(Thursday, August 28th, 2008) So there’s plenty to watch tonight, even if it’s mostly reruns.

All times are central.

• How It’s Made: Kayaks, Safety Boots, Electronic Signs, Cereals (Discovery, 5:00 p.m.)
• Rock Solid: Mason 911: Stone Step Repair (DIY, 5:30 p.m.)
• How It’s Made: Carpets, Drinking Water, Laser Eye Surgery, Acoustic Guitars (Discovery, 5:30 p.m.)
• How It’s Made: Trucks, Adhesive Bandages, Computer Circuit Boards, Liquors (Discovery, 6:00 p.m.)
• How It’s Made: Fiberglass Boat, Clothes Dryers, Bubble Gum, Fireworks (Discovery, 6:30 p.m.)
• Some Assembly Required: tennis balls, kayaks, silly putty (Discovery, 7:00 p.m.) NEW
• Overhaulin’: Wake Up Call (TLC, 7:00 p.m.)
• Some Assembly Required: BowTech, Ludwig Drums (Discovery, 7:30 p.m.)
• Classic Tractors (RFD-TV, 7:30 p.m.)
• American Chopper: Production Bike Showcase (TLC, 8:00 p.m.)
• The Works: Motorcycles (History, 9:00 p.m.)
• MythBusters: NASA Moon Landing (Discovery, 9:00 p.m.)
• Street Customs: Dourdan Charger (TLC, 9:00 p.m.)

Enjoy.

The walls at the local big box will soon be a touch more crowded in the mid-range power tool area — Bosch is releasing 14.4V and 18V additions to their Litheon line, which last year only covered the 12V and 36V niches.

The lineup will include a drill and hammer drill in both the 14.4V and 18V formats, to launch in October of 2008 — pricing should be available soon.  Also keep your eyes open later in the fall for an 18V circular saw, an 18V reciprocating saw, and an 18V heavy-duty jobsite flashlight.  Bosch says all the tools in this system will be fully compatible with both FatPack and SlimPack battery designs.

Between now and Christmas we’ll probably see more action in the mid-range Li-Ion market, with this being one of the first salvos fired. We’ll keep you updated with further word on pricing and the hard release dates when we find out more.

Bosch [Corporate Site]

You like the look of mulch and the way it keeps out the weeds, but you’re tired of putting down cubic yards of the stuff year after year. Take a look at rubber mulch — a number of companies grind up recycled tires to make it. One such company, International Mulch, sells many different products including bedding cover, playground cover, and pavers.

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Longtime reader Peter P. puts his welds and his grinder where his mouth is in this awesome pic of him pumping iron on his iron. It’s all part of his plan to build a dolly for his Amphicar.

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So you think you can make your own wooden train tracks for cheaper than buying them. Well, unless you plan to make a few sets you’re probably wrong. Still, that’s no reason not to do it yourself. You can create custom track pieces or build a track that fills a whole room — your toddler would be the envy of every kid on the block.

To make wooden track out of the recommended white birch, maple, or European beech you need three different bits. One bit makes the female connector with a single pass, another makes the male connector in two passes, and the third makes the tracks themselves. The single-track bit works well for both straight and curved tracks, but if you want to spit out straight tracks in one pass, you want the dual-track bit.

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When I saw this picture of Nick’s antique torque wrench it brought back a few memories; my dad’s old Craftsman model with a black plastic handle looks almost just like this. They’re very cool –- just don’t use one.

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Selling your house can cause a bigger headache than buying it ever did. Things you might not have had to deal with leap to the forefront for you to mull over and handle. Reader Lee asks a few great questions for those of the Mr. Fix-it persuasion.

My wife and I are selling our house (it just went under contract), and we’re starting to worry about the home inspection. There are a few things that I know are going to come up, but I’m not sure how to fix them myself. Here’s the list:

(1) There is a 6″ crack in our kitchen’s white laminate countertop. I was thinking of filling the crack with epoxy and painting over it, but I’m not sure if that’s the best/cheapest way to fix it.

(2) There is an 8″ black water stain in one plank of the hardwood flooring next to one of our toilets. I’ve heard of using Oxalic acid to bleach the stain out, then re-stain that part of the floor to match, but again, I’m not sure if this is the best way.

(3) One of the pieces of wood (about 10′ long) on the bottom of an overhang (just beneath the rain gutter) has rotted and begun to sag. I’d imagine that you just have to cut the piece of wood out and replace it, but what kind of wood do I use? Is there an easy way to remove the old piece?

Well, Lee, most of the tips you’re going to find on home inspection are geared toward the buyer not the seller. However, judging from your questions, you’re already putting yourself in the frame of mind of the buyer — that’s a good start.

You can replace that overhang wood pretty easily, especially if it’s painted. You could start with pine or fir (one of those was most likely used in the first place) — or you can cut off a little piece of it and find out what it is. Our helpful readers might be able to offer some pointers on this, and the other items on your list as well.

One sure way to go: Find a local handyman of good reputation, and ask. Get some eyes on the specifics of your issues, and they might be able to point you where you need to go.

TheHardwareCity.com is offering a good deal on the utility model of General’s Automatic Center Punch, listed for $9.59. You can get fancier models, with steel bodies and replaceable tips, but this one’s definitely a step above the cheaper brass-bodied imports. It’ll work equally well for centerpunching steel or smashing a window on your car as it sinks into a canal.

General Automatic Center Punch [Hardware City]
Street Pricing [Google Products]
Via Amazon [What’s This?]

(Wednesday, August 27th, 2008) A new Mythbusters looks at whether the moon landings were faked. Expect wingnuts to rise up and cry hoax. We’ve also got another new Under Construction.

All times are central.

• Rock Solid: Outdoor Kitchen (DIY, 5:00 p.m.)
• MythBusters: Explosive Decompression (Discovery, 5:00 p.m.)
• Rock Solid: Travertine Patio (DIY, 5:30 p.m.)
• MythBusters: Big Rig Myths (Discovery, 6:00 p.m.)
• Deconstruction: Fireproof Materials (DIY, 8:00 p.m.)
• MythBusters: NASA Moon Landing (Discovery, 8:00 p.m.) NEW
• Under Construction: A Hefty Wager (DIY, 9:00 p.m.)
• Under Construction: Roof Is on Fire, Secretary to Hire (DIY, 9:30 p.m.) NEW
• How It’s Made: Nails and Staples, Safety Glasses, Fabrics, Bicycles (Discovery, 10:00 p.m.)
• How It’s Made: Diamond Cutting, Wood Doors, Paintballs, Newspapers (Discovery, 10:30 p.m.)

Enjoy.

The largest of Eriez’s SafeHold RPL lifting magnets can lift 7,000 pounds — that’s more than most cars weigh. Typically you’d use their magnets to transfer steel or iron. The magnets don’t mar finishes like slings, hooks, or cables can. Best of all, they don’t overheat, don’t require batteries or separate power supplies, and they’re always ready to use, unlike electromagnets.

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Fans of the over-the-top “working man” shows like Ice Road Truckers and Ax Men might have another one coming.  History Channel’s Sandhogs covers New York City’s subterranean workers — these guys build the stuff that everyone takes for granted as a given fact of life.

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A while back we found out that tool use isn’t just a human thing — our friends of the feather seem to have a grasp on using objects to get things done. This clip of a handsome young parrot provides proof positive that birds in general have more going on upstairs than we thought. And it occurs to us that despite our close proximity to them every day, bunches of birds all over the world may be involved in tool-related activities that we’ve never noticed.

I can’t wait to see what happens when a bird somewhere decides to pick up a human tool — now there’s an accolade any tool company would love to claim: “Preferred by two out of three parrots.” Or perhaps, “Even a birdbrain knows that X brand tools are best.” We’re not saying it’s likely, but maybe we’re rooting for the underdog just a little.

Tool-Using Parrot! [YouTube]

Hook-and-loop sandpaper works for your orbital sander, so why not for your sanding block? While we’re at it, let’s make the sanding block a little more ergonomic and easier on the hands than that block of wood you’ve been using. Oh, wait — that’s the Zip Sander from Gator Finishing Products.

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If you haven’t checked out Blaklader’s hardcore work gear you might want to give them a go — they’re tough and uber-handy on the jobsite.  For 2008, Blaklader’s expanding their line to bring the Bantam Kangaroo Vest to the states.

The vest features two breast pockets with safety straps and a phone pocket, plus three front utility pockets. The two larger utility pockets hang down in front, strongly secured to the rest of the vest, but in classic keep-stuff-where-you-need-it Blaklader style.  They may look a bit strange, but they’re usually out of the way and super-easy to get to.

Bantam Kangaroo Vest [Blaklader]

Lavishing his time and care on old wooden chests may not earn him millions in the restoration business, but reader txinkman does have a way with them. In his spare time he brings these boxes back to life with grace and style.

We’ve mentioned his work before on Toolmonger, and his latest chest — complete with temp gauge and clock — slaps a grin on our mugs.  We also dig the high-gloss finish and rich color he brings out in the chests, without going overboard. Suddenly our own shop looks a great deal more drab.

Toolmonger Photo Pool [Flickr]

Grizzly is blowing out their open-sided planer/molders — they’re listing the G0552 planer/molder, with a 7″-wide cut, for $627, shipped. It’ll plane boards and mold profiles on casings, etc. They started selling at $995, but we sense the market for these was a little thin, so they’re dumping ‘em.

G0552 Planer/Molder [Grizzly]
Street Pricing [Google Products]
Via Amazon [What’s This?] [What's This?]

(Tuesday, August 26th, 2008) We’ve got a Dirty Jobs marathon followed by a new episode of the ever-underwhelming Smash Lab.

All times are central.

• Dirty Jobs: Viewer’s Choice (Discovery, 5:00 p.m.)
• Machinery of the Past (RFD-TV, 5:00 p.m.)
• Rock Solid: Stone Columns (DIY, 5:30 p.m.)
• Dirty Jobs: Vexcon (Discovery, 6:00 p.m.)
• Dirty Jobs: Steel Mill Worker (Discovery, 7:00 p.m.)
• Ice Road Truckers: The Big Thaw (History, 8:00 p.m.)
• Dirty Jobs: Dairy Cow Midwife (Discovery, 8:00 p.m.)
• Rock Solid: Outdoor Labyrinth (DIY, 8:30 p.m.)
• Smash Lab: Unsinkable Car and Woman Overboard (Discovery, 9:00 p.m.) NEW

Enjoy.