Core drills can put big, precise holes in concrete and stone, without the vibration of a hammer drill which could damage the area around the hole. This wet core drill from Flex also helps to contain the mess, provides cooling, and advances faster.

Street pricing starts at $785, so unless you need to drill a lot of holes in really pretty stone, you might want to rent — especially since bits, which come in sizes upwards of 10″, run $50 or more for the small ones.

Wet Core Drill BHW 812 VV [Flex]
Street Pricing [Google Products]

You’d like to illuminate that small outbuilding or garden shed in the back yard, but you don’t want the bother of running electric lines out to it. Instead you could install a solar-powered light like this one from SunForce.

(more…)

Broken bulbs happen, and I’ve even heard of bulbs falling out of the screw threads after a while. I like the EaseOut bulb extractor, but I figure most Toolmongers will just use a pair of pliers if they can reach the light socket. If the broken bulb is out of reach, though, you might want to pick up this long-reach broken-bulb extractor from Unger.

(more…)

Next time you’re changing your duallies, you might find that a wrench-support stand comes in handy. It helps you apply more torque and keeps the tool squarely on the lug nuts when removing or replacing a tire — especially when using a longer tool like a double-end truck wrench, a four-way lug wrench, or a torque wrench with an extension.

This commercial-duty wrench-support stand from Ken-Tool adjusts from 14-1/2″ to 22-1/2″ high and runs about $40.

Wrench-Support Stand [Ken-Tool]
Street Pricing [Google Products]
Via Amazon(B000TXVMX2) [What’s This?] [What's This?]

When people gripe about their workshops, they most often complain that they don’t have enough space. I’ve been watching the workshop photos to pick up some good ideas on space-saving, and I’ve gleaned a few smart ideas.

Going back to the basics, I’ve found that most Toolmongers employ shelves. Whether they’re bought or built, you can configure shelves in many ways: wall-mounted, freestanding, or stacking, for workspace or for storage. A lot of Toolmongers lift their freestanding shelves a few inches higher — with risers, “bed risers,” or something like bricks — so they can slide stuff underneath.

Most Toolmongers already own a rolling cart, for good reason — they’re great. Some other tools on the market might help, like fold-up workspaces, workbenches, and storage lifts. And you can add a hanging rack on the shop door, if you don’t mind the clanking. But my ideas end there, so I come to you.

I know that a Toolmonger with a real problem is the most creative mind on the planet, so tell us: How have you made space in your shop? Let us know in comments.

Photo posted on Flickr by joejoetheclown.

Toolmonger Photo Pool [Flickr]

Recently I posted about these opaque paint-can lids designed for easy pouring, which might be ideal for a job that only uses a couple of colors. But if you happen to work with an interior designer or other colorful sort, you’d probably prefer a see-through paint-can lid like Encore Plastics’ Stack-N-Pour. Though it doesn’t look glass-clear in the pictures, it should at least help tell the difference between red and orange — even if the difference between seafoam green and periwinkle still escapes most of us.

(more…)

(Tuesday, June 24th, 2008) A new Rock Solid goes away to summer camp, and we’re listing Rock and Roll Acid Test as there’s not much else to watch on Tuesday night anyway. Let us know what you think!

All times are central.

• Machinery of the Past (RFD-TV, 5:00 p.m.)
• How It’s Made: Fiberglass Boat, Clothes Dryers, Bubble Gum, Fireworks (Discovery, 6:00 p.m.)
• How It’s Made: Steel Safes, False Teeth, Airplanes, Maple Syrup (Discovery, 6:30 p.m.)
• Rock Solid: Masonry Camp (DIY, 8:30 p.m.) NEW
• Rock & Roll Acid Test: Light ‘Em Up (Fuse, 9:00 p.m.)
• Rock & Roll Acid Test: Dazed and Confused (Fuse, 9:30 p.m.)

Enjoy.

Safety glasses and earmuffs don’t always feel so comfortable when worn together, and what’s worse, you may also be compromising the seal of the earmuffs, thereby reducing your hearing protection. FullPro claims they have the solution: They attach ANSI Z87.1+ high-impact safety-rated lenses to the earmuffs with hook-and-loop — some would call it Velcro — straps.

To use the SoundVision lenses with your earmuffs, you first clean the outer surface of the earmuffs and attach the self-adhesive hook-and-loop patches to the upper part. Then you put on the earmuffs and place the lenses over your eyes, pulling the straps back until they attach to the hook-and-loop patches on the earmuffs. You can adjust the fit as desired by refining the placement of the straps

FullPro offers three different types of lenses for their SoundVision kit. Order the clear lenses if your primary usage will be indoors, smoke colored lenses if you’ll be in bright environments, or amber lenses if you require high-contrast vision.

The kit includes the SoundVision lenses with flexible hook-and-loop straps, two pairs of self-adhesive hook-and-loop patches to attach to your earmuffs, and a fabric storage pouch for the lenses. The kit doesn’t include earmuffs — you’ll need to supply your own.

You can purchase the SoundVision Eye Protection Kit from the FullPro website for $20 plus shipping and tax where applicable. You might have to wait a while to get the kit, though — FullPro says they’re shipping their next batch in the middle of July.

SoundVision [FullPro]

As things get smaller, computers, hearing aids, heart valves, and the like all need smaller parts to function — and when the screws for these products get too small to handle, you need a smaller tool! Asta Gegeckaite and a team of researchers at the Technical University of Denmark have solved at least part of the assembly nightmare created by the miniaturization trend. They created a special gripper/automatic screwdriver to assemble these tiny parts.

(more…)

I was prepping for a little electrical work around the homestead recently, and I had to run to the local hardware store. There I saw a curious outlet on display that looked obviously broken. But on closer inspection I realized it wasn’t broken — it was a 360-degree rotating socket outlet.

This outlet will accept any weird plug format, at just about any angle — other than the rotating sockets it appears to be a regular 15A unit in all respects. After considering it for a bit, we think this might be a pretty slick idea. It costs a lot more than the standard cheapo outlet, but it looks worthwhile if you value flexibility.

Are we missing something here, or is this a “why didn’t I think of this before” type of thing? Let us know in comments.

360 Electrical Outlet [360 Electrical]
Street Pricing [Google Products]

If you need to cut some metal fast, you might want to look at a plate shear — it’ll cut sheet metal, plate stock, or round stock. To get you started, Shop Fox sells two models of plate shears that would work well in any small shop.

(more…)

Though it seems strange, even huge trucks can run short on storage space. Their jobs often require all the bed space to be taken up with the load they’re transporting, leaving little room for stowing gear. Delta’s underbed storage boxes help with that.

(more…)

Before “cordless power tools” we just burned gasoline to get the job done, and gas is still the easiest power source for remote locations where you need to draw heavy power.  For instance, a big, gas-powered wet/dry vacuum can prove indispensable for lots of applications, like prospecting, archaeology, and prairie dog eviction — but I couldn’t find a gas-powered vacuum easily! However, I did find this DIY plan for one.

You start with a gas blower and a five-gallon bucket, and you end up with a big vacuum that recharges at the pump. With gas prices going up you might prefer a cheaper alternative — but if you really need the right tool for the job there may not be a substitute.

GasVac [Minin' Gold]
Giant Sucking Sound [CNN]

Tool Authority is currently listing this DeWalt plumber’s bi-metal hole saw kit for the not-too-shabby price of $35.50. The kit contains two quick-change mandrels and six hole saws in sizes 3/4, 7/8, 1-1/8, 1-1/2, 1-3/4, and 2-1/4-inches, all housed in a heavy-duty plastic case. DeWalt also offers similar kits with standard sizes for electricians and for locksmiths.

Hole Saw Kit [DeWalt]
Hole Saw Kit [Tool Authority]
Via Amazon [What’s This?] [B00005LF00] [What's This?]
Street Pricing [Google Products]

(Monday, June 23rd, 2008) There’s nothing you haven’t seen before.

All times are central.

• DIY to the Rescue: Staircase to Heather (DIY, 5:00 p.m.)
• Trains & Locomotives (RFD-TV, 5:00 p.m.)
• Dirty Jobs: Brown Before Green (Discovery, 7:00 p.m.)
• How Do They Do It?: Mega Cargo Ships, Peterbilt Vehicles (Science, 8:00 p.m.)
• How Do They Do It?: Weather Forecasting, Hovercraft Vehicles (Science, 8:30 p.m.)
• How It’s Made: Steel, Apple Juice, Aircraft Landing Gear, Cosmetics (Science, 9:00 p.m.)
• How It’s Made: Holograms, Package Printing, Skin Culture, Canned Corn (Science, 9:30 p.m.)
• How It’s Made: Diamond Cutting, Wood Doors, Paintballs, Newspapers (Discovery, 10:00 p.m.)
• How It’s Made: Carpets, Drinking Water, Laser Eye Surgery, Acoustic Guitars (Discovery, 10:30 p.m.)

Enjoy.

(Sunday, June 22nd, 2008) A new Ice Road Truckers airs tonight, so turn up the AC and chill out.

All times are central.

• Cool Tools: High Tech (DIY, 5:30 p.m.)
• Ice Road Truckers: Mechanical Mayhem (History, 7:00 p.m.)
• Ice Road Truckers: The Big Blizzard (History, 8:00 p.m.) NEW
• Classic Tractor Show (RFD-TV, 8:00 p.m.)
• Cool Tools: Demolition (DIY, 8:30 p.m.)
• Under Construction: A Cornice Between Brothers (DIY, 9:00 p.m.)

Enjoy.

(Saturday, June 21st, 2008) A How Do They Do It marathon airs today, as well as old favorites on DIY.

All times are central.

• Ultimate Factories: Fire Trucks (National Geographic, 5:00 p.m.)
• How Do They Do It?: Cruise Liner, Satellite, Suspension Bridge (Science, 5:00 p.m.)
• How Do They Do It?: Vehicles, Deep Mine, Ultimate Football (Science, 5:30 p.m.)
• How Do They Do It?: Racing Drivers, Bank Vaults, Telling Time (Science, 6:00 p.m.)
• How Do They Do It?: Speeding Car, Water Display, White Wash (Science, 6:30 p.m.)
• How Do They Do It?: Phoenix Stadium, LA Trade Tower, Surfing (Science, 7:00 p.m.)
• How Do They Do It?: Space Shuttle, Rollercoaster, Pool Tables (Science, 7:30 p.m.)
• New Yankee Workshop: The Windsor Chair (DIY, 8:00 p.m.)
• How Do They Do It?: Empire State Building, Extracting Copper (Science, 8:00 p.m.)
• New Yankee Workshop: The Lowboy (DIY, 8:30 p.m.)
• How Do They Do It?: Fighter Jet, Baseball, Sports Car (Science, 8:30 p.m.)
• Wood Works: Computer Desk (DIY, 9:00 p.m.)
• How Do They Do It?: Rescue Services, Rotating Boat, Parachutists (Science, 9:00 p.m.)
• Hammered With John & Jimmy DiResta: The Computer Work Station (DIY, 9:30 p.m.)
• How Do They Do It?: Monster Digger, Submarine, Beer Car (Science, 9:30 p.m.)
• How It’s Made: Electrical Panels, Kites, Eyeglass Frames, Toothbrushes (Discovery, 10:00 p.m.)
• How It’s Made: Three-Wheeled Vehicles, T-Rex Vehicles, Baseball Bats, Artificial Bonsais, Trombones

Enjoy.