In this article today, Jane Martin of the Columbus Dispatch offers some good advice about caring for your garden tools over the winter.  From the article:

Soil and plant sap left on tools hold moisture that can cause rust on metal parts. Start by rinsing tools with water and using a wire brush or coarse steel wool to remove soil. To remove rust, use steel wool on small tools, and medium-grit sandpaper on larger flat surfaces such as spades, shovels and hoes.

Use a whetstone to sharpen pruning shears, doing your best to follow the original factory edge. Spades, shovels and hoes can be sharpened with a metal file or grinding wheel, also following the original edge. Then coat metal surfaces with lightweight oil. Wooden tool handles should be cleaned with a brush and sandpaper, then coated with boiled linseed oil.

There’s a lot more good advice there.  Check it out; it’s a good read.

To Avoid Rust, Tools Need Some TLC During Winter Lull [The Columbus Dispatch]

Rick (who was concerned about the difference in visibility between engraved vs. laser-etched sockets) writes: “A buddy of mine who besides being pretty handy, etc. is also into fire arms mentioned this product as something that gun collectors often use to highlight engraved logos and other writing on their guns.  He also mentioned that a standard crayola crayon would work as well, but it seems to me that this might just last a bit longer since it was expressly designed for this task.  It’s available in White, Yellow, Red, Black, and Gold.”

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Lincolns writes: “The ClampTite tool is a very versitile hand tool that hides in your tool box until it can do with a simple piece of wire what nothing you have at hand can do.  Most of the time it’ll do a better job than a purpose-built fastener!”

It took me a while to work up the courage to click on a link that’s only an IP address, and it tool me a bit longer to figure out how it works — but once I did, I think I’m going to order one.  Essentially it’s similar to a set of safety-wire pliers, but it also has additional attachements to assist you in easily making hose clamps and such from raw wire stock.

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Pegboard has long been the DIY’s friend; it organizes the shop and puts your favorite tools close at hand.  What could be better than that?  How about the X2 System Diamond plate pegboard? The moment I laid eyes on it a voice in my head screamed, “Holy shop bling, Batman – I want that!”

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Today we’re proud to annouce our “Day 23″ winner in the 25 Days of Fuego give away: Emily D.

Emily’s project: “I want to turn my ordinary flat dining room ceiling into a vaulted ceiling with skylights, and add a porch to the front of my house. Removing a section of celing joists will require additional support in the attic. The support should also help carry the weight of the new porch roof. The saw will be used to demo ceiling joists and roof sheathing.

It will make all of the abundant framing changes and probably even cut the decking and the panels in the porch as well. The porch will be screen enclosed with a wood burning stove and stainless chimney. The floor will be a trex type product for durability. The interior walls will be simple mdo, 1x stock and quarter round panels on the bottom and screen up top. Girls can also love tools.”

Congrats, Emily, it sounds like you have the plans well in hand. We’d love to see before and after pictures it has all the makings of a great project!

If you didn’t win — try again today by posting your winter project (that makes use of the Fuego) as a comment on this post for another chance to win.  (And remember, though you can only win once, you can post projects as often as you’d like.  So, if yours wasn’t selected, don’t be afraid to give us a new take on it — or maybe link in a picture!)

Contest Details [Toolmonger/RIDGID]

P.S. If you didn’t win today you have one more chance to win with the Day 24 winner post!

(Sunday, December 24th, 2006) In addition to the few programs below, Science has a How It’s Made Marathon, and Discovery a Dirty Jobs marathon – all evening long.

All times are central.

• Special Presentation: Wooden Toys (DIY, 6:00 p.m.)
• Classic Tractor Specials (RFD-TV, 8:00 p.m.)
• Rock Solid: Brick Wall (DIY, 9:00 p.m.)
• Tricked Out: Honda Accord: Headlight and Taillight Conversion (DIY, 9:30 p.m.)

Enjoy!

Yankee Screwdrivers are the “semi-automatics” of the screw-driving world. You might have seen these growing up in your dad’s shop, but in an ironic twist the Yankee drivers are only available through Stanley in the UK. 

Once in normal driving position, you push straight down on the handle that turns the chuck and bit on the end, which in turn drives the screw.  The amount of “twist” is determined by the length of the barrel on the driver.  The longer the barrel, the more rotation you receive on the other end.

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We decided to give away a tool one reader who submitted a tool this last week, and the response was great.  There were so many great submissions that it was a hard choice, but the winner is…  Trevor D.

Trevor submitted a number of really cool motorcycle specialty tools including:

• The MotionPro 90-Degree 1/4″ Hex Driver
• The PROFI C.A.T.
• and Snap-on’s Deburring Tool

Trevor, drop us a line via the Contact Us form with your address and a way to contact you, and we’ll ship you something from the test pile.

We appreciate all your submissions, and I think we’re going to just make this a regular thing.  From time to time (as we have test tools to give away), we’ll select a reader who was kind enough to share what’s in their shop and ship ‘em a tool.

According to the Kansas City infoZine, DeWalt is recalling some 81,000 Model DW660 cut out tools due to the possibility that “the cord wire in these units could be damaged internally, posing a shock hazard to consumers.”

If you’ve got one of these, you should “stop using [it] immediately and contact DeWalt for the location of the nearest service center to receive a free inspection and repair, if necessary.”  That number is (888) 263-9051 — only between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. ET Monday through Friday.

As this article from the Washington Post attests, many of us fear opening all the toys packed in clamshell packaging more than anything else Christmas morning.  One solution: the OpenX.  Think of it as a utility knife with guards on both sides so you don’t stab yourself in the leg while trying to cut through that thick plastic.

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Apparently Metabo got together with Porsche Design (yes, that Porsche) to create “a perfect rotary hammer, reduced to its key functions: hammer drilling in stone, chiseling, drilling in wood and metal, screwing.”

The housing’s made of aluminum and carbon fibre, for chrissake.  I can’t imagine what this costs, and I can’t find anyone selling it readily, so it’s today’s tool pr0n.

Check out the video.

Porsche Design MultiHammer (Model P’7911) [Metabo Warning: Video w/Sound]

Rick wrote in with a question which really got me thinking this morning.  He writes: “Here’s the deal:  The wife bought me the 137 piece Craftsman Mechanic’s Toolset.  (Don’t ask how I know.)  She actually paid $86 something as there was some promotion going the day she bought it.  That said, It’s now $99.  But I noticed that also for $99 they have a 155 piece set.  Now I’m not usually one to go by the number of pieces solely, but I did notice that the 155 piece set had a more complete 6-point metric socket set (6-18mm instead of just 6-15mm) as well as twice as many combination wrenches (12 versus 6) and I figured – for the same price – I may as well get the bigger set.

“So last night I went and bought the 155 piece set — I figure she wasn’t going to have time to exchange it, and they’re both charged to our Sears card, so it makes no difference.  My idea is that after the holidays I’d return the 137 piece set for a full refund as she still has the receipt (I hope).

“Now you know the background, so here’s my question:  I noticed that the 137 piece has something going for it — the fact that it’s got the new ‘higher visibility’ laser etching versus the 155 piece kit’s standard hard-to-read engraving.  My question to the Toolmongers out there is: Would you take the 137 piece with the easier to read sizes, or the larger 155 piece set with the harder to read, but “old reliable” engraved sizes?”

I’ll admit that as a Toolmonger, my first thought was, “I have some of each of these sockets, and I don’t really see that much difference.”  But the more I thought about it, the more I couldn’t help thinking that I have far better advice to give Rick than “don’t worry about the engraving.”

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Brad’s submitted tools in the past, and today he asked for your help.  He writes: “I’m considering buying the RIDGID EB4424 oscillating edge belt/spindle sander, and was wondering if you guys (or your readers) could offer any insight into this tool’s performance/capabilities.  Thanks!”

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We always love to browse when it comes to Lie-Nielsen.  They make fine hand tools that are works of art in and of themselves.  Their saws – like this dovetail for instance – are always simple, elegant and functional.
 
Lie-Nielsen saws have a beautifully sculpted open-handle style that shows off the wiping varnish finish that presents a “softer” feel to the maple handle.  The steel is Swedish high carbon hardened steel (16 teeth every 25mm) with a milled, solid back that adds weight to the cut. 

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Today we’re proud to annouce our “Day 22″ winner in the 25 Days of Fuego give away: Mark.

Mark’s project: “Between not wanting to scrape frost off my car in the dim Ohio morning light and our 3 year old’s collection of tools and toys … ok, and my tools/toys too, my garage shop is no longer functional. Thus, my next _big_ project will be a 13′ x 17′ addition to the garage. The plans have lots of natural lighting and a large overhang/”patio” for the BBQ and a picnic table. Above all, this space will be fully insulated and will be heated with an external wood-fired oven … a place to work and play, toasty warm, and makes good food too! The idea with the wood-fired oven is to build it into the back corner of the addition so that it heats the work space through conduction.”

Congrats, Mark, a shop that serves up some BBQ why didn’t we think of that?

If you didn’t win — try again today by posting your winter project (that makes use of the Fuego) as a comment on this post for another chance to win.  (And remember, though you can only win once, you can post projects as often as you’d like.  So, if yours wasn’t selected, don’t be afraid to give us a new take on it — or maybe link in a picture!)

Contest Details [Toolmonger/RIDGID]

P.S. For another chance to win post your winter project on the day 23 winner.

(Saturday, December 23rd, 2006) Well…Handmade Music offers what should be an interesting project, especially if you come to Toolmonger by way of MAKE, and Woodturning Techniques gives you something to make for a last minute Christmas gift. Otherwise it’s best to spend your time caroling, quaffing wassail and eating Chex mix.  Mmmm.  Chex mix…

All times are central.

• MythBusters: Holiday Special (Discovery, 7:00 p.m.)
• Freeform Furniture: Bar Stools (DIY, 8:00 p.m.)
• Wood Works: Contemporary Cocktail Table (DIY, 8:30 p.m.)
• Handmade Music: Handmade Electronica: Moog Voyager (DIY, 9:00 p.m.)
• Woodturning Techniques: Birdhouse (DIY, 9:30 p.m.)

Enjoy.

MattW writes: “These are pretty obvious.  I saw them on the McMaster Carr website — my go-to spot for most everything – and bought a pair for work.  After receiving them, I promptly bought a pair for home, a pair for my van, and a pair for the wife’s car.  They don’t produce a huge amount of light, but adequate for when you need light and your hands free at the same time.”

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