(Wednesday, May 14th, 2008) A new custom chopper show debuts on CMT, and Modern Marvels looks at two dangerous yet useful things. Made in America is still missing, which is somewhat perplexing.

All times are central.

• Holmes on Homes: What a Mesh (Home, 5:00 p.m.)
• Rock Solid: Porphyry Granite Front Walkway (DIY, 5:30 p.m.)
• Modern Marvels: Acid (History, 6:00 p.m.)
• How It’s Made: Pre-inked Stamps, Cranberries, Cotton Yarn, Road Signs (Discovery, 6:00 p.m.)
• Chopper Challenge (CMT, 6:30 p.m.) NEW
• How It’s Made: Combination Locks, Pottery, Recreational Vehicles, Erasers (Discovery, 6:30 p.m.)
• Modern Marvels: Electrified (History, 6:30 p.m.)
• MythBusters: Crimes and Myth-Demeanors (Discovery, 8:00 p.m.)
• Build It Bigger: Fault Zone Tunnel (Science, 8:00 p.m.)
• Under Construction: Subcontractors (DIY, 8:30 p.m.)
• MythBusters: Confederate Steam Gun (Discovery, 9:00 p.m.)
• Master Blasters: Missile Launching Spy Cars (Science, 9:00 p.m.)
• Hammered With John & Jimmy DiResta: The Garden Fountain (DIY, 9:30 p.m.)
• How It’s Made: Ball Bearings, Electrical Wires, Wax Casting, and Automated Machines (Discovery, 10:00 p.m.)
• How It’s Made: Ice Cream Cones, Tent Trailers, Shoe Polish, and Pliers (Discovery, 10:30 p.m.)

Enjoy.

Let’s be clear: the press hates Husky’s 5-in-1 drywall tool. Popular Mechanics named it one of their “10 Worst Gadgets of 2007″ — along with the Zune, leading dozens of Microsoft fanboys to blog, “at least my Zune isn’t as uncool as the Husky 5-in-1.” And it’s not pretty. It’s freakin’ huge, and it looks like unplanned result of a one night stand between a utility knife and a Swiss Army multi-tool.

But sometimes form follows function. The Husky 5-in-1 wasn’t designed to cram five drywall tools into a smaller space, but rather to combine them in a way that they can still function. Specifically, its boxy end makes squaring off freshly cut drywall holes a breeze.

Is it a misunderstood tool or waste of toolbox space? Read on past the jump to find out.

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In part two of this week’s Tool Talk double-feature we run down this week’s top five tools, walk you through building your own giant plywood dinosaur, and review Skil’s handy 6.0 amp corded jigsaw. Remember, if you’ve got a question or comment you can call us at 866-718-9403. (Podcast Download)

In our haste to build a giant dinosaur we forgot to put out podcast #38. So join us as we run down of the top five tools — from a few weeks ago — track down some answers for a caller who wants to know why pneumatic nailers feature different nail angles, and shoot the bull with our friend Mr. Jalopy who tells us about a Japanese tool magazine that visited his shop. Remember, if you’ve got a question or comment you can call us at 866-718-9403. (Podcast Download)

Here’s a familiar scenario: you want to install a shelf, or a flat-screen TV mount, or something else with those little slots or hooks for wall mounting. You measure the distance between the slots and put some screws in the wall with that same distance between them. But when you go to mount it on the wall, the two screws don’t line up, and even if they do they aren’t level. Black & Decker’s 3′ Accu Mark Gecko Grip level ends this common frustration — and keeps you from scarring up your walls with unneeded holes.

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Sometimes a pencil isn’t the marking tool of choice — when you need long-lasting, weatherproof markings on wood, concrete, ceramics, metal, or just about any other surface, grab yourself a lumber crayon. These crayons also mark oily, slick, and wet surfaces.

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XS Scuba designed the FogCutter X knife for scuba divers, but the 4-3/8″ blade with built-in shears could likely fill a lot of needs on solid ground as well. When you need more precision than the single blade, the shears provide extra control for cutting rope, fabric, monofilament, or even kelp.

XS Scuba protects the 420 stainless steel blade with a corrosion-resistant chromate treatment. The rubber-coated plastic handle provides a comfortable grip for easy handling, and a handle lock prevents accidents.  It comes with a positive-locking plastic sheath.

Street pricing is around $75 — underwater prices will vary.

FogCutter X [XS Scuba]
Street Pricing [Google Products]
Via Amazon (B000GGC1KA) [What’s This?]

With gas prices soaring, cost-conscious Toolmongers hate to waste even a drop of liquid gold — not to mention that spilling gas all over your hands and clothes leaves you smelly and flammable. If other fuel cans have you frustrated, take a look at No-Spill’s CARB fuel cans. They allow you to easily regulate the flow of gas with the push of a button.

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A lot of companies are competing for the “shake” or “no-battery” flashlight market, but Valor makes a $10 version that’s both more efficient and much less expensive than many of the other offerings. While other companies promise only four to five minutes of light for 30 seconds of shake, Valor boasts that their light’ll provide 100 minutes of light for just 60 seconds of shake — for a survival/”green”/no-battery light, that seems reasonable.

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This bad-ass combination rake/hoe, commonly called a McLeod tool, is designed to fight wildfires, but you can also garden with it.  The tines are made for raking fire lines, the sharp hoe edge cuts sod or branches, and the head can also be used to tamp and compact. Whether you’re a firefighter or a weekend gardener, you can appreciate the tool’s versatility.

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If you’re planning to graze the tool isles at True Value, print out this coupon before you go. Save $5 off your $25 purchase at any of the 6,100 True Values stores nationwide. The offer’s good through July 4, 2008.

$5 Off Coupon [True Value]
True Value [Corporate Site]

(Tuesday, May 13th, 2008) On this minimal Tuesday, Rock Solid reminds you how many outdoor projects you haven’t completed.

All times are central.

• Holmes on Homes: Showing the Cracks (Home, 5:00 p.m.)
• Machinery of the Past (RFD-TV, 5:00 p.m.)
• How It’s Made: Ball Bearings, Electrical Wires, Wax Casting, and Automated Machines (Discovery, 6:00 p.m.)
• How It’s Made: Ice Cream Cones, Tent Trailers, Shoe Polish, and Pliers (Discovery, 6:30 p.m.)
• Rock Solid: Fire Pit and Grill (DIY, 9:00 p.m.)
• Rock Solid: Outdoor Bar and Grill (DIY, 9:30 p.m.)

Enjoy.

Lately I’ve been thinking a lot about efficiency and which tools are most necessary to have around all the time, so this survival tool kit from Flickr pool member Alexander Becker caught my eye. All these tools fit into an Altoids box, which is a smaller package than I’ve been thinking of — but it would’ve been great for the Boy Scout campouts I went on as a kid. Alexander also posted pictures of how the toolbox packs and closes.

He obviously put some thought into the kit, with the mini flashlight, lighter, and knife — half the problems you’ll run into are covered right there. Of course, Sean would say you can’t have a survival kit without super glue.

Toolmonger Photo Pool [Flickr]

Mac Tools, embracing its role as a NASCAR sponsor, just released a limited-edition Hendrick Motorsports tool box set with racing logos and graphics on the door lids. The set consists of a cart and an MB1000A base box with a newly configured top hutch for added storage — they both feature Casey Mears in the No. 5 Carquest/Kellogg’s Chevrolet; Jeff Gordon in the No. 24 DuPont Chevrolet; and Dale Earnhardt Jr. in the No. 88 AMP/National Guard Chevrolet.

For the diehard NASCAR fan, this is hotness on casters.  But if you just want a sturdy place to keep your tools, or if you’re satisfied with the current setup in your shop that already has 300 logo stickers plastered all over it — you might feel the need to skip this one.  If not, you can call it in and have a truck drop it right at your shop’s door.

Mac Tools [Corporate Site]

After the work day is done *wink* you can head straight for the fishing hole, if you’re carrying the Packer fishing rod. It weighs eight ounces and measures less than 22 inches long, so you can make room for it even in a crowded toolbox. Check out this guy holding one — it’s really small.

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A water detector in the basement will save you a major headache — unless you’re not home to hear it. Leave on vacation for a week, and you could come home to a dead battery in your water detector, thousands of dollars of water damage, and a floating sofa. Like your basic water detector, a backup sump pump sounds a nice little alarm, but it also does something about the problem.

This pump from Wayne will sit quietly, charging a deep-cycle battery, until the power goes out and the water rises. Then the ESP25 system sounds an alarm and begins pumping water at up to 3,300 gallons per hour at zero feet, and over 1,000 GPH at 15 feet. It may not handle a full hurricane, but it should save you from most flooding problems.  At $220, it might pay for itself with reduced home insurance premiums alone.

Backup Sump Pump [Wayne]
Wayne [Corporate Site]
Street Pricing [Google Products]

Recently Hitachi announced the release of their new N5010A 1/2″ Standard Crown Stapler and N5021A 15/16” Wide Crown Stapler. Both lightweight staplers look very different from Hitachi’s alien-skinned power tools. It seems Hitachi’s pneumatics division designed these staplers to be practical for the jobsite — there’s no green rubber, just metal — and we dig it.

These staplers’ll work for a variety of tasks, ranging from light construction sheathing to roofing applications — and you’ll probably need to put the tool to a lot of those tasks, in order to justify the steep asking price. We’ve found spots online offering the new staplers for around $385, which puts them in the higher-end price bracket for staplers.

Pneumatics [Hitachi]
Street Pricing [Google Products]