Here’s a kick-ass present for your favorite “apprentice” — or “the boy” as my father always called me: a miniature wood workshop complete with a lathe. This looks like a great way to help kids develop and hone skills that should apply well when they’re are ready to step up to the big versions — and will last a lifetime.
When I realized I needed to pick up a present for my youngest nephew’s birthday party the other day, I figured a wood burning kit would be just the thing. I received one when I was his age and had a blast with it. Every block of wood I could find had my name or dragster emblazed on its side. His parents weren’t so thrilled, though. When he opened it, they looked at him like he was holding a live hand grenade.
It was a sweet kit, too. It had a wood burning pen with an on/off switch and plenty of construction stuff like wood slats, sandpaper, cork glue, and leather strips plus paint and a paint brush — all for about $18. Together with some Mom or Dad supervision — like I had — the kid could be cranking out coolness in no time.
But it was no go. His Mom snatched that bad boy away so quick he hardly had time to say “wow!” Then Mom followed it up with a “you’ll burn the house down” and that was the end of that.
A brad nailer can make finishing trim work go a lot quicker, and though pneumatic versions are available, the electric models always seem to be easier to deal with, IMHO. These are also sweet for craft work as well.
The model pictured above fires 5/8″ to 1-1/4″ 18-gauge brads, and offers power adjustment via a dial. It’s got a slide-load magazine and a soft grip handle.
There are lots of models available, but I used this one recently when I visited a friend working in a frame shop, and it seemed quite solid. Street pricing starts around $60.
Electric Brad Nailer (Model TRE650) [Stanley]
Street Pricing [Froogle]
We’re huge Dremel fans here at Toolmonger, and we’ve used their tools and accessories for all sorts of projects over the years — some we imagine Dremel intended, and some they’d probably never considered. In the last few years, though, Dremel’s really stepped up the innovation. Their latest: The EZ-Lock.
Remember what a pain it is (was) to install cut-off wheels and the like? It just got a lot easier. With the new EZ-Lock system you simply push and twist to install the wheel.
This is probably the ultimate craft accessory: a cordless, re-fuelable hot glue gun. The next time you’re stuck (get it, stuck — hey, it’s late, OK?) in the middle of nowhere gluing 4,000 tiny beads on something, this is your tool.
Seriously, though, hot glue has all kinds of industrial and practical applications far beyond crafts — including positioning wires and making relatively strong, but breakable connections. For example, we used hot glue to attach trim on a dart board surround we recently built. It holds the trim on well, but not so well that you can’t break it off to repair the felt underneath if need be. (And if you’ve seen us play darts, you know the need indeed be.)
As we’ve said before, picking up some basic framing equipment helps deliver custom framing from the hands of the rich to the hands of the poor (read: us). Even if you don’t want to assemble your own frames, you can save a ton by cutting your own mattes and glass.
Besides a matte cutter, you should also have at least one art deckle ruller in your basic framing toolkit. They help you make those great-looking torn (”deckled”) edges perfectly.
Wanna know the difference between a professional looking framing job and what most people have hanging in their abode? Its all about the matting.
The problem is that at Toolmonger we were definitely born with the uber-cheap gene, and we refuse to pay $100 plus for a custom matte job. That’s why we just placed an order for Logan’s 301-S compact matte cutter. With the 301-S and just a little bit of practice, we’re gonna bring out the “inner masterpiece” in that $20 print of “dogs playing poker” we picked up at the flea market. You can, too.
Versatility and options are the difference between a good project and a pile of dusty scrap in the shop. Gorilla Glue is a solid versatile weapon in the fight against the dusty scrap outcome. Gorilla glue bonds with wood, stone, metal, ceramics, Corian and styrofoam. It’s also waterproof.
We’ve used Gorilla Glue in our household projects for the last year or so. While it doesn’t (in our experience) bond particularly well with all plastics, we can report that wood, metal, and stone do, when combined with Gorilla Glue, indeed dry to become a permenantly bonded pair. It can also be washed off of your hands before they are glued together — ask us how we know — which is high on our list of what makes a glue product a good buy.
Gorilla Glue can be found at almost any hardware center for around $4.
Gorilla Glue Products [Gorilla Tough]
When you think of craft tools, you can’t help but think of Dremel. (And if you don’t already own one of their rotary tools, now’s the time.) But were you aware that they make a glue gun?
Featuring dual temperature settings, a work light, an on-off switch (don’t laugh — look for one on your cheapie glue gun), LED indicator lights to indicate “on” and “ready” status, a soft-grip handle, a built-in kickstand, and a silicon tip (as opposed to metal in order to prevent accidental burns), Dremel’s glue gun may just be the most feature-laden glue gun on the market.
It starts at around $25 (street), so just think of it as the buying the Cadillac of glue guns for $15 more than the Yugo.
Glue Gun [Dremel]
Street Pricing [Froogle]
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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
