You got a flat tire on the side of the road, but since the discount tire place torqued your lug nuts down to about 200 ft-lbs with their impact wrench, you can’t even budge ‘em.  Then you remember you have the Gorilla Power Wrench in the trunk.

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If you desperately need a CNC router, or you’ve just got too much money, check out the Routermate. The photos on the web page fooled me at first, and I thought this was just a tool for carving letters into wood. But the videos on the site give a better idea of the machine’s power — it can drill and mill aluminum tubing and thick sheets of aluminum and wood.

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We recently found something interesting at Brownells gunsmithing supply — they tested how well a number of substances prevented rust.  The results surprised us:  Plain old WD-40 was the most successful in keeping rust from forming on a mild steel surface, outperforming many other substances engineered specifically the job.

So what do you think, Hot or Not?  Let us know in comments.

Knowing the Limits of Rust Preventatives [Brownells]

The popular romantic view of Old World pirates probably has something to do with the fact that no one has to deal with them anymore. Still, I couldn’t help but whistle a pirate song when I saw longtime reader Beano_t’s treasure chest.

Kids dig pirate swag, and this definitely qualifies. It looks to measure around a foot and a half long and about as much high, and the lid is cleverly built from pine strips fastened to curved spars to form a nice treasure-chest shape.

It looks like a great project to undertake on a Sunday afternoon. And if this rig is intended for an aspiring, Johnny Depp-influenced buccaneer, then it’ll be quite a gift — though I might be tempted to keep it for myself.

Toolmonger Photo Pool [Flickr]

I’ve used this Harbor Freight air nibbler a few times to cut sheet metal for home and automotive repair, and it performed flawlessly. Let me warn you, though, it shaves off small quarter-moon pieces as it cuts, thousands of them — so make sure you use it in an open area where you can find them all, or in a place where they won’t cause problems.

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Who’d a thunk it?  There’s a specification for how much torque you use to tighten the valve stems on your tires.   Evidently it’s even more important today because of mandatory tire-pressure monitoring systems.  If you find yourself having to replace a valve stem, you might want to pick up a torque tool like one of these from KD Tools.

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A little while back Bosch announced the rollout of their new “Edge” metal recip demo blades.  Bosch’s marketing department created a lot of fanfare around the release and did a good job trying to make ‘em exciting, which is difficult — because it’s a recip blade, not the sexy front runner in a hard-hitting leaflet campaign.  Here’s what it boils down to:  Bosch says that, thanks to its new tooth design and many other features, the Edge cuts faster and lasts longer.

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(TV Tonight, Tuesday, March 31st, 2009) A new Deconstructed looks at several interesting objects while ripping them apart. We also get a new Wreckreation Nation.

All times are central.

• Cool Tools: Classic Update (DIY, 5:00 pm)
• Machinery of the Past (RFD-TV, 5:00 pm)
• This Old House: Newton Project (DIY, 5:30 pm)
• Dirty Jobs: Alpaca Shearer (Discovery, 6:00 pm)
• Ask This Old House: Replacing a Clogged Aerator, Proper Houseplant Care (DIY, 6:30 pm)
• Dirty Jobs: Tar Rigger (Discovery, 7:00 pm)
• How It’s Made: Firefighter Boots, Garden Tools, Automated Machines, Gypsum Boards (Science, 7:00 pm)
• How It’s Made: Plastic Bottles and Jars, Mail, Eggs, Handcrafted Wooden Pens (Science, 7:30 pm)
• Dirty Jobs: Bologna Maker (Discovery, 8:00 pm)
• Deconstructed: 4-Stroke Engine, Washing Machine, Mosquito Trap, Fishing Reel (Science, 8:00 pm) NEW
• Rock Solid: Outdoor Bar and Grill (DIY, 8:30 pm)
• Deconstructed: Paintball Gun, 20-Speed Bike, Laser Printer, and Miter Saw (Science, 8:30 pm)
• Wreckreation Nation with Dave Mordal: Bar Stool Sledding (Discovery, 9:00 pm) NEW
• How Do They Do It?: Tire Change, Concrete, Cell Phone (Science, 9:00 pm)
• Weapon Masters: Katana (Military, 9:00 pm)
• Deconstruction: Granite (DIY, 9:30 pm)
• How Do They Do It?: Tower Crane, Toothpaste, Internet Cable (Science, 9:30 pm)

Enjoy.

My current truck is a ‘93 and I live in the Rust Belt, so the body’s getting rough. Hopefully I’ll be able to spend some time cleaning things up and installing patch panels to get things looking a bit better, but other emergencies keep popping their heads up, so for now I’m keeping up on my tetanus shots and hoping for the best. This new aerosol version of Eastwood’s Rust Converter looks like it might work to my benefit.

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You want to install a ceiling fan in a room that’s not wired for controlling both a fan and a light.  Sure, you can operate the fan with the pull chains, assuming you can even reach them, but then you have to get up off your duff.  This RF remote control from Hunter has solved this problem for me and will hopefully help you, too.

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One of my sons picked up an ‘88 Bronco, leading me to wonder why a kid who lives in the city and never even touches the transfer case lever needs a four-by-four. Anyway, he managed to run out of antifreeze, and over the summer he just kept topping off the radiator with water, and as you can guess, the water pump started leaking — so it ends up in ole Paul’s shop for a “quick” water-pump swap.

I should’ve had him take it to the shop because over half the water-pump bolts snapped, probably due to a combination of the water and the engine getting too hot. As I was pulling the grill and radiator so I could work in there, an easy-out broke off, and that was after a day of spraying PB on it. So I dropped $20 on a couple of carbide burrs at the Fastenal shop and got the job done.  Now I see Garrett Wade sells a fifteen-piece set of burrs for quite a bit less than I spent.

Just like all carbide-based tools, these burrs’ll cut through about anything. The bits come with an 1/8” shank.  The common shapes and sizes are included in the set, and they average out to about $4 per bit. The entire set sells for $60 at Garrett Wade.

Grinding Burrs [Garrett Wade]

There are few items from childhood I treasure as much as those made by people I knew.  Surprisingly they held up through my childhood and remain intact to this day, slightly worn and a little dusty. Reader Schnaars will likely find the same thing said of his daughter’s doll wardrobe that he constructed from pine and a little paint.

Schnaars decided a little love and under $30 was better than the luster of 300 dollars’ worth of store-bought plastic and that “spent too much cash” feeling that often accompanies such a purchase.  Here in the Toolmonger shop, to a man, we heartily agree.

We do offer a warning to Schnaars:  Once you’ve opened the Pandora’s Box of besting commercial offerings with your custom cabinetry, you may find your bright-eyed angel has quite a list of things Dad could do better than the store.  Of course, we can think of no better taskmaster than the unabashed love of a cherished young one to put the spurs to Dad’s shop — in any event, be warned, sir.

Toolmonger Photo Pool [Flickr]

Man’s mastered the horse, the cow, and the dog, but why stop there?  How about using beetles to do your bidding?  No harsh chemicals that’ll make your dog sick, no mixing noxious fluids together, and no cleaning out a pump sprayer — that’s the promise of using ladybugs to get rid of pests like aphids, mealy bugs, and other pests.

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I remember it like it was yesterday;  it was junior high shop class, and we’d been assigned to bring in some of Dad’s tools so we could coat the handles with a protective cover. We all dipped our tools in the Plasti Dip, waited a few seconds, and then the magic happened — when we pulled the tools out, the handles were covered in a protective coating. Dad still has the tools almost thirty years later, and the magic coating never fell off.  Plasti Dip is still going strong, and now you can coat your tools in whatever colors you want.

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Harbor Freight is selling this 3-pound capacity rotary tumbler for $33.  It’s extremely popular with jewelers for mass finishing with steel shot.  Though not as high-quality as a Lortone tumbler, all reports indicate it holds up well over time — you’ll just need to replace the belt sometimes.

3-Pound Capacity Rotary Tumbler [Harbor Freight]
Street Pricing [Google]

(TV Tonight, Monday, March 30th, 2009) The Top Gear lads tool around Vietnam then swear a bunch with Gordon Ramsey.  There’s also a new Ax Men if you haven’t had your fill of falling yet.

All times are central.

• Cool Tools: Multi-Task (DIY, 5:00 pm)
• Trains & Locomotives (RFD-TV, 5:00 pm)
• This Old House: Newton Project (DIY, 5:30 pm)
• Ax Men: Moby Dick Strikes (History, 6:00 pm)
• Ask This Old House: Repairing Interior Door, Creating Privacy With Plants (DIY, 6:30 pm)
• Top Gear: Season 12 Ep. 8 (BBC America, 7:00 pm) NEW
• The F Word Meets Top Gear (BBC America, 8:30 pm) NEW
• Rock Solid: Interior Brick Wall (DIY, 9:00 pm)
• Ax Men: The King Crumbles (History, 9:00 pm) NEW

Enjoy.

(TV Tonight, Sunday, March 29th, 2009) As is all too typical, there’s nothing much to watch tonight.

All times are central.

• How It’s Made: Ceramic Tiles, Nuts, Steel Forgings, Skateboards (Science, 5:00 pm)
• How It’s Made: Car Engines, Flour, Recliners, Envelopes (Science, 5:30 pm)
• Cool Tools: The 25 Coolest (DIY, 6:00 pm)
• How It’s Made: Pistons, Paint Rollers, Parachutes, Chimneys (Science, 6:00 pm)
• How It’s Made: CO2 Cartridges, Pretzels, Scissor Lifts, Skating Rinks (Science, 6:30 pm)
• Deconstruction: Home Energy Saving (DIY, 7:00 pm)
• Ax Men: Moby Dick Strikes (History, 9:00 pm)
• Successful Farming Machinery Show (RFD-TV, 9:00 pm)

Enjoy.