For us, one of the most important tools this time of year is the BBQ lighter. It has a great way of kicking off most of the important activities that will be going on this Saturday — fireworks and steaks. Around our home town, you notice two things that mark the 4th of July season: lighters of all shapes and sizes are marked down and available everywhere (even places they aren’t normally for sale), and metal-clad stands spontaneously spring from the ground and start selling legal black-powder products.

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We got a kick out of talking to the Milwaukee accessory guys a few weeks ago while attending their product symposium. It was almost a counterculture inside the rank-and-file of the power tool reps, and we’ve seen it at almost every manufacturer. “Those tools are nothing without a good bit at the business end.” They say it without fail wherever we go and they said it over and over at the product launch for Milwaukee’s Shockwave bits.

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Our friend Rick wrote to us about a problem he was having with his PS40-2. It seems he found out what happens when you use a straight bit in a quick change chuck.

I’ve got a little bit of a dilemma. So I had let my brother-in-law borrow my Bosch PS40-2 (The Impactor) When I gave it to him I only gave him the bit so he could use it with a 3/8″ socket set for his brakes.

Anyway - today I was over at my in-laws and he still had it and I needed to screw some sheetrock screws into some plywood and figured I’d use my handy dandy PS40-2. Problem was I didn’t have any quick change Phillips bits. So I used a regular bit (half inch tall one, or 3/4″ or whatever the normal ones are). I screwed in a few screws and everything worked great - I even pulled it out once or twice. Well at some point between the 4th and 8th screw, it seemed to sink into the quick change chuck a little more than it had been - and when I was done I could no longer get the bit out. I’ve tried everything - but there’s barely anywhere to get some purchase to grab it. I’ve gotten a good hold on it with a needle nose pliers and still no dice. The Quick Change chuck only comes up a little - but it doesn’t pull up all the way to completely disengage.

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While they’re no replacement for a torque wrench, torque sticks are a pretty cool alternative.  When used with an impact wrench dialed to the appropriate setting, they start flexing when the desired torque is reached, absorbing the impact rather than transferring it to the fastener.  Because of the way they operate, you can’t just use one as an extension to your ratchet — they’ll only work with impact wrenches.

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If you own a DeWalt miter saw but find yourself left out in the dark when trying to make detailed cuts, you may want to take a look at DeWalt’s miter saw work light system.  It fits on all DeWalt miter saws, and the angle of the heavy-duty 200W LED bulb allows you to use the blade shadow to easily measure for repeat cuts and angles, without removing the light.

DeWalt’s miter saw work light sells at Lowe’s for $60.

DeWalt Miter Saw Work Light [Lowe's]
Street Pricing [Google]
Via Amazon [What’s This?]

With Father’s Day about a month away, I’m sure many of us are scrambling to find this year’s present.  We’ve already exhausted the pocket knife, cigar cutter, homemade picture frame, beer gift basket, necktie, and personal coupon books in past years, and we’re running short on ideas — but if your dad’s a sports fan and a Toolmonger, you might want to check out these sports-themed tool belts from Fantasia Memorabilia.

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The commonly recommended method for stopping a drill bit at a marked depth is to wrap it with tape. While this works most of the time, the tape can slip, and if it doesn’t it winds up looking pretty ragged by the time you’re done with the fourth hole.  I’m tempted to try one of these adjustable bit stops if for no other reason than its tape-goo-free operation — I’m a cheapskate at heart, but the only thing I hate more than spending cash is cleaning tools.

The stop, which also functions as a bump stop, wraps around standard 1/16″ to 1/2″ drill bits and holds tight to the bit with a quick twist.  Constructed from nylon plastic, the drill stop will run you $6 from Woodcraft.

Adjustable Bit Stop [Woodcraft]
Street Pricing [Google]

One problem with some cable organizing sleeves is that it’s hard to add or remove cables, but with the Zip-It Up cable organizer you can just unzip the sleeve, remove or add cables, and re-zip it.

The 20″ fabric sleeve can stretch to contain as many as 20 wires.  It comes in either gray or black and sells for as little as $5, but watch out for the shipping costs.

Zip-It Up [Clear Prospects Ltd.]
Street Pricing [Google]
Via Amazon [What’s This?]

Think of the EZ Smart system like a sort of reverse table saw — instead of the stock moving over the saw, a circular saw runs on a track and slices up stock in a controlled, precise manner.

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Hyde takes the venerable painter’s 5-in-1 tool and adds a bit holder and storage for four bits in the handle, in addition to the paint scraper, drywall knife, roller cleaner, crack cleaner, and hammer.  Evidently it’s supposed to save you from grabbing for a screwdriver when you need to remove hardware for painting.

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Incra’s miter sliders provide rigid and stable T-slot runners for your router table, table saw, or band saw jigs.  Incra designed them for use with their Build-It System panels, but they can also give your custom jigs precise-fitting runners with minimum play.

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These inexpensive little locks will secure a sliding window while it’s open, much like putting a nail in the sash keeps a double-hung window from opening far enough for someone to enter.  Unlike a nail though, you can easily remove, replace, change their position, or even use them to keep the window shut.

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In situations where I need to calculate wire size, breaker size, or some other electrical value, I usually have to break out the electrical handbooks or hunt on the web to double-check my work. If, like me, you can never remember the codes and values for electrical wiring, the ElectriCalc Pro can help.

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A few months ago my truck’s clutch slave cylinder busted, and my shop space is on an incline so there was no way to push the truck in there, except with the tractor, which scraped the paint and made some small dents in the bumper — no biggie since the truck’s almost 20 years old with over 210,000 miles on it. Pulling it over 100 feet with a come-along would’ve taken too long, but the Warn PullzAll winch could’ve saved my day.

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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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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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A ladder can help you get from one place to another, like from the ground to the roof, but you probably use it more commonly as a platform for working where you couldn’t otherwise reach.  Getting the right tools up the ladder and keeping them there can be a shuffle even with a tool belt, but this ladder caddy from H.F. Staples looks like a neat way to carry and hold all the tools you’ll need while you’re off the ground.

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