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:

New Universal Insulation Strippers From Knipex
These wire strippers are big, bad and super expensive. They feature a four blade cutting system that can be replaced when worn down. Think of it like the new generations of razors, more blades are better.

Dowel Joinery On The Cheap With Dowel Centers
These little nickel plated inserts are designed with the thrifty woodworker in mind. They fit into a predrilled hole to find the center on the next dowel. Not bad if you’re not looking to clutter the shop with yet another hole drilling jig.

Bevel Gauge Ensures You’ve Got The Right Angle
It might look like one but this isn’t a sparkplug gap checker, it a blade angle checker from Richard Kell. Just put the edge of a blade into the gaps to gauge what angle the blade is currently vs. what angle you are shooting for while sharpening.

Commando Precision Drill Set
The Commando Precision drill set is a tiny kit that stores all the bits in the aluminum case and stows in a pocket. It looks cool but we are not sure how many RPM finger power can spin it at.

Ultracut Cordless Pipe Cutter
Ever want a bionic hand that can sever pipe in half? The Ultracut cordless pipe cutter does just that except uninstalling your old hand is not required, which is a plus in our book. The cutter can handle copper tubing from 1/2″ to 3/4″ in size and can be stuffed back into a tool bag when the job is done.
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.

Auto techs who’ve heard the above from customers, rejoice! This week Mac Tools announced a car data recorder that plugs into vehicles’ OBDII data plug and records the entire OBDII data set in a continuous 24-hour loop. Jack this sucker in, send the customer out for a drive, and when they come back you’ve got software access to everything the car knows about the issue.

(more…)

There’s no getting around the fact that splitting wood is a chore. Swinging an axe or maul will leave you aching in the morning, and if you do it in the living room someone’s going to get hurt. Quality Craft makes the chore a little easier with their small and reasonably lightweight foot-operated log splitter — it’ll split small amounts of firewood for camping or just a night by the fire.

(more…)

If you hate cleaning up between coats, or if the thought of disposable trays and rollers turns you green, then the SealPro might interest you. This sealable roller tray will keep your paint and roller from drying out for weeks.

The SealPro tray holds up to a gallon of paint, so you spend more time rolling and less time refilling the tray. An integrated magnet on the side of the tray holds a ferrous-ferruled brush, keeping it handy for cutting in. For those moments when you just have to stop painting for a few minutes, the tray lid also doubles as a roller holder.

(more…)

For all the right-handed guys out there who’ve long suffered with a left-handed circ-saw, Bosch now makes a saw for you. Available soon, the new CS5 prominently features the blade on the left side of the unit to provide a good sightline for all the pros out there who desire it.

(more…)

We all do it: We use our palm to hit the end of a screwdriver or a chisel, instead of just picking up a proper hammer. But you might not realize that doing it regularly could damage your hand. Well, don’t fret about it — just pick up a shock pad from Tools For Working Wood.

(more…)

The Diametape by Pyramid has probably become the perfect go-to tool for anyone who measures o-rings and rubber belts to any level of precision.  For the average Toolmonger it just looks like an incredibly simple and useful tool — the kind that makes you want to measure o-rings and rubber belts.

(more…)

Although setting tile can be fun, we sometimes get frustrated trying to space ‘em just right. Experienced setters can rely on a practiced eye or thousands of those little spacers. For the rest of us, Prazi manufactures the Set & Go.

You can adjust the Set & Go to work with tiles measuring 8″ to 16″. The Set & Go holds four spacers in precise position, so you just set tiles on all four sides of it, then move the Set & Go to the next row, and continue setting tiles — no small spacers to set and pick up.

(more…)

(Friday, February 29th, 2008) It’s another lazy Friday, at least if you’re the program director that schedules all the reruns on Home and DIY…

But we’re not complaining — there’s tons of interesting stuff to watch tonight.

All times are central.

• Holmes on Homes: House to Home - Part 2 (Home, 5:00 p.m.)
• Build it Bigger: Sakhalin Oil & Ice (Science, 5:00 p.m.)
• Rock Solid: Tile Bathroom Upgrade: Country to Elegant (DIY, 5:00 p.m.)
• How It’s Made: Episode 14, three-wheeled vehicles, T-Rex vehicles, baseball bats, artificial bonsais, and trombones (Discovery, 6:00 p.m.)
• How It’s Made: Episode 21, fiberglass insulation, wooden ducks, gumball machines, and exhaust systems (Discovery, 6:30 p.m.)
• Toolbelt Diva: Backyard Playground (Home, 7:00 p.m.)
• How Do They Do It?: Rescue Services, Rotating Boat, Parachutists (Science, 7:00 p.m.)
• Take Home Handyman: Just Add Water: Becka & Dominic (Home, 7:30 p.m.)
• How It’s Made, Season 3: Episode 43, battery tins and optical lenses (Science, 7:30 p.m.)
• Holmes on Homes: Hullaba-Loo (Home, 8:00 p.m.)
• How It’s Made 4: Episode 25, steel shipping drums, police whistles, miniature train cars, and glass blocks (Science, 8:00 p.m.)
• Hammered With John & Jimmy DiResta: The Rocking Chair (DIY, 8:00 p.m.)
• How It’s Made 4: Episode 24, pocket knives, soapstone products, electric pole transformers, and traditional snowshoes (Science, 8:30 p.m.)
• Wood Works: Sculpted Pedestal Table (DIY, 8:30 p.m.)
• Build It Bigger: Hurricane-Proof Homes (Science, 9:00 p.m.)
• Wood Works: Mahogany Headboard (DIY, 9:00 p.m.)
• New Yankee Workshop: Mailbox (DIY, 9:30 p.m.)
• Forge and Anvil (RFD-TV, 10:30 p.m.)

Enjoy.

Join Chuck and Sean for a waltz through this week’s top five, plus a fun discussion of tools you need (even if you don’t want ‘em) and when to stay and when to go in a woodworking project. Remember, if you’ve got a question or comment you can call us at 866-718-9403. (Podcast Download)

Guess what? We recorded Tool Talk Podcast #32 a week ago and totally forgot to distribute it. So you get two this week. First up, #32. Besides the top five, we discuss the new History Channel show Ax Men. Remember, if you’ve got a question or comment you can call us at 866-718-9403. (Podcast Download)

The unusual-looking profile of Megapro’s DoubleLok bits allows them to engage the locking mechanism in quick-change chucks, like those found on the pocket lithium screwdrivers that’re becoming so popular. The bits also feature a spring-loaded ball in the middle, which holds them into manual screwdrivers that take regular double-ended bits.

Here’s the great part: Megapro makes a whole pile of different bits, from the full gamut of straight and Phillips sizes, to tamper-resistant Torx and spanner bits, to specialty stuff like Schrader valve core removers and clutch bits. Curiously, not all of them feature the DoubleLoc design. Still, if you’ve been hunting for a double-ended security Torx bit to complete your portable toolkit, give Megapro a look.

Megapro [Corporate Site]
Megapro Products [Grainger]
Via Amazon [What’s This?]
Street Pricing [Google Products]

Most woodworking workbenches make some provision for bench dogs — and if they don’t, a few minutes with a 3/4″ drill bit can fix that oversight.  You can use the holes not only for bench dogs, but also for hold-downs and other specialized clamps, such as this very well thought-out and elegant clamp from Veritas.

You can clamp materials as thick as 3-3/4″ with this brass, steel, and anodized aluminum clamp. A brass knob on the top of the clamp post controls the simple wedging mechanism, which makes inserting and removing the clamp quick and easy.

(more…)

Gerber’s Shortcut might remind you of the tiny pocketknife your grandfather carried, sometimes referred to as a “gentleman’s pocketknife.” Much like your grandpa’s knife, it’s small, useful, and good looking — unlike that knife, it packs a small set of stainless steel scissors as well as other implements for hacking, cutting, and fixing.

In the Shortcut’s 2-1/2″ frame (4.13″ fully extended), you also get a file, two flathead screwdrivers, a crosspoint driver, a nail cleaner, and the obligatory bottle opener. The frame, made of aircraft aluminum, comes in either “Red Tail Hawk” or “Special Ops Gray.” Street pricing is about $15.

ShortCut [Gerber]
Street Pricing [Google Products]
Via Amazon (B0009JVEKM) [What’s This?]

There’s nothing like the feeling of a quality tool in your hand, and Bondhus’ Ergonic screwdrivers give you that good feeling with their special elastomer handles. It may look like your typical screwdriver, but once you grip one you’ll feel the difference. An elastomer in the handle conforms to your grip, giving you increased torque and comfort.

(more…)

If you watch the History Channel at all you’re going to run across things like the Lumb-R Grip hanger. Basically, you slide it over some exposed timber, give it a quick yank, and it grips the timber in two places.  The system claims each hook can carry a 200 lb load.  Street pricing is about $5 a pair.

We don’t doubt that the hook will hold once installed or that it’ll carry a heavy payload.  Our question is, why would you do that when there are much better and cheaper ways to mount hangers on your wall that hold more weight?

What do you think?  Are we just too old and stodgy?  Is this the next revolution in storage?  Let us know in comments.

Lumb-R Grip [As Seen On TV]
Street Pricing [Google Products]
Via Amazon [What’s This?]

If you’re in St. Paul, MN this coming Friday, Saturday, or Sunday, check out the WoodWorking Show. Tool manufacturers, woodworking publishers, and local businesses will be exhibiting their stuff at the RiverCentre. Every half hour you can catch a different seminar, with topics such as hand plane use and HVLP finishing. Admission is $6 for the day, but you can get a coupon for $2 admission at the website.

St. Paul, MN Show Feb. 29 - Mar. 2 [WoodWorking Show]