what a letdown. Maybe it’s a mistake?
All times are central.
Enjoy.
When you absolutely positively need to be inside a building two minutes ago, you need a Mini Pro-Bar. Fire and rescue crews commonly reach for this Halligan-type tool as a one-stop multi-tool for forcing entry into a building.
Whether you need to snap padlocks, rip down plaster, rip out recessed or flush cylinder locks, or pry open doors, the Mini Pro-Bar has you covered. Made from 4130 aircraft steel, the knurled shaft recesses into both the fork and adz/pike ends and is heat-pressed and welded. The adz and fork also double as nail pullers and gas shut-off tools.
Fire Hooks Unlimited sells the Min Pro-Bar in two versions: the 16″ bar weighing 3-1/4 lbs and the 20″ bar weighing 3-1/2 lbs. Either Mini Pro-Bar will run you about $75 — getting caught with one in your trunk while wearing a black ski mask will probably cost you a bit more than that.
Mini Pro-Bar [Fire Hooks Unlimited]
Street Pricing [Google Products]
Mini Pro-Bar [The Fire Store]
Spring arrived a few weeks ago, so if you haven’t already, it’s time to pull the hoses out of storage. If you’d stored ‘em in this fingered hose holder, you’d be watering tangle-free now instead of trying to unravel a kinked mess. Mount the holder next to the hose bib, and your hoses’ll always be ready to go.
This hose holder consists of nine 1-1/4″ spaced fingers that’ll hold up to 3/4″ hose. Between each finger you can slip two loops of hose, for a max capacity of over 100′. When you’re ready to water the lawn, just give the hose a gentle tug to free it from the fingers. For your unruly extension cords, you can also buy a holder with fingers spaced 1/2″ apart to hold cords up to 12 gauge. Both holders are made from UV-resistant polypropylene.
You can get the extension cord holder for $10, and $12 buys the hose holder, but you’ll have to supply the mounting hardware yourself.
Hose And Cord Holders [Lee Valley]
With Harbor Freight’s micro die grinder, you can grind or sand in hard to reach places, carve something intricate, or just polish the scratches out of your iPod. The 1/8″ collet will accept most Dremel bits for all sorts of jobs. It’s definitely worth grabbing one, even if you only use it a couple times a year to sand down the burs on your safety glasses.
The variable-speed micro grinder can spin up to 56,000 RPM, which is 20,000 RPM higher than your average Dremel. Rear exhaust keeps the air out of your work. The grinder set includes a 47″ air hose, inline oiler, brass coupler, and two collet wrenches. It all comes in a crappy nice plastic case, too.
If we’ve said it once, we’ve said it a thousand times: keep your cheap-ass HF pneumatic tools oiled, and they’ll last you a long time. Pick one up at Harbor Freight for $15.
Micro Die Grinder [Harbor Freight]
(Tuesday, May 6th, 2008) It’s a thin Tuesday of reruns.
All times are central.
Enjoy.
On average, lightning strikes kill 62 people each year in the US. You’ll probably never be struck, but if you work on a job site that’s prone to strikes, you might want a little insurance. The pager-sized StrikeAlert warns of lightning strikes within 40 miles, giving you advanced warning and extra time to get to cover.
StrikeAlert measures about 4″ x 3″ and includes a clip for putting it on your belt or bag. It will run for approximately 100 hours on two AAA batteries. When it detects a lightning strike, it sounds an alarm, and a blinking LED shows how far away the strike was. It’ll even tell you if the strikes are getting closer or farther away, with a tap of the power button.
Street pricing is about $60.
StrikeAlert [Official Site]
Street Pricing [Google Products]
Via Amazon (B0002KQF8Y) [What’s This?
Since the advent of mechanization in the paper industry, there’s not as much call anymore for the pulp hook. Traditionally used to catch the ends of four-foot pulpwood sticks for stacking, the pulp hook features more commonly today in spooky campfire stories.
Based in the U.S., Dixie Industries makes the pictured 11″ pulp hook from drop-forged steel with a hardwood handle.
Whether you’re looking to handle some firewood or scare the hell out of the kids on your next camping trip, you can pick up a pulp hook for $20 to $35.
Forestry Tools [Dixie Industries]
Pulp Hook [Traditional Woodworker]
Street Pricing [Google Products]
This stylish new carpenter’s bracelet…um, this set of carpenter’s brass knuckles…OK, this carpenter’s circular rasp sells for $10 at Woodcraft. The rasp, originally used by staircase makers to smooth curved handrails, shapes tightly curved or concave areas where a straight rasp won’t work.
Measuring 4-1/4″ by 2-1/2″, the rasp should fit comfortably in most craftsmen’s hands. The ring-shaped rasp features a curved, 1″-wide cutting face. To provide a safe surface to grasp, a protective grip covers the ends of the rasp.
Whether you’re a sculptor, carver, or woodworker, you’ll probably wonder what you did without this inexpensive tool — and in a pinch, I bet it would sting like hell to be punched with one.
Carver’s Rasp [Woodcraft]
This is the best type of coupon: you don’t need to cut anything out or mail anything in. Simply copy and paste “SPRING21″ when you check out at Home Depot’s website, and instantly receive a $5 discount on your purchase of $50 or more. But read the fine print — some items are excluded. You can save with the code through May 11, 2008.
Tools [Home Depot]
(Monday, May 5th, 2008) A new Dirty Jobs is laden with innuendo.
All times are central.
Enjoy.
(Sunday, May 4th, 2008) We’ve got a Dirty Jobs marathon tonight, along with a new Ax Men.
All times are central.
Enjoy.
Why build a giant dinosaur? Kids – and adults – love ‘em. And nothing else spruces up a dinosaur-themed birthday party than a giant wood dinosaur. The best part: you can build your own for around $150 and a little sweat. It’s time to break out your tools for something whimsical. Read on past the jump to learn how to build your own giant dino.
A number of publishers – including Fox Chapel – offer plans for small, scroll-saw-project dinosaurs, generally ranging from two feet to four feet in length. If you run across one of these plan sets that you like, that’s a great place to start. But there’s an easier, closer, and more educational place to find plans: your local museum. Take a quick trip, check out the exhibits, then buy your favorite balsa-wood dino from the gift shop.
Once you’re home, put him together and enjoy. Then take him back apart, lay the pieces out on paper, and trace ‘em. Instant plans!Making Your Dino BIG
Obviously you’ll need to scale the plans up, and you have a few options depending on what equipment you can find. If you have access to a video projector – this is a great way to re-purpose the one at work, feeing it from Power Point however briefly – you can scan the plans and project them on the wall.
But there’s a cheaper alternative: and Artograph projector. Think of the Artograph as a a smaller, less expensive version of the “opaque projectors” schools use. They’re available at most hobby stores as well as online, and range in price from $10 to around $60. (More expensive models are available, but why splurge?)
Of course, you can also watch school auctions (and eBay) for used opaque projectors.
Once you have your projector set up, you’ll want to make sure that the image you’re projecting isn’t warped via keystoning or a poor-quality lens. The easiest way to check is to draw a square with whatever draw program you have on your computer, then print it, stick it under the projector, and shoot it up onto the wall. Measure the diagonals from corner to corner, and they should be identical. If they’re not, you’ll want to adjust your projector until they are.
Next tape some large butcher paper or poster board to the wall. Drop your dino plans into the projector and zoom it (or move it forwards or backwards if there’s no zoom function) until the plans fit onto your paper.
Note: Keep in mind that the largest piece of your dino should fit on a 4’ x 8’ sheet of plywood. It’s very difficult to find larger plywood stock.
Then simply trace the parts onto the paper. Swap out paper as needed. Be sure to label each part as this will simplify assembly later! Finally, cut out each part with scissors.
Buying Plywood
You’ll want to select the proper width of plywood to match the size of your dinosaur. We found that 1/4″ plywood works well for dinosaurs up to around 4’ (longest dimension). Up to around 10’ you can use 1/2″, and for larger dinos – like our 18-1/2” model – require 3/4″. For giant dinos, you can either double-up 3/4″ with fasteners or search for 1-1/8” ply, which is often used by builders for flooring or high-end sheathing.
For our model, we selected 3/4″ CDX plywood. Plywood is rated A, B, C, or D, with A being the smoothest and D being the roughest. You can also buy veneered plywood, though it’s quite expensive and overkill for this project. We suggest either CD – which means one side is rated C and the other D – or BC for this project. Expect to pay around $25 to $30 a sheet. If it costs more, you’ve probably picked up something of higher quality. Look around and you can save a few bucks.
Plywood comes in 4’ x 8’ sheets, so lay out your traced and cut pieces to get an idea of how much you’ll need. For example, our dino required four sheets.
Building Your Dino
Lay your plywood out on the ground and arrange your cutouts on sheets. Trace them onto the sheet with a black marker or carpenter’s pencil. Pay close attention to the slots that join the pieces together. If they’re larger than the thickness of your plywood, adjust them to the same size as the ply.
Use a jigsaw to cut out the pieces, labeling them with pencil for easy assembly later.
Assembling Your Dino
If you traced a museum dino, you’ll have less trouble assembling yours since you’ll have the smaller one as a model. Either way, you’ll want to assure that the slots fit together firmly.
They should require a little “help” from a rubber mallet if they’re fit correctly. You may need to pull out the jigsaw to adjust the slots on the fly.
Packing and Storing
One of the most fun parts about this project is that it keeps on giving: you can disassemble your dino and stash him in an attic, closet, or garage. You can even take him to the park or to events. Ours easily fits in the back of a truck.
(Saturday, May 3rd, 2008) Catch up on Patent Bending if you missed it — we especially loved the 12-Gauge Golf Club episode for the total lack of safety.
All times are central.
Enjoy.
When you need to measure the diameter of a hole or the width of a slot, reach for a taper gauge. Named for their tapered shape, taper gauges measure hole and slot sizes quickly and accurately. With the Starrett No. 267 taper gauge, you can measure hole and slot sizes from 1/16″ to 1-1/16″, to the nearest 1/64″.
Made from spring-tempered steel and measuring 1″ wide by 5-1/4″ long, the gauge features four different leafs for measuring progressively larger dimensions. Look to pay between $90 and $110.
Taper Gauge [Starrett]
Street Pricing [Google Products]
Via Amazon(B0006J4DSK) [What’s This?]
Watch what happens when non-Toolmongers audition for a home shopping network by trying to sell a camouflaged drill set. I laughed so hard when I saw this — what a great item to weed out the bad salesmen. Not only do they concentrate on the least important feature, the camouflage, but they have no idea what they’re talking about. My favorite quote: “Maybe you wanna lay in the grass and drill.”
Reading a tape measure upside-down is a good way to make errors, so FastCap makes a tape measure in their ProCarpenter line that reads both left-to-right and right-to-left — you don’t have to twist your neck to read the scale.
The Lefty/Righty’s black and red scale contrasts nicely with the heavy-duty 1″ white blade. Like the rest of the tapes in the ProCarpenter line, this tape features an erasable notepad, thumb and finger locks, built-in pencil sharpener, rubber casing, and heavy-duty belt clip.
The 16′ Lefty/Righty tape retails for $8, and the 25′ retails for $11.
Lefty/Righty Tape [FastCap]
Street Pricing [Google Products]
16-Foot Tape [Rockler]
16-Foot Tape [McFeely’s]
25-Foot Tape [McFeely’s]
(Friday, May 2nd, 2008) It’s another dependable Friday, which is a nice way of saying “another rerun-laden Friday.” At least we have Forge and Anvil to watch before bedtime!
All times are central.
Enjoy.
Remember that time you asked your algebra teacher when you’d ever need to solve for X in real life? There’s a good chance you still haven’t found a use for your higher math skills, but Toolmongers will likely encounter plenty of practical math issues during a project. This handy book’ll show you how to calculate roof pitch, lay out stairs, make sense of a scientific calculator, and lots of other stuff.
The guide contains 256 pages of facts, figures, and conversion tables aimed at industry, construction, and home projects. The book outlines simple projects that allow you to apply your newfound math skills using basic materials. It also includes reviews and testing material to keep you sharp. It measures 10.6″ x 8.7″ x 0.4″ with precut holes, so you can keep it in a three-ring binder out in the shop for easy reference.
All this knowledge will run you about $20.
Chenier’s Practical Math Application Guide [Official Site]
Street Pricing [Google Products]
Via Amazon (ISDN: 096260612X) [What’s This?]
The casual griller often picks up whatever makeshift tools he finds lying about to conduct the summer’s grilling operations. Toolmonger, of course, supports grilling in any manner, with any tools you deem worthy. However, sometimes you want more — sites like barbecuegrilltools.com can help you gear up for those special meat-cooking occasions.
They offer a few high-brow sets of tools as well as some basic sets that just get it done. Once you’re good to go with the tools, they also carry a ton of grill-related gear you can get into — though we must admit, the “cooking food and good tools” part has been the focus for us.
Tool sets range from $20 for a three-piece set with a BBQ spatula, fork, and tongs, to a $70 natural wood set with spiffed-out carrying case and a few extra tools. It’s not for everyone — but with Father’s Day coming up, just keep it in mind.
Barbecue Grill Tools [Website]
The nail gun revolutionized carpentry, but at the expense of tying the carpenter to a stationary compressor. Companies have devised some ingenious solutions to this problem — but battery-powered or battery-and-gas-powered nail guns can be heavy, awkward, and costly; and CO2-powered belt packs can only drive so many nails before you have to buy a new canister. Palmgren devised another solution: a portable, tank-less compressor that weighs just 6.6 lbs including the battery, so you can carry it easily over the shoulder or around the waist.
Lacking a tank, the HipShot stores enough air in the coil hose and in the body of the tool itself to drive the nailer continuously. With the on/off switch, you can shut down the HipShot when you’re not using it, which extends the life of the battery. You’ll get about 120-180 shots per battery charge with 18-gauge nails, or 30-50 shots per charge with 15-gauge nails.
Palmgren designed the HipShot to be compatible with many pneumatic nail guns, including staplers, brad nailers, finish nailers, and roofing nailers. If the nail gun can operate between 85 and 125 PSI, there’s a good chance it’ll work.
The HipShot comes with coil air hose, couplers, shoulder strap, compressor, two 12V batteries, and AC charger for as little as $40. It lists at $230, but for some reason it’s being deeply discounted. I don’t have any experience with this compressor, but when something is discounted like this, a little warning light goes off in my head. If you’ve had any experience with the HipShot, let us know in the comments.
HipShot Compressor [Palmgren]
Street Pricing [Google Products]
Via Amazon(B00068U8BM) [What’s This?]
When you hear the name Winchester, it generally calls up images of lever-action rifles and ammunition, but if you run in certain circles it can also mean pocket knives. These may not be fancy affairs that’ll gain value with time, but an honest work knife like this pakka-handled Stockman will get you through the day.
You can find these knives for around $12 at almost any local sporting goods store, but don’t let the lack of budget-killing price tags put you off — we use this type of rig around the Toolmonger shop quite a bit. This solid work knife measures around 3-7/8” closed, which is more than big enough for daily tasks like cutting up boxes, rope, or wire.
Street Pricing [Google Products]
With the Rotate-A-Blade utility knife you can rotate a standard notched blade to different angles, so it can function as a knife, scraper, or ripper — no need to buy multiple knives with different blades. The knife also features blade storage and a nifty hex bit driver. It looks like they might need to work out a few kinks, but let’s hope we see this bad-boy on store shelves soon. I’ll buy one.
We like reader Wattsei’s bed project because he incorporated storage in a normally under-utilized area of the bedroom. But he didn’t just make some drawers to store socks in — he built each drawer to hold 4’ x 4’ pieces of art and up to 240 lbs of stuff.
Functional and relatively inexpensive to build — we see no downside here. Plus he made it for his girlfriend, so he earns points in that department as well. Somebody’s thinking.
Toolmonger Photo Pool [Flickr]
Our illustrious leader Chuck Cage wrote about his hands-on experience with the iRobot Dirt Dog back in December 2006 — yet how many of us are still working in a shop with a dirty floor? Both my hands are up. Now Fry’s is selling the Dirt Dog for just $100, so there’s no excuse for a dirty floor. iRobot designed the Dirt Dog for workshops and basements, with specially designed counter-rotating brushes that spin at almost 1,000 RPM to pick up dirt and debris that clings to rough surfaces. The Dirt Dog comes with a 14.4V rechargeable NiMH battery and a power supply.
Dirt Dog [iRobot]
Dirt Dog [Fry’s]
Street Pricing [Google Products]
(Thursday, May 1st, 2008) We’ve got new episodes of Overhaulin’ and American Chopper, and two new Cool Tools. We’re not sure if Break It Down is a new show, but it sounds interesting if you like demolition and recycling.
All times are central.
Enjoy.