Snow and ice dams can cause major headaches for homeowners. At least once every winter the news will show someone on their roof with a snowblower — neither Toolmonger nor the manufacturers recommend this. Instead, you can clear that snow off your roof simply and safely with the Avalanche series of snow removal tools.
I attended the auction of Hewlett-Packard’s Corvallis “Model Shop” yesterday, and it got me wondering whether going to industrial auctions is worth it. This particular auction had sky-high bidding and although there were a few things that my buddy and I wanted, we ended up buying nothing. That said, I’ve found great deals and bought many of my tools at other auctions.
So, the Hot: Sometimes you find great, pennies-on-the-dollar deals. You meet many like-minded tool junkies and local shop owners, so it’s a good place to network. You get to take a look inside a shop and see how the owner set up their tools, stored their tooling, etc.
The Not: Depending on the local economy and the auctioneer you may end up with prices that are the inverse of pennies-on-the-dollar. Auctions take a good deal of time, upwards of 6-10 hours in some cases. You often find yourself standing on a cold concrete slab in a dirty building. The amenities are often poor.
Possibly the worst thing: You get some good deals on stuff you really don’t need, and your shop ends up cluttered with all these piles of weird crap that might be “useful” someday. (This could also be seen as “Hot” if you have an understanding spouse.)
Let us know what you think in comments.
Thanks to killbox for the great CC-licensed photo.
If you’re just a few feet short of the outlet, you don’t want to break out the 25ft extension cord. This five-foot retractable extension cord from Zip-Linq might look a bit more attractive than 23 feet of coiled cord.
With a probable rating of 8-10 amps, this 18-gauge power cord may not carry enough juice to operate your table saw, but it still can come in handy for smaller tools and chargers.
Prices for the extension cord vary wildly from $10 to $25.
Retractable Extension Cord [Zip-Linq]
Street Pricing [Google]
Via Amazon [What’s This?]
The 2009 Craftsman Club Calendar is out, but only as a program that runs on your PC or Mac. It appears that the traditional print version is now just another bit of Craftsman history.
The new calendar features a personal planner that allows you to add and print events, a conversion calculator for contractors, and several skins. You’ll also get ads for Craftsman Club sales and general tool sales. Mine still shows the Craftsman Club sale that ended January 10.
This year the calendar is free for both Craftsman Club members and the rest of the world. I miss the old paper calendar with the monthly coupons.
2009 Craftsman Club Calendar [Sears]
Ever wish that the wood you need for that new shed or deck would just, say, wash up on the beach? For those living on the coast of Kent (two hours south of London), that dream has come true. As you see in the CNN video report above, tons and tons of wood lost from a Russian cargo ship in the English channel has begun reaching shore — where it’s quickly loaded into vehicles by eager locals.
CNN says local law requires that everyone who scavenges the wood must fill out paperwork and wait a year before using the wood, but as you can see that doesn’t seem to phase those in need of project supplies. (And hell, it wouldn’t phase me, either.)
Here’s to some happy framing!
If you solder many hours a week you don’t want to scrimp on your iron, but for an entry-level price the occasional user can get some nice features and accessories with this dual-temperature iron from Black & Decker.
With the Angle Wright Woodworkers Height Gauge you can measure your saw’s, router’s, or shaper’s cutting height to the 32nd of an inch. Because of its recessed brass knobs this fine tool can operate in either the horizontal or vertical position. It runs a bit on the pricey side, but at today’s wood prices it might pay for itself in a few missed mistakes.
(TV Tonight, Monday, January 26th, 2009) It’s a pretty minimal night, but we do get new episodes of Top Gear and How Do They Do It.
All times are central.
Enjoy.
(TV Tonight, Sunday, January 25th, 2009) Another unexciting Sunday — better head out to the shop!
All times are central.
Enjoy.
We’re joined this week by our friend Mike Haney who tells us about his experience making his own DIY engagement ring. (Spoiler: It worked. He’s engaged. Congrats!) We also run down this week’s top five and have a good time discussing Sean’s father’s decision to finally hand down his Mark V Shopsmith. Remember, if you’ve got a question or comment you can call us at 866-718-9403. (Podcast Download)
(TV Tonight, Saturday, January 24th, 2009) It’s a busy Saturday with a Mythbusters marathon along with other reruns.
All times are central.
Enjoy.
Rheem recently announced a voluntary recall of around 14,000 units of the Rheem, Ruud, and United Refrigeration oil-fired furnaces. According to Rheem, if the furnace isn’t properly wired the oil burner can continue to operate when the blower shuts off, posing a fire hazard to consumers.
For all intents and purposes a contractor’s truck is a mobile shop. The contractor loads up the back of the truck with any and all gear necessary to function away from home, so it follows that you need a bunch of stuff back there in order not to get caught out. And it’s not always pretty.
This image from reader chiefdm5 is a perfect example. We’re often guilty ourselves of piling stuff up to the point of bursting, so to us this looks like a very orderly execution of the throw-it-in-the-truck method.
Toolmonger Photo Pool [Flickr]
Whether you’re up in the deer stand or on the shop floor, when your feet get cold, life is no longer fun. You can dress as warm as you want, but sometimes it’s not enough — that’s when it’s time to slip some Cozy Feet foot warmers into your shoes. Powered by a few AA batteries, they’ll warm your toes in seconds.
The low-voltage insert is shockproof and reaches a safe maximum temperature of 98°F. The one-size-fits-all insert measures 4-1/2″ long by 2-7/8″ wide by 6 mils thick.
A set of inserts runs $25.
Cozy Feet [Cozy Products]
Street Pricing [Google]
Via Amazon [What’s This?]
With no warning or explanation, toss one of these Striker ball lights to somebody and ask them what it is. We got quite a few entertaining answers right out of the box, everything from disco ball and mini-land mine to one horrified person who dropped it immediately and scolded us for tossing them a sex toy. It’s actually an LED light with magnets stuck all over it for providing light in odd places.
Do you stay awake at night while you’re on vacation wondering if your pipes are freezing or if your freezer full of beef is still frozen? If you had the FreezeAlarm from Control Products you might sleep more soundly.
Connect the Deluxe FreezeAlarm to your home phone line and it can call up to three telephone numbers and give a voice warning if the temperature is too high or low, if the power has failed, or if its own backup power is failing. If you’re curious you can always call the FreezeAlarm and it’ll tell you the state of those three things.
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:
Stubby In Spades
Used in conjunction with a right angle drill, these stubby spade bits from Milwaukee let you bore holes in the tightest of places. Even if you don’t have a right angle drill, they’ll still let you bore holes straight into the studs where you had to angle the holes before. Think about how much easier it’ll be to fish that Romex or PEX through the studs now.
Chisel Of Destruction
Although it looks very much like their brick set, this floor chisel from Stanley has an entirely different purpose. You use a floor chisel, sometimes called an electrician’s bolster, to remove flooring. The long narrow blade is designed to get between floorboards, cut through tongues, and pry up the loosened boards.
Magswitch Cabinet Latches
We’ve all seen magnetic catches on cabinets — you know, the kind where if you pull hard enough you overcome the magnetic force to open the door. But the bigger the door, the bigger the magnet needed to hold it closed and the harder you have to yank the door to get it open. Using their switchable magnets, Magswitch has come up with a way to hold doors securely yet let them open easily without having to pull so hard.
Antiques Roadshow Can Make You Drool
If I happen to run across Antiques Roadshow playing on PBS, I almost always see some kind of tool-related item being appraised in the show somewhere. This plane/ax combo owned by some lucky bastard in Tampa is a fine example of gear you just can’t have.
Shovel Snow With The Wovel
This looks like a unicycle gone bad, but it’s actually a snow-shoveling innovation called the Wovel. The Wovel simplifies your snow-removal tasks by harnessing the powers of the lever and wheel. It’ll also help save your back since the Wovel primarily uses your arms and legs to move the snow.
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.
www.flickr.com
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What's In Your Kitchen Tool Drawer?
Tool Talk #53: Old Hardware Stores & Pocket Knives
Tool Talk #52: Listener Calls & Reader Projects
Tool Talk #51: DIY Wedding Rings & Heirloom Shopsmiths
Tool Talk #50: Router Safety & Pointless Tools
Tool Talk #49: Bookcases & Ending Laziness
Tool Talk #48: Christmas & (Paint) Strippers
One Beer Projects: Repairing Wood Surfaces
One Beer Projects: Fixing Simple Problems With Your Dryer
One Beer Projects: Winterizing/Storing Your Bike
One Beer Projects: De-Badging Your Truck
One Beer Projects: Staining Your Fence
One Beer Projects: Doing Your Own Brakes
One Beer Projects: Balancing Your A/C For The Summer
One Beer Projects: Installing A Dimmer Switch
Hands-On: Milwaukee M12 Power Port
Hands-On: Caterpillars Fix Wiggly Outlets For Good
Head 2 Head Hands-On: Bosch SPS10 vs LI3000 SmartDriver
Hands-On: Striker Magnetic LED Light
Hands-On: Dremel Duo Kit -- Dremel Driver
Hands-On: Elmer's ProBond Wood Filler
Hands-On: Duo-Fast DF350S Framing Nailer
Hands-On: Watco Danish Oil - Cherry Finish
Budget Shop Truck Build, Part 5: Engine Teardown
Budget Shop Truck Build, Part 4: A New Transmission
Budget Shop Truck Build, Part 3: Building An Engine Stand
Budget Shop Truck Build, Part 2: Pulling The Engine
Budget Shop Truck Build, Part 1: The Truck
How-To: Cut Angles With A Circular Saw
Project Garage: Yukon Engine Swap (Part 5) -- Complete!
Project Garage: Yukon Engine Swap (Part 4) -- Installation!
Project Garage: Yukon Engine Swap (Part 3) -- Fabricating Engine Brackets
Project Garage: Yukon Engine Swap (Part 2) -- GM Performance Parts
