If a drill-powered hole saw seems like overkill for cutting holes in acoustical tile for sprinkler heads, you might rather use a hand-powered saw like this one from Marshalltown.

This lightweight saw quickly and accurately cuts  2-1/2″ holes in acoustic tile — probably with less mess than a powered saw, too.

Marshalltown’s acoustical tile saw runs about $13.

Acoustical Tile Saw [Marshalltown]
Acoustical Tile Saw [ToolDogs.com]

Here’s the lucky winner of our Stanley FatMax tape measure giveaway.  Actually, reader Zero won the FatMax, and this is the photo of his dad that he sent us, but you get the point.  Congrats to Zero, and we wish him and his dad a happy Father’s Day.  Your tape was postmarked and on its way to you as of this morning!

We’re planning a few more giveaways for the summer, so keep an eye out for those.  In the meantime you have a few weeks to shop for dear old dad.  Make ‘em count.

Stanley FatMax Giveaway [Toolmonger]

Drill Press Ratchet Bolt Modification

I’ve been using this modified table lock bolt on my drill press for over a decade now and figured I should write it up.

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For any sort of carpentry, woodworking, or masonry project, you want to measure your angles accurately.  If it’s time to replace that antiquated adjustable angle finder with a newer, shinier model, take a look at Craftsman’s new 4-in-1 digital angle finder.

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Remove the claw from a claw hammer, replace it with a cat’s paw, and you have something that comes close to the HomeWrecker by FW Tools.  They so named it because they feel it excels at tear-out and demolition — and it’s better then calling it the CLAP (CLAw hammer and cats Paw).

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I saw this image in the photo pool and had to know more. These badass-looking planes are the work of Steve Knight — apparently he’s been professionally crafting wooden planes for close to ten years now. As soon as I started looking around a little, I came across lots of praise for his handmade planes, and looking at these examples I can understand why.

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(TV Tonight, Wednesday, May 27th, 2009) We get a new MythBusters with thermite-filled fun as well as a new Time Warp.

All times are central.

• This Old House: Austin Green Remodel Project (DIY, 5:30 pm)
• How It’s Made: Escalators, Kevlar Canoes, Marble Cheddar, Disc Music Boxes (Discovery, 6:00 pm)
• Ask This Old House: Lawn Soil Test, Identifying Water Supply Pipes (DIY, 6:30 pm)
• How It’s Made: Ice Cream Cones, Tent Trailers, Shoe Polish, and Pliers (Discovery, 6:30 pm)
• Time Warp: Goop, Goo, Glop, and Germs (Discovery, 7:00 pm) NEW
• MythBusters: Thermite vs. Ice (Discovery, 8:00 pm) NEW
• Wrecked: Thanksgiving (Speed, 9:00 pm)
• Wrecked: Hogs (Speed, 9:30 pm)

Enjoy.

Castle Wholesalers is selling a 16-pack of Rhodes American #2 Steel Wool for $1.55.  I don’t really need to describe to you guys what steel wool is useful for, between wood finishing, rust removal, and starting fires with a battery.  The only downside to this deal is the $25 minimum order.

16-Pack of Rhodes American #2 Steel Wool [Castle Wholesalers]
Street Pricing [Google]

Pulling the starter cord on a lawn mower is nobody’s favorite pastime, but have things really gotten so bad that we need to start our mowers with the turn of a key?

Over the past 10 years or so, we’ve seen a lot of companies expanding their lines of electric-start lawn mowers, and now you can find models by Toro, Honda, Craftsman, Lawn-Boy, and Snapper at all the major home improvement stores and even at lots of small independent dealers.

Most retailers market these easy-to-start mowers to the elderly and to people recovering from surgery or with recurring injuries.  But that begs the question:  Should a person who can’t muster enough strength to pull a cord really be put behind the controls of a 60lb gas engine with a rapidly spinning metal blade on the end of it?

Of course, the other point may well be that we’re just lazy and don’t want to pull the cord.

So, are electric-start mowers a hot solution, allowing everyone the freedom to mow their lawn despite physical limitations or injuries?  Or are they just one step further on the long path to a lazy American population not willing to pull a simple cord to get some work done?  Let us know in comments.

Street Pricing [Google]

There are lots of ways to store multiple insert bits in a multi-bit screwdriver, but Wiha might have the neatest.  As the eight-bit tray flips out of the ergonomic cushion-grip handle, the internal drawer rotates so you can easily access the bits.

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In the never-ending fight for truth, justice, and efficiently running 4-cycle engines, the newest arch nemesis of mowers and small lawn equipment everywhere has reared its ugly head:  ethanol!  As crude oil prices rise, gas companies are trying to cut costs and encourage renewable energy sources by adding ethanol to their gasoline mixture — up to 30% by volume in some parts of the U.S.  For an easy way to combat the negative effects of ethanol in your small engine, you can install an inline fuel filter.  Follow the jump to learn how.

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Ever since the discovery of the spork, people have been trying with limited success to combine two implements into one and give it a catchy contracted name.  Now some company has decided to merge two indispensable gardening tools, the rake and the trowel, into what they call the Trake.

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Installing crown molding can be the hardest part of remodeling or redecorating a room — one wrong cut, one misplaced finish nail, one incorrectly angled miter, and the entire project falls apart. To make things a little easier, SoSimpleCrown offers pre-cut DIY crown molding, eliminating all the hard parts and leaving nothing but the installation.

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Homier Distributing Co. is selling this 20-ton import bottle jack for $20.  At $1 a ton, that’s a lot of lift for the money, although the fact that it’s a cheap import moderates our excitement a bit.  It is about half of Harbor Freight’s regular price though.

20-Ton Bottle Jack [Homier Distributing Co.]
Street Pricing [Google]
Via Amazon [What’s This?]

(TV Tonight, Tuesday, May 26th, 2009) There’s nothing new to help you recuperate from the start of your work week.

All times are central.

• Cool Stuff: How It Works (Science, 5:00 pm)
• Weapon Masters: Roman Scorpion (Military, 5:00 pm)
• Machinery of the Past (RFD-TV, 5:00 pm)
• This Old House: Austin Green Remodel Project (DIY, 5:30 pm)
• Cool Stuff: How It Works (Science, 5:30 pm)
• Deconstructed: Quartz Watch, Vacuum Cleaner, Microphone, MP3 Player (Science, 6:00 pm)
• Ask This Old House: Leaky Skylight, Repairing a Light Switch (DIY, 6:30 pm)
• Deconstructed: Digital camera, pallet trucks, tattoo machine, laser mouse (Science, 6:30 pm)
• How It’s Made: Paving Asphalt, Marshmallow Cookies, Loudspeakers, Electronic Door Locks (Science, 7:00 pm)
• How It’s Made: Wood-Burning Stoves, Orthoses, Ballet Slippers, Buses (Science, 7:30 pm)
• How Do They Do It?: Drink Cartons, Pre-Fabricated Houses (Science, 9:00 pm)
• Deconstruction: Storm Proofing (DIY, 9:30 pm)
• How Do They Do It?: Durable Jeans; Wine Glasses (Science, 9:30 pm)

Enjoy.

Today Toolmonger is taking a bit of a rest for Memorial Day as we celebrate and honor those who served. Our plans include watching the local parade and perhaps a little time outside with the grill, weather permitting.

We give our heartfelt thanks to the men and women on active duty and those that served in years gone by.

(TV Tonight, Monday, May 25th, 2009) You’ve mowed and trimmed and worked on projects, so enjoy some barbecue outdoors.

All times are central.

• Trains & Locomotives (RFD-TV, 5:00 pm)
• Top Gear: Season 11 Ep. 5 (BBC America, 7:00 pm)
• Top Gear: Season 11 Ep. 4 (BBC America, 8:00 pm)

Enjoy.

(TV Tonight, Sunday, May 24th, 2009) Hit the new Kitchens and Baths 2009 trade show tonight on HGTV.

All times are central.

• Top Gear: Season 10 Ep. 4 (BBC America, 5:00 pm)
• How It’s Made: Steel Wool, Ranges, Carved Candles, Slot Machines (Science, 5:00 pm)
• Weapon Masters: Roman Scorpion (Military, 5:00 pm)
• How It’s Made: CCD Semiconductors, Airline Meals, Paper Cups, Trumpets (Science, 5:30 pm)
• Top Gear: Season 9 Ep. 3 (BBC America, 6:00 pm)
• Kitchens & Baths 2009 (HGTV, 8:00 pm) NEW
• Successful Farming Machinery Show (RFD-TV, 9:00 pm)

Enjoy.