Stuey writes: “Sketchup is a basic 3D layout program.  It doesn’t pretend to be CAD; it’s for ’simple’ 3D sketches and drawings.  It can be used for modeling anything from a dowel to a bookcase to entire buildings.  Best of all, it’s been free ever since Google bought it up.  If you’re reading this, you’ve got a PC of some sort, so what are you waiting for?  If worst comes to worst, try it out and then leave it alone until you need it, or uninstall it after giving it a try.

“Check out some of the examples people have submitted in Google’s ‘3D warehouse.’”

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It’s been a busy week here at Toolmonger with all the madness of hands-on week.  We also spoke to a really cool guest for next week’s podcast: famed knifemaker Ed Fowler.  Don’t miss it!

If you’ve been spending time in the shop, too, 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:

Hands-On: Bosch’s 10.8V Litheon Impactor
In one of our most thorough hands-on posts to date, we put the spurs to Bosch’s tiny new impact driver with excellent results.  With over 800 in-lbs of torque in a package the size of a small cordless screwdriver, this is going to be the tool to have when it hits shelves later this year.

Hands-On: Husky’s 26-Gallon Vertical Air Compressor w/6 Tools
Here’s a perfect starter compressor for the home shop.  For under $300 you get a quality compressor (that’s portable and not too larger) along with six air tools.  We checked ‘em all out and passed on the results.

Hands-On: Hobart’s AirForce 250A Plasma Cutter
This little self-contained 110V-powered plasma cutter is a great option if you’re working in your garage where a big-ass acetylene tank probably isn’t an option.  It’s also perfect for making all those “inside” cuts that are so difficult with the band saw.  Plus, it’s easy to store and requires only a 20A circuit to operate.

Beam Compass Heads: Draw BIG Circles Like a Pro
These compase heads screw onto the end of whatever stock you’ve got laying around the shop — wood, metal, plastic, whatever — to make a compass limited in size only by the stock.  Need a 16′ circle?  Grab a 2×4.

Greenlee’s Cable Anchor: Eight Cables, One Nail
This anchor was designed to simplify cabling of new homes, but we can think of dozens of uses for a device that’ll hold eight cables in place with one fastener and allow removal and re-installation of the wires.  (Apparently you could, too.)

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.

A good tap and die set is an absolute must have for any serious Toolmonger.  They’re necessary for metalworking, but they’re also incredibly useful in more common situations as well — like, for exampel, cleaning out or straightening threads that (somehow) got mangled or making a bolt out of some loose stock when you don’t have the right size handy.

Because these are such simple tools, we haven’t really seen a lot of innovation in tap and die sets — until we came across GearWrench’s unique ratcheting T-handle.  It’s a great idea, and it’s packaged in a set that performed well in the Toolmonger shop.

Read on past the jump for our hands-on experiences and lots of pictures.

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(Saturday, March 31st, 2007) It’s DIY or nothing tonight.

All times are central.

• MythBusters: Deadly Straw (Discovery, 7:00 p.m.)
• The New Yankee Workshop: Garden Armchair (DIY, 7:30 p.m.)
• Ultimate Factories: Harley-Davidson (National Geographic, 8:00 p.m.)
• The New Yankee Workshop: Workshop Hutch (DIY, 8:00 p.m.)
• Wood Works: Open Display Case (DIY, 8:30 p.m.)
• Wood Works: Inlaid Corner-Table (DIY, 9:00 p.m.)
• Freeform Furniture: Coffee Table (DIY, 9:30 p.m.)

Enjoy.

Yeah, I’m not real hot on the name either, but Sears is offering you a 20% discount for tool purchases over $299, a 15% discount for tool purchases from $199-$299, and a 10% discount for tool purchases up to $199.

This is for purchases directly from the Sears website only — not in store purchases.

If you’ve been considering a large tool purchase from Sears, this might help.

Sears.com [Corporate Site]

If you’ve got the right gear in hand, restoring old furniture is a fun project.  And while you can find dozens of tips and tricks online to help you get started, we know one really easy way to fix polyurethane-finished wood furniture that’s lost its topcoat shine: Minwax high gloss floor reviver.

Minwax actual created this stuff for interior hardwood floors, but we’ve used it to great effect with polyurethane-finished wood furniture pieces that are dull, scratched or show signs of wear.  It’s is like a polish, but a good bit stronger.

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Like many of you, I carry a small notebook around with me in which to scribble ideas, phone numbers, and such. I learned it from my father, who always carried one of those little vertical spiral-bound jobbies. (I still have the one that was with his things I received from the hospital after he died. It’s full of tiny drawings of tool stands and phone numbers of friends and tool suppliers.)

I’ll admit to having tried going digital back with the Palm was new, but I never was able to fully make the transition. While PDAs are great for phone books and calendars, I just can’t draw effectively in them. And Toolmongers need to draw.

So I made my way back to notebooks, and about three years ago I came across Moleskine’s offerings. Their small, hardcover notebook is easily the best one I’ve ever owned. It’s sized perfectly to slip in an inside coat pocket — or a jeans back pocket in the shop — and it’s incredibly durable. Read on past the jump for more of me gushing about it complete with photos.

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When we first “previewed” Stanley’s FatMax Mobile Project Center – or the “MPC” as we like to call it – a number of you complained about the materials from which its made, speculating that it’s not sturdy enough for heavy use.  So, we contacted Stanley with a challenge: offer up one for us to beat on.

They accepted our challenge, and we gave it our best.  We used and abused the MPC for weeks in the Toolmonger shop, and we even broke out our water barrel testing rig to put 946.5 pounds of water on it — over 140% its rated capacity.

Read on for our the results along with our hands-on experiences and lots of pictures.

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In order to understand what “compact” means, you always have to take into account the type of item to which the name’s applied.  For example, a “compact” dump truck would be small compared to a normal dump truck, but probably not so small in comparison to your friend’s Honda Civic. 

So keep that in mind when we tell you about Makita’s “compact” 18V impact driver.  It’s not as small as, say, Bosch’s new 10.8V Impactor, but it’s actually slightly smaller (and, more importantly, lighter) than the 14.4V we used in the Bosch comparison test.  And when you consider that it delivers a li-ion-driven 1,280 in-lbs of torque, you’re starting to get the picture.

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Grab a beer and learn how to properly maintain your garage door to avoid disaster… and how to fix it when you forget.  Admittedly, fixing it is probably more like a two or three beer project, but hey — you gotta do what you gotta do. (Podcast Download)

Scraper writes: “If any of you are trying to decide between a finish nailer and a brad nailer, Rockler has a deal for you: if you buy the Porter-Cable finish nailer, you get the brad nailer for free.”

Rockler also has a Porter Cable compressor and nailer kit on sale for $130 as well as a bunch of other items ranging from clamps to porch glider plans.  Check out the site for details.

The sale expires April 8, 2007.

Outdoor Product Sale [Rockler]

Any Toolmonger would rather spend his or her stash on a tool than on professional jewelry cleaning, so when we ran across the Jewel Jet, we thought of you.  It’s a tabletop unit that blasts your jewelry with a jet of steam to remove all the dirt that packs-in under and around stones.  In short, it puts the bling back in your bling bling.  And as it’s a tool you own, you’ll spend once and clean over and over — a big improvement over throw-away one-off services.

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(Friday, March 30th, 2007) DIY seems a little light on the Auto shows tonight, but lots of How It’s Made and HOME shows.

All times are central.

• How It’s Made, Season 3: Episode 3, robotic arms, tattoos and concrete pipes (Science, 6:00 p.m.)
• How It’s Made, Season 3: Episode 4, Hockey gloves, snack cakes, remolded tires, and wastewater treatment (Science, 6:30 p.m.)
• Dirty Jobs: Cheese Maker (Discovery, 7:00 p.m.)
• Toolbelt Diva: This Show is Fan-tastic (Home, 8:00 p.m.)
• DIY Inside: LA Auto Show (DIY, 8:00 p.m.)
• Toolbelt Diva: Front Porch Makeover (Home, 8:30 p.m.)
• Holmes on Homes: Cold Comfort (Home, 9:00 p.m.)
• How It’s Made, Season 3: Episode 37, Halogen Bulb, Cellulose Insulation, Aluminium Ladders, Bamboo Fly Rods (Science, 9:00 p.m.)
• Classic Rides: 1948 Indian Motorcycle Restoration, Pt. 4: Fuel Tank Restoration (DIY, 9:00 p.m.)
• Holmes on Homes: Flimsy Floor (Home, 9:30 p.m.)
• How It’s Made, Season 3: Episode 38, Drill Bits, Photo Booths, Stamps (Science, 9:30 p.m.)
• Classic Rides: 1948 Indian Motorcycle, Pt. 5: Metal and Paint Prep (DIY, 9:30 p.m.)

Enjoy.

After hearing to our discussion with artisan blacksmith Ray Robinson in Tool Talk Podcast #3, a number of listeners asked for pictures of the corkscrew and fork I have which Ray made.  I’m sorry I didn’t post them earlier, but better late than never, right?

The photo above is the corkscrew.  Remember, this was made with a three pound hammer.  Read on past the jump for more pictures.

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Specailty nailers sometimes go unnoticed because you can’t tell what they’re for just by looking at them.  As Toolmongers we love ‘em, though.  Take the Grip Rite GRC-58, for example, which installs crown staples with plastic caps.  This seriously rocks if you’re tar papering a roof or doing a bit of insulation wrapping.

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This is just a reminder to everyone that we tablulate the weekly Top 5 votes tomorrow, so if you haven’t yet made your feelings known, now’s the time.  For latecomers (or those who’ve forgotten):

Help us choose this 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 each 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.

Even More Information for The Curious [Toolmonger]

I’m really into big construction machines, and this bad dog certainly qualifies.  The LeTourneau L-2350 monster wheel loader sports a 53 cubic yard bucket on its massive front arm.  For these of you who still can’t picture that, try this: that’s enough space to hold a small fire-truck.  LeTourneau builds these to work in some of the largest mines in the world.

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