This new release from Snap-on caught my attention because — as anyone who’s been in the Toolmonger shop can tell you — I love a clean and organized shop.  Add to that the fact that I’m planning on picking up a set of T-shaped hex wrenches this season, and this — or something like it — is just what I need.

Heck, even if I don’t purchase the wrenches from Snap-on, it’d probably be worth the $16 this thing costs just to not have to build one.

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(Thursday, November 16th, 2006) There’s very little on tonight – as usual for a Thursday – but what there is looks interesting.

All times are central.

• DIY Tools & Techniques: Jigsaws and Planing Techniques (DIY, 5:00 p.m.)
• Classic Tractor Specials: “Every Tractor Under the Sun.” John Deere 4020; IH Farmall M road grader; Co-op; hot rod Ford 8N. (RFD-TV, 7:00 p.m.)
• Modern Marvels: Metal (History, 9:00 p.m.)
• Unique Whips: The White Stuff (Speed, 11:00 p.m.)

Our insomniac’s suggestions: Check out the Barrett-Jackson auctions on Speed from 3:00 a.m. to 5:00 a.m.

First of all, we’ve got to admit that (like birds) we’re a little bit attracted to anything shiny — like Stanley’s FatMax Xtreme measuring tapes.  They do have more going for them than just the shiny bits: Featuring a 13′ standout, this 16′ tape is 1-1/4″ wide and is made from a high-visibility Mylar polyester film with a clear “BladeArmor” coating on the first 6″.  (The hook end gets most of the abuse.)

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Eli, the winner of our comment-based RIDGID combo kit giveaway, took a few minutes to write in and let us know how they work:

“I’ve been using the set almost since the moment I got it last Friday, but today was the first day I used them at work.  Very pleaseing experience.  You really made Christmas come early.  In the picture I’m cutting out some studs above a fireplace to frame in a bookshelf nook for a client’s antique globe collection.  I used both the trim saw and the recipro saw.”

Check out this Friday’s “The Week in Tools” podcast for more from Eli regarding his take on RIDGID tools (and others).

Continuing today’s cordless metalworking theme, here’s a cordless 6-1/2″ metal circ saw from Panasonic.  It runs at 2,900 RPM and draws power from an 18V 3.5 Ah battery.  It also features a wrap-around blade guard with a transparent window at the front so you can see what you’re cutting.

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You’ve heard circular and recip saws called “high amp draw” tools?  An angle grinder’ll make those look downright girlie-man in comparison.  This is the first cordless angle grinder we’ve seen, and we suspect it’s a good thing that it’s lithium-ion powered.  It takes standard 4-1/2″ discs and spins at 10,000 RPM.

If it’ll grind for more than just a couple of minutes, it’d be handy as hell.

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(Wednesday, November 15th, 2006) Mythbusters has two reruns tonight – lazy, lazy Mythbusters.  Aren’t Wednesdays for new eps?  Custom Chess Set should be a good Xmas project. Better to save your money to buy tools, rather than gifts, then use those tools to make gifts.

All times are central.

• DIY Tools & Techniques: Mobile Bases/Safety Equipment (DIY, 5:00 p.m.)
• Modern Marvels: Engineering Disasters 17.(History, 6:00 p.m.)
• Chop Cut Rebuild: Hide ‘n’ Seek (Speed, 6:30 p.m.)
• MythBusters: Border Slingshot (Discovery, 7:00 p.m.)
• MythBusters: Explosive Decompression (Discovery, 9:00 p.m.)
• Unique Whips: Bullet Proof (Speed, 9:00 p.m.)
• Junk Brothers: The TV and the Couch (HGTV, 10:00 p.m.)
• Hammered with John & Jimmy DiResta: The Custom Chess Set (HGTV, 10:30 p.m.)
• Unique Whips: A Unique Dream Part 2 (Speed, 11:00 p.m.)
• I Love Toy Trains: “Great Train Layouts you can Visit.” Stanford Model Railroad club; Edgerton P.A.L. Layout.(RFD-TV, 11:30 p.m.)

Enjoy.

Most starter MIG rigs offer tapped voltage settings instead of continuous adjustment, both because it’s less expensive and because it simplifies things for beginner and intermediate welders.  But while most units offer a five-tap system, Hobart’s new Handler 187 has seven settings, which gives you better control.

Hobart also says the 187’s improved inductor keeps a tighter reign on amperage, which in turn “smoothes out the arc” and improves metal flow.

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Because of our (and our fathers’) appreciation for Case pocket knives, we were happy to check out the new book in the Images of America series, W.R. Case & Sons Cutlery Company. We hoped for more details about the knives, but the book is mostly a Case family photo album with captions and commentary provided by two long-time Case employees. It documents the achievements of the entrepeneurs, craftsmen, and businessmen and women who comprised the Case family “dynasty” over the last hundred years.

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Today Bosch released four “kits” — a drill/driver and hammer drill/driver with various combinations of batteries — that make use of their new flexible power system (FPS).  The FPS lets you select between a “SlimPack” 1.3 Ah battery to lighten the tool for shorter jobs or a 2.0 Ah “FatPack” for the longest possible runtime.  Bosch says that thanks to li-ion power, even the SlimPack offers 15% longer runtime over other NiCd 18V tools.

Both drill/drivers bring 600 in-lb of torque to the table.

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(Tuesday, November 14th, 2006) Tonight: A new Overhaulin’, what might maybe a new Chop Cut Rebuild, And some good stuff on DIY. There are a host of reruns and such, and as NBC used to say: “If you haven’t seen them, they’re new to you!”

All times are central.

• Machinery of the Past: 1927 Chevrolet, rare British 1948 Morris three ton; 1927 Gleaner combine; German Hanomag tractor, episode 144 (RFD-TV, 5:00 p.m.)
• DIY Tools & Techniques: Sanders and Joint Comparison (DIY, 5:00 p.m.)
• Modern Marvels: Glue (History, 6:00 p.m.)
• Dirty Jobs: Fuel Tank Cleaner (Discovery, 7:00 p.m.)
• Rides: Thump (TLC, 7:00 p.m.)
• Dirty Jobs: Jobs That Bite: Episode 1 (Discovery, 8:00 p.m.)
• Overhaulin’: Episode 12 (TLC, 8:00 p.m.)
• Dirty Jobs: Jobs That Bite: Episode 2 (Discovery, 9:00 p.m.)
• Overhaulin’: Episode 13 (TLC, 9:00 p.m.)
• Made in America: Burt’s Bees (Travel, 9:00 p.m.)
• Chop Cut Rebuild: Smell My Paintgun (Speed, 11:00 p.m.)
• 10 Things You Must Know: Vinyl Siding (DIY, 9:00 p.m.)
• Made in America: GE Transportation (Travel, 9:30 p.m.)
• Trade School: Aviation Maintenance (DIY, 9:30 p.m.)
• Unique Whips: A Unique Dream (Speed, 11:00 p.m.)

We’re on “insomniac suggestion strike.”  Do they think all Toolmongers are in bed by midnight and up at the crack of dawn?  Ok, so many Toolmongers are, but not all.  C’mon here — throw us a bone!

You’ve gotta love the way Ryobi’s adding everything but the kitchen sink to their 18V One+ line, including this new wet/dry canister vac.  What a great idea!  We’ve got a humongo-big wet/dry, but it’s a PITA to drag out just to clean up the car or pick up a small spill.  This looks great for that kind of thing, and if you’ve already bought into the One+ system via one of Ryobi’s low-price combo kit deals, you’re good to go.

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It’s getting to be Christmas shopping time, and tool manufacturers are starting to loosen the purse strings a bit to earn your business.  Here’s our first deal find of the season: Milwaukee’s offering a free V18 Sawzall (by mail) with the purchase of a V18 hammer drill during the month of November.

They’re also offering the same deal with the V28 hammer drill as well as a free tool (pick from their list) with purchase of a V28 combo kit.

Details are available on the Milwaukee website (link below).

Free Tool Deal [Milwaukee]

Here’s the last of GearWrench’s SEMA releases: some new cushion-grip ratchets.  I don’t know if you can see it clearly on the photo above, but I like the fact that the label on the directon switch says “on” and “off.”  It’ll save you from checking each time you pick it up.

As some readers have commented regarding “soft-grip” tools in general, they do tend to get dirty and stay dirty.  They also tend to prevent you from sticking a pipe on the end of the ratchet, which is a good thing in general, but bad if you need to do it.  Then again, comfort is comfort.

What say y’all?

(Monday, November 13th, 2006) Just one new episode of American Chopper and a whole lot of reruns makes Discovery Mondays a mockery of its former self.

All times are central.

• Trains and Locomotives: Super Slips and Start-ups.” Big steam locomotives pulling heavy trains; smoke, steam and heavy exhausts.(RFD-TV, 5:00 p.m.)
• DIY Tools & Techniques: Sandpaper and Bending Plywood (DIY, 5:00 p.m.)
• American Chopper: FANtasy Bike 1 (Discovery, 7:00 p.m.)
• American Hot Rod: ‘54 Corvette and ‘55 Chevy 3 (Discovery, 8:00 p.m.)
• American Chopper: Sunoco Bike 2 (Discovery, 9:00 p.m.)
• Freeform Furniture: Versatile Bookshelves (DIY, 9:00 p.m.)
• American Chopper: LUGZ Bike 2 (Discovery, 10:00 p.m.)
• American Chopper: Dixie Chopper 2 (Discovery, 11:00 p.m.)
• Unique Whips: A Unique Dream Part 2 (Speed, 11:00 p.m.)

Our insomniac’s suggestions: Not even Speed will save you tonight…

Multi-tools have invaded almost anything with a pocket, sleeve, drawer, or clip.  One such implement that caught our eye recently is the Swiss Tech Micro Tool.  I guess some people have enough MacGyver in them that they require a little more from their keychains. (more…)

We survived the “nothing fits” portion of this late-model swap, though certainly without a good bit of frustration.  While the GM Performance Parts H.O. 350 we selected does bolt to the stock engine mounts and transmission, that’s pretty much where the “bolt-in” part of the swap ends.

In this installment, we’ll walk you through our upper-engine trials and tribulations all the way up to installation.

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