Here’s a lesson in love and sticking-it-out. After he poured a great deal of effort into designing and building this sidewall for a crib, photo pool member delfuego’s hand slipped, and his router took a chunk out where he didn’t want it to. Here’s the dilemma: Does he finish the project anyway or chuck it and begin anew?

I’ve always been a fan of sticking it out and finishing the project anyway. The way I see it, screw ‘em if they give you any guff over it. All this super-minor blemish does is prove that you built it yourself. It’s a badge of honor — wear it with pride!

Toolmonger Photo Pool [Flickr]

I came very close to buying this belt sander last weekend at the big box, but I’m glad I waited, since I found it at Ace Tool online for $99. This 5-pound sander — more of a palm belt sander, really — uses smaller 2-1/2″ x 14″ belt paper for scribing, chamfering, edge sanding, or preparing a small surface.

Overmolded rubber surfaces make it easy to grip in multiple positions, and a 5A motor delivers ample power for sanding hardwoods. The sander also features a removable dust port, a removable handle, and a flush side for sanding in tight areas, up to 90-degrees.  Note: you can get refurbished models for about $10 less.

Belt Sander [Delta Porter Cable]
Belt Sander [Ace Online Tools]
Street Pricing [Google Products]

(Thursday, February 21st, 2008) A new American Chopper debuts on a decidedly non-car-centric Thursday night — what’s up, TLC?

All times are central.

• Holmes on Homes: Best Laid Plan (Home, 5:00 p.m.)
• Build It Bigger: Super Fast Warship (Science, 5:00 p.m.)
• Today Show Tips: Fast Furniture Fixes (DIY, 5:30 p.m.)
• MythBusters: Firearms Folklore (Discovery, 7:00 p.m.)
• Classic Tractors (RFD-TV, 7:00 p.m.)
• MythBusters: Archimedes Death Ray (Discovery, 8:00 p.m.)
• American Chopper: Gander Mountain 2 (TLC, 8:00 p.m.) NEW
• Cool Tools: Saws, Knives, and Blades (DIY, 8:00 p.m.)
• Cool Tools: Multi-Task (DIY, 8:30 p.m.)
• MythBusters: Helium Football (Discovery, 9:00 p.m.)
• How Do They Do It?: Episode 13, passenger airplanes and lightweight chainsaws (Science, 9:00 p.m.)
• American Chopper: Eragon Bike 2 (TLC, 9:00 p.m.)
• How Do They Do It?: Episode 11, transporting giant oil rigs and electric shavers (Science, 9:30 p.m.)

Enjoy.

Meet the new 18V 1/2″ LXT lithium-ion hammer drill/driver kit from Makita. I know, I want one too. This baby’s four-pole torque motor delivers up to 560 in-lbs of torque, which is a lot of power considering the Makita is only 9-7/8″ in length and 4.9 lbs. It drives in three speeds, and with Makita’s shift-lock system you can quickly shift it from hammer into driver mode.

The lithum-ion battery gives the tool a longer running time with 5x lower self-discharge; the battery also sports 16 firm-holding contact terminals for constant high-power output. The fan-cooled charger can charge the battery in 45 minutes and has three active controls for current, heat, and voltage, to optimize the charging capacity of the battery.

The tool comes in a carrying case and includes two batteries, a charger, screwdriver bits, and Makita’s standard three-year warranty on the tool and one year on the battery. The lowest price I found was $266 over at Tool Plus.

BHP451 [Makita]
Makita BHP451 Kit [Tool Plus]
Street Pricing [Google Products]

Most woodworkers would agree that the chisel is an indispensable tool, but chiseling can get pretty tedious after awhile. What if you could replicate the same cutting action with a power tool? Arbortech’s Power Chisel does just that. Plus, unlike rotary cutting tools, it leaves behind very little airborne dust or sawdust — just shavings and wood chips.

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Whether you’re an audio engineer, an IT guy, or just a regular dude with a computer shoved under your desk, eventually you’re going to have to crawl into a tight, dark space and try to fix a wiring issue. A TV-biz friend of mine recommended a much better solution: slap a stick-on light under that desk or console before crunch time.

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We’ve talked about Case knives in the past, and now’s your chance to see a little bit of why we like them so much. How It’s Made is airing their tour of the Case knifeworks this Friday at 9pm on the Science Channel.

When it comes to tools we’ve come to depend on, we’re always stoked to see how they’re built and the thought process that makes them what they are.

How It’s Made [Science Channel]

Hanging crown molding can be tricky — often you’re working on ladders with long pieces, and even if you have a helper, the molding can still sag in the middle.  Crown Clips give you the extra support you need to secure the molding without a helper.  The 9/16” deep hooks on these reusable clips hold the crown molding in place while you fasten it to the wall.

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Have you ever tried to do a level and measured layout for hanging a picture or the hardware for a towel rack? You can do it with a box level and a tape, but it can be difficult. If you have to do multiple layouts over and over, it can be downright frustrating. Empire Level makes a unique straightedge that can be a big help in this type of situation.

The Bubble Stick incorporates a built-in level and plumb vial into a four-foot, plastic straightedge. Because it’s not as bulky as a box level and the measurements are on tapered edges, you can see your pencil tip and the gradations easily. The edges aren’t hard or sharp, so it won’t mar painted or wallpapered surfaces.

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Milwaukee unveiled their new line of gas-powered generators this month, so if you’re in the market for one, now might be the time to pre-order. Ace Tool Online is taking orders and have priced it at $1,770 which is a deal considering list price on this generator is over $3,000.

The generator’s power plant — an 8 HP, 240cc Honda GX engine with a 7-1/2 gallon gas tank — provides 4,300 watts of power. The generator sends the juice to several outlets: four 20A/120V three-prong outlets, one 20A/120V twist-lock, one 30A/120V twist-lock, and one 20A/120-240V twist-lock. A dedicated, branch-rated breaker protects each circuit.

Thanks to the hand truck design, you can move the generator easily around the job — it also has a fold-away lift hook. Milwaukee provides a two-year warranty on both the generator and engine.

Press Release [Milwaukee]
4943-24 [Milwaukee]
Milwaukee 4943-24 [Ace Tool Online]
Street Pricing [Google Products]

(Wednesday, February 20th, 2008) A new MythBusters is all about our favorite DIY hero, MacGyver. A new Smash Lab will probably result in one charred skeleton of a house.

All times are central.

• Holmes on Homes: A River Ran Through It (Home, 5:00 p.m.)
• Build It Bigger: Mountain of Steel (Science, 5:00 p.m.)
• How It’s Made: Episode 15, curling stones, refrigerators, aluminum baseball bats, and opalescent glass (Discovery, 6:00 p.m.)
• How It’s Made: Episode 16, levels, hot dogs, abrasive grains, and sandpaper (Discovery, 6:30 p.m.)
• MythBusters: MacGyver Myths (Discovery, 8:00 p.m.) NEW
• Some Assembly Required: Episode 2, Gibson guitar factory, Batesville Casket Company (Science, 8:00 p.m.)
• Smash Lab: Fireproof House (Discovery, 9:00 p.m.) NEW
• Master Blasters: Car Field Goal (Science, 9:00 p.m.)
• Rock Solid: Limestone Tile Entryway (DIY, 9:00 p.m.)
• Hammered With John & Jimmy DiResta: The Garden Fountain (DIY, 9:30 p.m.)
• MythBusters: Dog Myths (Discovery, 10:00 p.m.)

Enjoy.

Although there are a lot of ‘pros’ for hole saws, a few ‘cons’ also stand out: the limited variety of sizes, and the high cost of collecting them. The next time you need to drill a 1-9/16“ hole, you can look into Vermont American’s solution — an adjustable hole saw.

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If you’ve ever lost a tool to the drink while working on your stalled outboard, you’ll appreciate the Tool Leash. You don’t even have to be in the middle of the lake — you could be on a ladder, on scaffolding, or on a roof. Dropping a tool means time lost retrieving it, or even worse, damaging the tool and whatever the falling tool hits. You can prevent damage or loss by hooking up your tool to the Tool Leash.

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The guys who brought you Ice Road Truckers have come up with another show about a job that isn’t for sissies – logging. Yeah, that’s right, it’s about Paul Bunyan-style, timber-cutting roughnecks who slice and haul trees all day.

The History Channel says, “It’s the first-ever non-fiction series about the life of Pacific Northwest timber cutters.”  Ax Men premieres Sunday, March 9 at 10pm ET/PT on History.

Yeah, it’s going to be sweet. From the clips, we see timber falling all over, people getting dragged around by it, and some poor dude rolling down a mountain. If that’s not a tough office environment, we don’t know what is.

Ax Men [History Channel]

Toolmonger has discussed the value of having a soldering iron in the shop, and many Toolmongers mentioned Weller as a good make to have on your bench. If you want to take that iron off the bench, Weller offers the ML500MP, a portable soldering pencil.

You fuel the piezo-ignition soldering iron with standard lighter butane. The adjustable flame allows you to set the tip to between 750 and 900 degrees. You can get up to 30 minutes of operation on a medium setting. And when you remove the tip, the ML500MP functions as a small torch.

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We’re willing to try anything that makes caulking easier and gets us back to doing something else. The Flextension caulking tube tip attaches to all tubes of caulk and adhesive. It allows you to spread a bead in places that would be difficult or even impossible to reach with a normal caulking gun. Even though this looks like one of those As Seen On TV products, for $2 it can’t hurt to give it a shot.

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Your average grinder comes with small platforms to hold your work on while you let the sparks fly. If you use your grinder to sharpen chisels, carving tools, or turning tools, you sometimes have to freehand your grinding to get the right edge. The Wolverine jig by Oneway helps you get the right edge on your tools with ease.

Before you start grinding, you have to mount two holders, included with the Wolverine jig, under your grinding wheels. These holders can accept a variety of different jigs. The basic setup comes with two jigs — a platform jig and a vee arm. You can easily adjust the height and pitch of the 3″ by 5″ platform jig. The vee arm can hold long chisels and gouges, allowing you to get a consistent grind by simply moving the tool from side to side. You can move and adjust both jigs with just a turn of a cam handle.

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