*Although I must admit I paused when I got to the “Insert into Post” command for adding its picture to the TM blog.

USB Snakescope Camera [Firebox]
Handheld USB Snake Scope [USB Fever]
USB Snake Scope Camera [Manufacturer's Site]

Loctite calls this goop 30534 liquid thread sealant with PTFE/Teflon. The sheer amount of oxygen required to say that could keep several people alive for a month, so I’ll take a page from Smitty’s book (the oldest mechanic I ever worked with) and call it “pipe dope.”

Essentially, PTFE thread sealant is an improved, liquid (but very viscous) version of Teflon tape with a few noteworthy advantages. It’s not direction-sensitive, so the new guy won’t wrap pipe threads backwards, and it provides a better seal thanks to its anaerobic hardening properties (much like regular Loctite). You don’t need to keep different thicknesses around for different pipe thread sizes, either. The only major disadvantage is that Teflon tape has no set time, whereas this needs to be left alone for a few hours before use. This can be inconvenient, since an awful lot of repairs are done on pipe threads.

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We’ve covered faucet lights that change color with water temperature before, but what’s even cooler about Sylvania’s ECOlight is that it provides both temperature indication and shower illumination without batteries or electrical wiring — water pressure provides the power for this self-contained unit.

The ECOlight has an LED that glows blue when the water is cold and red when the water gets warmer.  It uses Sylvania’s high power golden dragon LED to provide light so you don’t need to turn on any extra lights on when you’re showering. There’s an on/off switch if you don’t want to use the light.

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Not many people are going to need a stainless steel pipe polisher, but the tool just looks really cool.  You can use Fein’s RS 12-70 to grind pipe welds, sand pipes to a satin finish, or polish pipes to a mirror finish and anywhere in between.

The variable-speed sander can drive the belt to speeds up to 22 m/s.  The belts rides on what I’m assuming are spring-loaded arms that allow the belt to flex around the pipe so you can surface all 360° of the pipe in only two passes.

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We previously covered Trend’s Routabout jig for cutting replaceable access hole covers, but recently they revealed a new system that looks much simpler to use because it utilizes a 1/2″ drill instead of a router. You simply drill a 102mm (4″) hole into 18mm (.0708″) or 22mm (7/8″) chipboard, plywood, OSB, or plasterboard and cover it with either a metal or mesh plate.

The Cavity Access System comes with a 102mm hole saw with a heavy duty arbor and pilot drill, a 120mm (4-3/4″) rebate cutter for cutting the cover plate recess, five steel covers, and a waste removal tool all packaged in a plastic case. The system will run you 65 pounds or about $105, not including shipping and taxes.

Cavity Access System [TRT]
Cavity Access System [Miles Tool & Machinery]

I can’t say I’m 100% sure on how these rotating gate valve lockouts from Master Lock are intended to be used, but I’m guessing one possible use is to prevent somebody from turning the water — especially if it’s heated to steam — back on when you’re working on a plumbing project across the building. If lock-out tag-out works for electricians, why not for plumbers?

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Besides looking cool, these hardened steel reamers from RIDGID have both an inner and outer cone so you can both ream and debur stainless steel, copper, steel, and aluminum with same tool.

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Blazer’s line of utility torches are powerful little monsters — you can adjust the flame from a smoky, match-like burn to a nearly-invisible jet of 2,500-degree plasma, hot enough to turn steel into a molten puddle. They run on easily-obtainable butane and can handle everything from soldering heavy-gauge wire to applying heat shrink.

You’ve got to be careful with this little bugger, but it’s a kick-ass tool for electronics techs, hobbyists, and anyone who needs to apply a bit — or a lot — of precise heat. Street pricing is about $40.

Blazer GB-2001 [Blazer]
Street Pricing [Google Products]

A pressing machine squeezes fittings together to make solderless joints in copper, stainless and PEX tubing even with residual fluid still in the pipe. It’s wicked handy and it’s what many pros use to fix leaks in modern pipes. Stanley VIRAX now launched the first of its pressing guns into the U.S. market.

The Stanley Virax M20 Plus is a pistol-grip pressing machine about the size of a regular cordless drill. It was engineered specifically for the professional plumber and mechanical contractor who require interchangeable jaw inserts to join 1/2-inch to 1-inch copper and 3/8-inch to 1-inch PEX tubing.

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You’re pulling a toilet, and but first you need to get that last bit of water out of it.  Traditionally you might suck it out with a turkey baster or absorb it with a sponge, but next time you might want to try LiquiLock.  A one-tablespoon packet will solidify the remaining water into a non-toxic gel.

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If we can take ReTherm’s claim at face value, by installing their device to recover waste heat that would otherwise go down the drain, we can save at least as much as we would with tankless water heaters, at a fraction of the install cost — which means the device might actually pay for itself in a reasonable period of time.

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At first when I saw this I thought it’d be great for the “city dwellers” to prevent a prankster from strolling by, turning on the water, and walking away. But I hear now that the newest “prank” is to turn on the water and stick the hose into an open window, dryer vent, or window well.  The wet floors, walls, drywall, and whatever could run into the tens of thousands of dollars for repairs — plus you get a high water bill to top it all off!  You can foil those vandals with this Hose Bib Lock.

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Unclogging the sink or toilet is never a pleasant experience, especially if you have to call the plumber or break out the drain snake.  Before you resort to those extreme measures you’ll want to try your “first” options:  the typical plunger, or “water swisher” as I call it; the CO2-based units that shoot a small blast of carbon dioxide; or, probably the best of the “first” options, the Johnny Jolter from Metro Products.

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Here in sunny southern California, as in many other areas of the country, we’re experiencing a drought, and it seems like all we hear about is water conservation. We were forced to switch out our high-powered behemoth of a toilet for a more efficient low-flow model, but what if you’re not satisfied with that level of water conservation — what do you do?  You pick up a couple of oddly named Toilet Tummies.

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When you run the washing machine or dishwasher do the pipes shake or make loud thumping noises?  That’s probably water hammer at work.  Solenoid-driven valves that close abruptly can be the worst offenders;  suddenly stopping the flow of water creates a pressure spike behind the valve which can reverberate throughout the supply pipes in your house.

Most water hammer arresters absorb the reverberations with a pressurized cushion of air.  But that air chamber can become waterlogged over time, so Sioux Chiefs Mini-Resters use a piston sealed with dual O-rings to separate the water from the air chamber.

Sioux Chief sells a wide variety of Mini-Resters for washing machines, tub and shower valves, toilets, ice makers, sinks, and other single-use applications.  Prices range from $10 to $20.

Water Hammer Arresters [Sioux Chief]
Street Pricing [Google]
Via Amazon [What’s This?]

A few weeks ago we posted stubby spade bits, but today we noticed that Greenlee has announced a line of stubby auger bits.  One big difference between the two types of bits is that auger bits tend to leave much cleaner holes with less tear-out than spade bits.  The trade-off:  Auger bits also tend to cost more.

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You use a chain wrench when a pipe won’t move and you want it to.  You use a chain vise to keep a pipe from moving when it wants to.  This portable chain vise and stand from RIDGID will help you thread, bend, or cut pipe when you’re away from the shop.

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