So from the picture you’d probably guess that TM reader and photo pool member Simple Simon owns a lot of DeWalt tools. You’d be wrong.

Apparently DeWalt sponsored a TV show he worked for and offered a “set of tools that included one of everything DeWalt makes” as a prize. While he doesn’t even own that much DeWalt gear — “My own tools are mostly Bosch,” he says – he couldn’t pass up the opportunity to line it all up and take a picture for himself.

Why? Because a picture of a bunch of tools is freakin’ cool. That’s why.

And for totally reminding us that we’re not the only tool geeks out there who get our kicks out of things like this, we’re gonna send him a free pair of gloves.

Rock.

Forstner bits are fantastic if you need a nice clean hole, particularly with a clean bottom. They’re also great if you use ‘em to drill out the majority of a mortise and use a chisel to clean out the sides and corners. Like with most bits, a good set can hurt the wallet. But right now Rockler has a good quality seven-piece Forstner bit set for just $11. The set includes bits from 1/4” to an inch with 3/8” round shanks. They even come in a molded-plastic case to keep them nice and sharp until you need them.

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The next time you’re in the hardware store, look for multi-purpose brushes in the plumbing section. These 4″ tin-handled brushes are commonly known as “flux” or “acid” brushes, and you can use them to spread pastes, greases, and liquids — almost any basic brushing task. And they’re cheap enough to throw away if when they get nasty.

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Sears is offering a deal right now on this Craftsman digital multimeter with auto-ranging and non-contact voltage detector.  It’s listed at $40 but when you add it to your shopping cart the price drops to $25, a handsome $15 savings. Besides auto-ranging, the multimeter features non-contact voltage measurement from 100 to 600 VAC, AC/DC voltage measurement with a 0.5% accuracy, resistance measurement, diode and continuity testing, and a back-lit LCD screen. It also comes with test stand, rubber holster and test leads.

82314 Digital Multimeter [Sears]

Most downdraft work tables are huge industrial installations that cost big bucks, but the Shop Fox downdraft table is better suited for a home shop environment. This thing really sucks – and I mean that in the best possible way. Just attach it to your dust collection system — or just a shot vacuum — and it creates a powerful downdraft around your work, keeping your work area dust-free.

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(Monday, September 24th, 2007) Top Gear keeps Monday interesting, and Saws is worth catching if you haven’t seen it before.

All times are central.

• Holmes on Homes: Due Date (Home, 5:00 p.m.)
• Trains and Locomotives (RFD-TV, 5:00 p.m.)
• Pimp My Ride (MTV2, 5:00 p.m.)
• Pimp My Ride (MTV2, 5:30 p.m.)
• Chop Cut Rebuild: Two Tone Paint With Tunes! (Speed, 6:00 p.m.)
• Modern Marvels: Saws (History, 6:00 p.m.)
• Pimp My Ride (MTV2, 6:00 p.m.)
• Pimp My Ride (MTV2, 6:30 p.m.)
• Top Gear: Episode 7 (BBC America, 7:00 p.m.)
• Top Gear: Episode 6 (BBC America, 8:00 p.m.)

Enjoy.

We took this weekend off from posting to install some software-based upgrades to all PostLab Media sites — including Toolmonger, of course! — to support recent increases in traffic. We’re sorry for the delay, but the upshot is that your Toolmonger fix will now come on schedule for some time to come.

Thanks for your patience. We now return to your regularly-scheduled tools.

It’s been a busy week here at Toolmonger. If you’ve been spending time in the shop — you should! — 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:

A Grown Man’s Tinker Toys: Structural Pipe Fittings
Looking to build something like a jungle gym out of PVC? This post shows you how to find the key ingredient to do it on the cheap: connectors that are inexpensive themselves and — better yet — fit cheaply-available tubing/pipe. Now you have no excuses at all!

Install Crown Molding Faster With The EasyCoper
This coping jig claims to make installing crown molding simpler and easier, but drew mixed reviews from commenters. Check out the post and add your opinion to the fray.

You’re Never Too Close For Safety Glasses
If you’re cheating with “reading glasses,” you probably know what it’s like to be forced to choose between them and safety glasses. The right choice, of course, is safety glasses — because if you think being near-sighted is bad, try looking through a Dremel disc fragment embedded in your eye. Now you don’t have to choose: you can have both.

Preview: Mac’s Multi-Dolly
Here’s a cool little finger-dolly with multiple curves and surfaces perfect for detailed sheet metal work. It comes in two sizes, and you’ll have to see it to believe it.

Fence Clamps That Stay Out Of Your Way
Tired of clamping work down only to discover that the clamp is in the way? This pneumatic clamp draws force from your air compressor and holds down material from the bottom, leaving the top completely exposed. And the high-end version even clamps itself to the table via air, 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.

For a very limited time, Amazon is holding an overlapping sale where you can get a 45% discount on high ticket items such as router bit sets, dovetail jigs, and tables or fences.  To get a discount of 25%, all you have to do is add qualifying items to your cart and then use code BIT20OFF at checkout. The additional 20% stackable discount on power tool accessories is automatically applied — but only if you purchase a qualifying power tool.

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Grilling is easier when you can get a grip on the food, and this combination flipper and tongs set is truly more useful than the sum of its parts. The flipper blade slides under burgers more easily than the end of regular tongs, and the top tong holds securely for easy flipping and serving. Rubber-dipped handles make ‘em comfy, and at four bucks there’s no excuse not to own a set.

Rome Supertong Combo [Campmor]
Street Pricing [Google Products]
Via Amazon [What's this?]

I’ve been looking for a solution to help me move around smooth granite tiles while installing them. The Anver Hand Suction Cup that we reviewed previously might work, but I’m way too Toolmonger-cheap to spend $40 for it. But these mini-suction cup handles from Hawk might do the trick. They’re small (at 2-1/4”), but they’re strong enough to hang on to 50 pounds of tile or glass. 

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Amazon.com is pretty much the name in on-line retailers. You can buy books, videos, and even power tools there, but did you know that they have an Industial and Scientific material store as well? It’s been open for a little more than a year, and you can find some pretty crazy stuff there.

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Felker practically invented the first diamond-impregnated saw blade back in 1924, but the military’s use of the blades during WWII to cut quartz frequency crystals for radios and walkie-talkies secured Felker’s place in history. So we’re not surprised to discover that their new Tile Master XL Plus High Production tile saw is pro-level gear that’ll cut pretty much any kind of tile, from granite and marble to ceramics and porcelain — up to 31” wide (22” if you’re cutting diagonally) and up to 3-3/4” thick.

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While we can all debate our favorite brand, I doubt anyone would argue that beer-thrity never comes early enough on Friday. My favourite is an ice cooled Narragansett in a bottle – the same beer Robert Shaw knocked back with Richard Dreyfus and Roy Schneider on-board the Orca in Jaws. Besides its light, drinkable demeanor, Narragansett’s most endearing quality is its low price: $5 for a 6-pack and just under $10 for a $12-pack.

See? The dealmonger’s even looking out for you in post work activities. You’re welcome.

Dealmonger Beer [Narragansett Beer]

(Friday, September 21st, 2007) Tonight: a new episode of How It’s Made. Machining compressor blades is beautiful to behold, and there should be some woodturning as well. Otherwise it’s reruns, reruns, reruns.

All times are central.

• Holmes on Homes: Falling Waters (Home, 5:00 p.m.)
• Modern Marvels: Glue (History, 6:00 p.m.)
• Toolbelt Diva: Deck the Hulls (Home, 7:00 p.m.)
• Modern Marvels: The Lumberyard (History, 7:00 p.m.)
• Take Home Handyman: Help in the Bedroom: Holly & Dave (Home, 7:30 p.m.)
• The New Yankee Workshop: Teak Pedestal Table (DIY, 7:30 p.m.)
• Holmes on Homes: Gone to Pot (Home, 8:00 p.m.)
• How It’s Made 4: Episode 3, Wooden Bowl, Chainsaws, Stackable Potato Chips, Jet Compressor Blades (Science, 8:00 p.m.)
• How It’s Made 4: Episode 2, Boomerangs, Barbecues, Pinball Machines, Strobe Lights (Science, 8:30 p.m.)
• Build It Bigger: Super Fast Warship (Science, 9:00 p.m.)
• Classic Car Restoration: 1965 Mustang, Pt 8: Interior Restoration (DIY, 9:00 p.m.)
• Classic Car Restoration: ‘65 Mustang Restoration, Pt. 9: Dash, Stereo and Head/Taillight Upgrades (DIY, 9:30 p.m.)

Enjoy.

When the sour lemon transmission crapped out on TM reader (and photo pool member) mscott911’s Honda lawn tractor, he made lemonade: bolting a cheap-ass 7,500W Harbor Freight generator to the Honda’s sweet 13 HP water-cooled 2-cylinder, he created a kick-ass “portable” generator.

And for sharing with us, we’ll send him a free set of work gloves.

The good news is that we’ve got plenty of gloves left to give away, and we’re getting a big kick out of seeing all your sweet projects, shops, and other stuff. You keep sharing photos, and we’ll keep giving away gloves, OK?

Toolmonger’s Photo Pool [Flickr]

That old axiom that you can never have too many clamps in your shop? It’s true. And it’s time to add one more: the V-Clamp connects to your shop air supply to produce up to 330 pounds of holding force. It works on non-porous materials by creating a vacuum between itself and the work piece, and it can hold your work piece vertically, horizontally, or even upside down. And because it clamps to the bottom, the V-Clamp won’t get in the way when you’re working on the top and sides.

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