Archive for the 'Abrasives' Category
Wednesday, January 28th, 2009
Most firearm owners will recognize this nylon bristle brush, especially if they’ve been in the service — the brush is included as standard issue with all M16s in the military. One end is a normal toothbrush and the other end has a very thin version of the same brush. This narrow brush will enter most of those smaller areas to get them squeaky clean.
I personally keep two of these brushes in the shop: one in the parts washer and another in the toolbox. The brush is made by many manufacturers, but I believe the Kleen-Bore is the most popular commercial version.
Street pricing starts at $2.
Gun Brush [Kleen-Bore]
Street Pricing [Google]
Via Amazon [What’s This?]
Posted in Abrasives, Cleaning, Kleen-Bore | No Comments »
Thursday, January 1st, 2009
If you’re tired of filing by hand, you’re probably thinking, “There’s a power tool for just about every other hand tool — why not filing?” Wahl makes what they claim is the world’s smallest power filer/sander. This rechargeable tool uses reciprocating action to mimic how you’d use a file, and it reaches into tight spaces for easy precision finishing, deburring, and sanding of plastic, wood, metal, and most other materials.
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Posted in Abrasives, Micro-Mark | 4 Comments »
Thursday, December 11th, 2008
It’s not easy sharpening a curved edge with a flat stone, so why bother? Get a curved stone like one of these slipstones from Grizzly. These tapered Japanese stones can sharpen gouges from 1/2″ to 2″ wide. Made from aluminum oxide and available in 240, 1,000, and 4,000 grits, these water stones both sharpen and polish.
One curved slipstone will run you about $16.
Curve Gouge Slipstone [Grizzly]
Via Amazon [What’s This?]
Posted in Abrasives, Amazon, Grizzly | No Comments »
Tuesday, November 18th, 2008
Sanding into corners or convex curves with a quarter-sheet palm sander can be challenging, but with their EZ Sand Pro, Wizard Industries hopes to make that task a bit easier. This lightweight foam block includes three nested profiles which allow you to sand many curved shapes and angles. (more…)
Posted in Abrasives, Amazon, Work Clothes | 5 Comments »
Tuesday, October 28th, 2008
Some call ‘em random orbital sanders — I always call ‘em jitterbugs — either way, they’re the go-to tool for a smooth surface finish. The vigorous circular motion of the sandpaper helps prevent sanding lines and swirl marks, and you don’t have to worry about the direction of the grain. 3M has released a new line of random orbital sanders with the catchy name “Random Orbital Sander.” I guess the marketing department had the day off.
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Posted in Abrasives, Air Tools | No Comments »
Tuesday, October 7th, 2008
Yes, the Sand Devil is yet another sanding block, but instead of a proprietary pad it works with a standard 3″ x 21″ aluminum oxide sanding belt that reportedly lasts up to 20x longer than regular sandpaper. Plus, when you’ve worn one side of the belt you can rotate it to get fresh abrasive.
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Posted in Abrasives, Amazon, Woodworking | 1 Comment »
Thursday, October 2nd, 2008
Chuck this tool in a demolition hammer and tenderize your steak in no time flat. OK, so Milwaukee’s bushing tool is actually meant to prepare concrete for resurfacing — chipping up the old surface allows the new concrete to bond better.
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Posted in Abrasives, Amazon, Drills/Bits, Milwaukee | 2 Comments »
Tuesday, September 30th, 2008
If you do any kind of engraving on glass, metal, or ceramic you might want to head over to Sears and check out this Craftsman engraver set that’s currently selling for $25. Armed with a carbide stylus, the engraving pen features a variable-speed throttle, perfect for security engraving or maybe even a spot of home dentistry.
Craftsman Engraver Set [Sears]
Street Pricing [Google Products]
Posted in Abrasives, Craftsman, Dealmonger, Hand Tools, Sears | 3 Comments »
Wednesday, September 24th, 2008
Detail sanding becomes difficult when you can’t see exactly how much material you’ve removed or how much you have left to remove. Seyco addresses this problem with its SeeSander, a see-through cutting disk that allows you to see the surface of the workpiece as you sand.
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Posted in Abrasives | No Comments »
Thursday, September 11th, 2008
Machine Shop Discount Supply is selling 1lb cans of Clover Lapping Compounds for $18.07. The link below is for the 280 grit compound, but you can get the same price on a variety of grades — it’s a much better deal than the tiny 4oz containers sold for upwards of $10. Lapping compounds come in handy for lapping valves, general honing, and mating all manner of surfaces. Just remember, a little goes a long way.
Clover Lapping Compound, 1lb [Machine Shop Discount Supply]
Street Pricing [Google Products]
Posted in Abrasives, Dealmonger | No Comments »
Tuesday, August 26th, 2008
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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Posted in Abrasives, Amazon | 1 Comment »
Thursday, July 31st, 2008
If you’re the type of woodworker who uses curvy free-flowing forms in your work, you’ll appreciate the Guinevere System from King Arthur’s Tools — its inflatable rubber sanders conform to the shape of your workpiece. Between the drum sanders and dome-shaped sanders, you’ll be able to prepare just about any surface.
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Posted in Abrasives, Amazon, Rockler, Woodworking | 1 Comment »
Wednesday, July 30th, 2008
If you’re going to coat your pickup bed with a roll-on bed-liner, prepping the bed correctly can mean the difference between a liner that lasts the lifetime of the truck and one that starts peeling in a few years. Like anything else worth doing right, sanding the bed is slow, hard work — luckily, Hutchins offers a sanding system to speed up the process and prepare the bed more effectively.
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Posted in Abrasives, Amazon, Hand Tools | 5 Comments »
Thursday, July 10th, 2008
Metallurgists combine metals to create alloys that work differently than any of their components. Woodworkers might find this idea alien — mixing two woods just doesn’t go. Machinists might not even appreciate the beauty of this fantastic art and science, unless they carefully select the metals they work with. But the choice of a metallic alloy for a project or a part can make even more difference than a woodworker’s choice of species.
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Posted in Abrasives, Books, Drills/Bits, Flickr Pool, Metalworking, Saws, Tool Tech, Welding | 7 Comments »
Wednesday, July 9th, 2008
Steel wool leaves small fibers behind, which is especially bad when you’re using water-based finish. The water in the finish can rust the stray fibers, stain the wood, and ruin your project. Bronze wool provides one alternative — it’s been used in corrosive marine environments for years. It won’t rust, plus it resists shedding.
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Posted in Abrasives, Amazon | 1 Comment »
Monday, June 30th, 2008
As wood projects go, you’ll probably never deal with any bigger surface than wood floors, and sanding them with a hand tool, powered or not, is a huge project. To hide as much scratching as possible you’ll want to sand with the grain — which is impossible with the big rotary floor machines — but the SL-8 straight-line floor sander will do the job nicely.
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Posted in Abrasives, Amazon, Finishes, Power Tools | 3 Comments »
Friday, June 27th, 2008
This hand pump turns any five-gallon water bottle into an instant drinking fountain. Perfect for camping or large picnics, it’ll also keep your construction crew or little league team well-hydrated.
The pump installs without tools and the long siphon makes sure you get every last drop. The large easy-push pump will squirt out eight ounces of water with just two or three pumps.
Pick one up from Amazon for $5 plus $8 shipping.
Via Amazon [What’s This?] [What's This?]
Posted in Abrasives, Dealmonger | 1 Comment »
