(Thursday, September 21st, 2006)  The Military Channel’s Military Showcase should be worth watching – it sounds like a “How It’s Made” of destructive implements.  Tools of the Trade visits E-One firetrucks, which should be more in depth than the 10 minutes John Ratzenberger spent there on “Made in America.”

All times are central.

• DIY Tools & Techniques: Time Savers (DIY, 5 p.m.)
• How It’s Made: Episode 29: Wheel Loaders, Vegetable Oil, Hand Tools, Cotton Swabs (Discovery, 6 p.m.)
• How It’s Made: Episode 25: Coins, Cars, Grocery Carts (Discovery, 6:30 p.m.)
• Tools of the Trade: Fire Trucks (National Geographic, 7 p.m.)
• Classic Tractor Specials: “Conversations with Collectors.” (RFD-TV, 7 p.m.)
• Military Showcase: Episode 1 (Military, 8 p.m.)
• Pimp My Ride (MTV, 8 p.m.)
• Pimp My Ride (MTV, 8:30 p.m.)
• Military Showcase: Episode 2 (Military, 9 p.m.)
• Rock Solid: Bluestone Landing (DIY, 9 p.m.)
• Military Showcase: Episode 3 (Military, 10 p.m.)
• Pimp My Ride (MTV, 10:30 p.m.)
• MegaStructures: Science of Steel (National Geographic, 11 p.m.)
• Unique Whips: Bullet Proof (Speed, 11 p.m.)

Our insomniac’s suggestions: Watch Speed, or reruns…

If you watch late night TV at all you’re quite familiar with the “revolutionary new tool” campaigns that come beating their way into your living room.  The Bit Shooter is one such star of the late night infamy. Think Smith & Wesson meets your run of the mill plastic-handled screwdriver. 

We won’t be the one to tell you making tools that function like guns is not a selling point – because guns are cool and guys like goofing around with them. A cartridge loading screwdriver that functions much like a snub nose revolver could be, perhaps, a bit much.

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If you haven’t run across a spline fastener yet, you haven’t taken an old BMW “airhead” apart.  There are a number of them, especially in and around the transmission.  Sometimes you can get a socket on them, but a ratcheting wrench works in almost all circumstances.

Enter Stanley Proto’s new ratcheting wrenches complete with spline box ends.  And these aren’t just good for spline fasteners: They also do everything that a standard box wrench’ll do and they’re better than standard boxes at turning rounded-off fasteners.

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It’s not fun to be on the receiving end of the kickback that can happen when you’re ripping a board on the table saw. The material often gets caught by the back of the blade causing splintering, inaccurate cuts and — worst of all; — kickback. 

The Grip-Tite feather board is a block solid tool that delivers holding power to your cast iron saw top while simultaneously pressing your material down and in against the fence. 

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We know — we totally let you down yesterday by not providing you your daily allotment of new tools.  We hope you’ll forgive us as we needed a day in the shop to push forward on some of the different projects we’ve got going.  So, we took a day off from writing to get our hands dirty full time.

We’re back in the saddle today, though.

(Wednesday, September 20th, 2006) One of the best How It’s Made episodes, #31, has a fascinating look at artificial eyes.  If you watch with your kids it is guaranteed that they will ask all sorts of questions, and it’s a great way to talk about always wearing safety glasses.

Otherwise we’ve got a smattering of many different shows. Trick My Truck has some other reruns airing, but in protest we refuse to list them as no show should be rerun as much as TMT.  You might need a beer or six before watching the Junk Brothers just to get down to their hoser level, but then again you probably dug out the vodka for Mythbusters so you’re good.

All times are central.

• DIY Tools & Techniques: Table Saw Techniques (DIY, 5 p.m.)
• Hardscapes: Stone Retaining Wall (DIY, 5:30 p.m.)
• How It’s Made: Episode 13: Bicycle Helmets, Lithium Batteries, Car Brakes, Aluminum (Discovery, 6 p.m.)
• How It’s Made: Episode 14: Eyeglass Lenses, Granite, Potato Chips, Microprocessors. (Discovery, 6:30 p.m.)
• Chop Cut Rebuild: Nostalgia (Speed, 6:30 p.m.)
• How It’s Made: Episode 31: Horse-Drawn Carriages, Artificial Eyes, Dog and Cat Food, Mirrors (Discovery, 7 p.m.)
• Building the Ultimate: Hammer Power (Science, 7 p.m.)
• How It’s Made: Episode 52: Putty Knives, Garage Doors, Electric Motors, Wool (Discovery, 7:30 p.m.)
• MythBusters: Cell Phones on Planes (Discovery, 8 p.m.)
• How It’s Made: Episode 5: Copy Paper, Jeans, Computers, Plate Glass (Science, 8 p.m.)
• Modern Marvels: Horsepower (History, 8 p.m.)
• How It’s Made: Episode 6: Nails and Staples, Safety Glasses, Fabrics, Bicycles (Science, 8:30 p.m.)
• MythBusters: Vodka Myths (Discovery, 9 p.m.)
• Unique Whips: Indy-Scribable (Speed, 9 p.m.)
• Modern Marvels: Freight Trains. (History, 9 p.m.)
• Trick My Truck: Dale Lambrecht’s Road Hog (CMT, 9:30 p.m.)
• Junk Brothers: The BBQ and the Antique Bed (HGTV, 10 p.m.)
• MythBusters: Seasickness - Kill or Cure (Discovery, 11 p.m.)
• Unique Whips: It’s Electra! (Speed, 11 p.m.)
• I Love Toy Trains: Warren Frost’s American Flyers, 583 Electro Magnetic crane, 766 animated station, Mike Kolosseus S-Gauge stock layout. (RFD-TV, 11:30 p.m.)

Our insomniac’s suggestions: Pimp My Ride (MTV, midnight and 12:30 a.m.).

(Tuesday, September 19th, 2006) Another great Tuesday! BBQ Tech. should have something for the meat loving fabricator. The episode title of DIY Tools & Techniques tonight reminded us of a great book: “Shop Savvy: Tips, Techniques & Jigs for Woodworkers and Metalworkers” by Roy Moungovan (our copy was a “discard” from the local library, which is another rant, for another time). If you can find a used copy it will be well worth the effort.

All times are central

• Machinery of the Past: 1920 Traffic truck in action; 1928 Model AA one-ton truck; golf course that incorporates old machinery. (RFD-TV, 5 p.m.)
• DIY Tools & Techniques: Shop Savvy (DIY, 5 p.m.)
• How It’s Made: Episode 50, countertop laminate, frozen treats, children’s building blocks, and detergents. (Discovery, 6 p.m.)
• How It’s Made: Episode 30, temporary metal fences, asphalt shingles, expanded polystyrene products and hard candies. (Discovery, 6:30 p.m.)
• Dirty Jobs: Sludge Cleaner (Discovery, 7 p.m.)
• Overhaulin’: Mean Anemul (TLC, 7 p.m.)
• Pimp My Ride (MTV, 7 p.m.)
• Pimp My Ride (MTV, 7:30 p.m.)
• Dirty Jobs: Hot Tar Roofer (Discovery, 8 p.m.)
• Rides: Customized (TLC, 8 p.m.)
• Dirty Jobs: Parade Float Dismantler (Discovery, 9 p.m.)
• Modern Marvels : BBQ Tech. (History, 9 p.m.)
• Overhaulin’: Roadies Stole My ‘Vette! (TLC, 9 p.m.)
• John Ratzenberger’s Made in America: Trek Bicycles (Travel, 9 p.m.)
• John Ratzenberger’s Made in America: Toro - Snow Blowers (Travel, 9:30 p.m.)
• Trade School: Industrial HVAC (DIY, 9:30 p.m.)
• Unique Whips: SEMA & Softball (Speed, 11 p.m.)

Our insomniac’s suggestions: Machinery of the Past (RFD-TV, 1 a.m.)

Some people call them “exit” handles, some people call them “oh s@#%” handles, but whatever you call them they’re darn useful.  Besides grabbing them when the driver pulls some kind of stupid stunt, you can also use the rear ones to hang clothing or to tie down large items.

Many cars have them for both front and rear passengers, but many new four-door trucks only have them in the front.  Ours was missing the rear ones, so we took matters into our own hands and added some.

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OK, all of you north of Kentucky can stop laughing right now.  This post isn’t for you.  You already have one of these — or more likely one of the industrial kind that’s the size of a broom and has a brush on the end.  This post is for others (like me) that live in the South where we only get ice and snow once or twice a winter if we’re lucky.

I’m suggesting you get one of these now because if you wait until that “once or twice” rolls around you’re going to find the shelves bare and lots of annoying, clucking salespeople laughing at you.  The only thing worse than finding yourself without a reasonable way to clear the ice off your windshield after work is having to listen to one of the old guys at Ace Hardware lecture you about how you should have bought a scraper “back in September when they were on sale for $0.50 and there were buckets of them all over the store.”

Trust me, it’s better to hear it from me.  If you live anywhere north of Miami, go buy one right now, and stick it in your car.

A friend (who’ll remain nameless here, but can own up to it in comments if he wishes) shared this with us over the weekend.  When we heard it, we knew we had our “Doh!” of the Week.

In a hurry to clean up his apartment before a guest arrived, he noticed that there was some black stuff on his gas range’s burner grates.  When the standard cleaner didn’t get it off, he tried some WD-40, forgetting that the pilot lights were still on.

Poof!  Instant fire.  Lesson learned: Turn off the pilot lights before cleaning a gas range with explosive chemicals.

After last week’s “Doh” — dropping an advil on your foot — other readers wrote in to share similar experiences where they moved something heavy without first thinking it through.  Some of their objects of destruction: a motorcycle and a transmission.

Thanks to everyone who owned up to their mistakes this week.  If you have the guts to fess up — and we publish your entry here as our “Doh!” of the Week — we’ll send you something from the tool pile.

By rotating the jaws around about 45 degrees from where they normally are, “Kiwi” pliers keep your hand and arm in better position to provide leverage when you’ve really got to grip something tightly.  EZ-Red, their manufacturer, says this nets you a more powerful grip with less effort.

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(Monday, September 18th, 2006)  Thankfully Sunday is behind us (TV-wise) and we can turn to another dependable Monday with perhaps too many reruns, but lots of watchable Toolmonger TV. 

On the topic of reruns, many of the shows that air during “prime time” also repeat in the wee hours, so if we don’t list them as insomniac suggestions, it pays to know which channels keep broadcasting later at night.  Scrap House should be interesting.  Let us know what you think.

All times are central.

• Trains and Locomotives: “Railway Journeys, Part 2A.” Jersey City Railway; changing steam to electric; trolley cars & camelbacks; rail junction. (RFD-TV, 5 p.m.)
• DIY Tools & Techniques: Shop Storage Ideas (DIY, 5 p.m.)
• How It’s Made: Episode 49: Plastic Cups and Cutlery, Special Effects Makeup, Gold, Harps (Discovery, 6 p.m.)
• How It’s Made: Episode 24: Aluminum Pots and Pans, Artificial Limbs, Peanut Butter, High Intensity Light Bulbs (Discovery, 6:30 p.m.)
• American Chopper: FANtasy Bike 4 (Discovery, 7 p.m.)
• American Hot Rod: ‘54 Corvette and ‘55 Chevy 3 (Discovery, 8 p.m.)
• Biker Build-Off: Marcus Walz vs. Mike Prugh (Discovery, 9 p.m.)
• The Scrap House (National Geographic, 9 p.m.)
• American Chopper: FANtasy Bike 3 (Discovery, 10 p.m.)
• American Chopper: FANtasy Bike 2 (Discovery, 11 p.m.)
• Unique Whips: Southern Dis-Comfort (Speed, 11:p.m.)

Our insomniac’s suggestions: Trains and Locomotives (RFD-TV, 1 a.m.).

I wrote about the AVX in this month’s issue of Popular Science (pg. 26), and it’s a sweet hammer.  Stanley really pulled out all the stops to save your arm:  Beyond the tuning-fork vibration dampening system from last year’s anti-vibe hammers, the AVX adds a special grip to address the torsional stresses most hammers impart to your arm when you don’t hit the nail squarely.

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Looks like Ryobi’s giving away a specially-painted Mustang as well as some tool packages.  Obviously the Mustang’s the grand prize.  First prize lets you select $2000 worth of Ryobi tools to outfit your shop.  Twenty-five second prize winners’ll receive a Ryobi P860 combo kit.  There are other prizes, too.

To enter you’ll have to cough up some personal information at ryobitools.com.  The contest runs until December 31.

“Drop The Top Sweepstakes” Official Rules [Ryobitools.com]

You’re holding in your hand the last screw you need to finish your latest project when… you drop it in the dirt.  You can spend the next hour searching for it, or you can pull out a magnet and find it lickety-split.

You don’t have to buy this particular model — any strong magnet with a handle will do the job.

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(Sunday, September 17th, 2006) Wow! We tried.  We really, really tried.  However, despite our efforts, there’s nothing on tonight.  We only found two shows before midnight that meet Toolmonger criteria.  So, if you know of anything on tonight that we missed, post a comment with your recommendations!

Otherwise, we suggest you get out in the shop and start a project.  If you’re stumped for where to begin, we’ve got a few suggestions:

• How ’bout a cool bar-quality surround for your dart board?  It’s easy to build, cheap, looks good, and actually lets you play darts and get your apartment deposit back.
• Or maybe you could turn that old tractor or lawnmower seat you’ve got laying around into a sweet shop chair.  We’ve got two of ‘em in the Toolmonger shop now.
• Turning the clocks way back on Toolmonger, you could build a cool driving game chair for yourself (or your kids).  We built this one with an inexpensive wire welder.  (And before you say, “But I don’t know how to weld!” let us just reassure you — if you read the manual and practice for an hour or so, you can build this project.  Seriously!)
• Got an older but still late-model SUV that doesn’t go like the new ones?  Swap in a high-performance crate engine to make up the difference.

Or hey, just jump into a project of your own, then send us a write-up and some pictures so we can share it with other Toolmongers. 

All times are central.

• Classic Tractor Specials (RFD-TV, 8:00 p.m.)
• Rock Solid: Limestone Tile Entryway (DIY, 8:00 p.m.)

Our insomniac’s suggestions: Four episodes of Pimp My Ride starting at midnight on MTV, Chop Cut Rebuild (Speed, 1: a.m.), Weekend Handyman: Home Automation (DIY, 1 a.m.), or Weekend Remodeling: Installing Tile Over Laminate Countertops (DIY, 1:30 a.m.).

It’s rare that we really gush about a product, but this is going to be one of those times.  We’ll probably be embarassed about it in the morning, but tonight we’re gonna unabashedly tell you: these gloves rock the house.  They’re easily the most comfortable and useful welding gloves we’ve ever used.  We think our name (in the post title) is better, but Hobart calls them their “Premium Form-Fitted Welding Gloves.”

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