Sometimes you just don’t have a spare (third?) hand for a flashlight, and that’s when you need a fluorescent; Its light scatters widely so you don’t have to aim it carefully. Most manufacturers now include a flashlight in their cordless lineup, but Makita’s the first we’ve seen offering an incandescent/fluorescent combo.
The ColdHeat concept is great: it heats up and cools down instantly so a) you don’t burn yourself or the things around you, and b) it can run on batteries for quite a while. We have one, but we’ve always been a little bit wary of the tool’s quality as the only place you could find them was at Harbor Freight and on late-night infomercials.
Now it appears that Weller’s decided to take the technology pro.
(Monday, August 28th, 2006) Monday’s the night when Discovery still shows us some love. We’re quite happy that Biker Buildoff is a continuing series as it’s the best chance to see a variety of techniques in one series.
RFD-TV has a farm safety discussion that will probably be as boring as it sounds, but may be worth watching if you want to avoid a tussle between your arm and the PTO of your tractor (hint: the tractor will always win).
How It’s sMade Episode #37 has a wonderful segement showing the construction and anatomy of a car radiator.
All times are central.
Our insomniac’s suggestion: Unique Whips (Speed, 12:00 midnight), Trains and Locomotives (RFD-TV, 1:00 p.m.), or I Want That: Tech Toys (HGTV, 2:30 a.m.).
Utility knives rock. My favorite use: Instantly defeating tougher-than-depleted-uranium clamshell packaging without hurting myself. Any utility knife’ll help, but if you use one more than casually, you eventually have to deal with the nastiness of swapping a blade.
Wiss recently released a new knife with a “quick change” system to simplify the process.
We just received the latest circular from Harbor Freight, and (as usual) it’s a hoot.
We generally look for three things in these mailers: the loss leader (the item that’s way underpriced — even in Harbor Freight terms — that’ll be gone in the first 10 seconds after the mailer hits), the interesting deals (tools you might buy just to use-and-abuse or tools so cheap you could take them apart for parts), and the what-the-hell-is-this-doing-in-a-tool-flyer tools.
Read on for some great entertainment courtesy of HF.
Ever wish Craftsman offered their lifetime warranty on power tools, too? Looks like Ridgid wants to make a name for themselves, and they’re doing it by offering one of the sweetest power tool deals around. They call it their “Lifetime Service Agreement.” It’s free, and — get this — it even covers normal wear items like batteries.
Think that’s hot? Try this formula: Ridgid’s new 24V XLi lithium-ion tool line + free batteries for life = best. deal. ever.
As a guy I knew in college once said after telling me how his roommate came home the night before with identical Sweedish twins, “That #(@$ just doesn’t happen.”
(Sunday, August 27th, 2006) Tonight you get a whole hour and a half of tractors and the excellent Paper Crossbow episode of Mythbusters. Maybe it’s a good time to make your own paper crossbow rather than waste time watching reruns.
If you do make the crossbow and manage to injure yourself, remember to sue Discovery (not us — we’re poor). Or alternately just demand more fabrication shows instead of money. Maybe losing an eye would be worth a new season of Junkyard Wars, or Southern Steel. *
* We here at Toolmonger do not encourage self-mutilation in any way shape or form, even if it is for the betterment of all mankind.
Trick My Truck’s making an appearance on CMT tonight. Guess they decided to run something other than Dukes of Hazard 24/7.
All times are central.
Our insomniac’s suggestion: Chop Cut Rebuild: Fender Bender (Speed, 1 a.m.).
Reader Jason emailed us a link to this most extreme 85-blade “knife” supposedly called the “Giant Knife Version 1.0″ and we couldn’t help passing it on — even if it does look more like the work of Photoshop than Wenger (the people who bring you the venerable Swiss Army knives).
On a more realistic note, though, Wenger, has finally updated the basic shape and form factor of the Swiss Army knife, calling it the Evo. (Think Chris Rock from Jay & Silent Bob Strike Back: “Harley-Davidson gonna sue somebody!”)
Update: Boing Boing says the knife’s going for $1,200 and isn’t a joke. Still hard to believe, though.
From Reader Comments: Reader Todd suggests that it’s probably “a one-off demo showcase that displays the various tools the company can put into a knife and not a product that will be mass-produced.”
Another Update: It’s real. We imagine it’ll be a collectors item for sure.
We heard a while back that Mac Tools was planning a serious overhaul of their site to add some killer new features, and apparently it’s come to pass. We checked in today to find the notice you see at right. It looks like the new site’s going to be live Monday.
We suspect that the enhancements will focus on additional user interactivity, along the lines of the toolbox configurator they released earlier this yeay. It’s pretty slick; You can select from all the zillions of storage options Mac offers to build (and see) your own personalized box right on the screen, then you can order it. They have a whole (very impressive) just-in-time manufacturing setup to turn your virtual box into reality.
We’ll definitely check in on Monday to see what’s up, and you might want to do the same.
Under Construction (Until Monday) [mactools.com]
One of the signs of a quality ratchet (at least according to my Father) is a small “sweep” – how much you have to turn it to engage the next “cog.” A reader tipped us off to Northern Tool’s gearless ratchets this morning, and though Northern doesn’t say much about them on their website, this caught our eye: they offer a “less than 3 degree sweep.” Compare that to GearWrench’s 5 degree sweep or common ratchet’s 12 degrees.
(Saturday, August 26th, 2006) DIY delivers some original Toolmonger-friendly entertainment on a night that’s mostly full of reruns. Sorry to sound like a broken record, but tonight’s ultimately a better night to work on projects in the garage than to watch TV.
If you haven’t seen it yet, the Crimes and Myth-demeanors episode of MythBusters is pretty darn entertaining, though.
All times are central.
Our insomniac’s suggestion: Robot Rivals: All-Terrain Obstacle-Course Robots (DIY, 1 a.m.) and The Practical Woodworker (RFD-TV, 2 am).
It’s been another wild week here at Toolmonger. If you’ve been busy in the shop and haven’t had time to keep up with Toolmonger, we recommend checking out the following posts when you have a chance:
Project Garage: Yukon Engine Swap (Part 3) — Fabricating Engine Brackets
The factory upper engine brackets didn’t fit on our “bolt in” engine, so we made our own (and modified one of the existing ones). We added 20+ pictures of the whole fabrication process. If you’re considering a late model engine swap (or just want to see some cool basic metal fabrication), this is a must read.
Finds: X-Treme Tape
This is some seriously cool stuff. It stretches to 3 times its length, withstands acids, can handle temps up to 500 degrees F and down to -60 F, insulates to 8,000 V… the list goes on and on. Check it out.
Finds: The Woodcraft Clamping System
Anyone who’s glued up a large panel can relate: it’s a pain to get it straight in both dimensions (top and sides). This inexpensive clamping system makes it easy.
Feature: Carl Olsen’s Waterjets.org
Carl Olsen — a guy who not only writes control software for a major waterjet manufacturer, but has been around waterjets since childhood spends his “spare” time maintaining one of the most informative sites about waterjets on the web. He took time out to talk to us and dispell some common waterjet myths.
Toolmonger’s “Doh” of the Week: Kids in the Shop / What’s the stupidest thing you’ve ever done in the shop?
Last week we asked you to relate some of your “doh!” moments from the shop — in the hope of entertaining fellow readers and maybe helping them avoid stepping in the same hole — and the response has been great. Thanks so much for sharing! If you haven’t seen the comments on either of the above posts, you definitely want to check them out — great stuff.
Coming Next Week
We’ve got some good hands-on experiences to post regarding Hobart’s AirForce250A plasma cutter. In short: you want a plasma cutter. They rock. We’ve also got part two of the Unique Performance shop tour as well as more tool finds.
Note that this month’s ”comment to win” contest is drawing to a close. If you haven’t entered — by just commenting — yet, now’s the time. Why not drop in and share some of your “doh!” shop experiences, or maybe shed some light on some of our tool finds?
There’s no such thing as a bolt-in engine “swap.” If anyone tells you different, they’re lying. Even though GM Performance found us a really close match for the Yukon, none of the brackets that direct wiring looms and hold electronic packs over the intake manifold fit. So, in this project garage update we show you how we fabricated replacements.
If you’re considering a late model engine swap — or just want to see how to make brackets from scratch — this is a must read. (20+ pics)
You’ve seen Predator, right? When we saw it, we automatically added a few items to our personal wish lists. That first aid kit that could fix anything that happened to him was high on the list. (Right below the invisible armor. Oh yeah, and that big freakin’ gun.)
Here’s the next best thing: X-treme Tape by Vypar was originally developed for the military. (Perhaps they saw Predator, too.) This silicone-based repair tape is self-fusing and requires no adhesive since it only bonds to itself. Sweet huh? Wait. It gets freaky-cool.
(Friday, August 25th, 2006) Look, there’s just not that much on tonight. There’s about enough to keep you from Elvising your TV. Maybe.
Alternately, tonight would be a good night to take your wife (or husband – we’re not sexist here at Toolmonger) out to dinner, so you can gain points for future tool purchases.
Building the Ultimate should be interesting if you’re a 3D CAD junkie. DIY Tools and Techniques features Sandor Nagyszalanczy’s eastern hand plane fetish.
All times are central .
Our insomniac’s suggestion: Just watch the Speed channel until you pass out.
With autumn on the way, it’s the perfect time to enjoy cool air again, and building a deck is an excellent (and affordable) way to expand your living space into the outdoors. Creative Homeowner’s Ultimate Guide to Decks: Plan, Design, Build offers in-depth advice on how to design a deck that meets the needs and expectations of your family, develop a reasonable plan for construction, and select the right tools and materials for the job.
Remember when safety glasses were dorky? Thankfully times have changed. Now you can look more like Paul, Jr. in the shop and less like Mr. Wizard. A case in point: Uvex’s new Protege safety glasses.
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What's In Your Kitchen Tool Drawer?
Tool Talk #53: Old Hardware Stores & Pocket Knives
Tool Talk #52: Listener Calls & Reader Projects
Tool Talk #51: DIY Wedding Rings & Heirloom Shopsmiths
Tool Talk #50: Router Safety & Pointless Tools
Tool Talk #49: Bookcases & Ending Laziness
Tool Talk #48: Christmas & (Paint) Strippers
One Beer Projects: Repairing Wood Surfaces
One Beer Projects: Fixing Simple Problems With Your Dryer
One Beer Projects: Winterizing/Storing Your Bike
One Beer Projects: De-Badging Your Truck
One Beer Projects: Staining Your Fence
One Beer Projects: Doing Your Own Brakes
One Beer Projects: Balancing Your A/C For The Summer
One Beer Projects: Installing A Dimmer Switch
Hands-On: Milwaukee M12 Power Port
Hands-On: Caterpillars Fix Wiggly Outlets For Good
Head 2 Head Hands-On: Bosch SPS10 vs LI3000 SmartDriver
Hands-On: Striker Magnetic LED Light
Hands-On: Dremel Duo Kit -- Dremel Driver
Hands-On: Elmer's ProBond Wood Filler
Hands-On: Duo-Fast DF350S Framing Nailer
Hands-On: Watco Danish Oil - Cherry Finish
Budget Shop Truck Build, Part 5: Engine Teardown
Budget Shop Truck Build, Part 4: A New Transmission
Budget Shop Truck Build, Part 3: Building An Engine Stand
Budget Shop Truck Build, Part 2: Pulling The Engine
Budget Shop Truck Build, Part 1: The Truck
How-To: Cut Angles With A Circular Saw
Project Garage: Yukon Engine Swap (Part 5) -- Complete!
Project Garage: Yukon Engine Swap (Part 4) -- Installation!
Project Garage: Yukon Engine Swap (Part 3) -- Fabricating Engine Brackets
Project Garage: Yukon Engine Swap (Part 2) -- GM Performance Parts
