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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This is the last chance to enter the Paslode giveaway, so don’t forget to enter if you already haven’t — and remember that you can add to your chances by entering a comment on this or any of the other Paslode giveaway posts again.

Paslode was kind enough to offer up a set of cordless tools for us to give away to one of our loyal readers. Next month we’ll select a winner from all of you who post valid comments on any of the Paslode giveaway posts (like this one).

Sure, you already post your thoughts here — and you deserve a hearty “thank you” from me and the rest of the Toolmonger community — but now when you post a comment, you’re not only sharing your experience with other Toolmongers around the world; you’re also adding a chance to win!  That’s good all ’round, yeah?

Paslode Cordless Giveaway Rules [Toolmonger]

This recall is my most recent favorite. The Wagner Spray Tech heat guns are being recalled to due to — wait for it — fire and burn hazards. Wagner says you should stop using the recalled products immediately unless otherwise instructed.

Basically a component failure can cause the guns to continue to produce heat after the power switch is turned off, which melts the heat gun’s plastic exterior and causes burns if the heat gun is touched. It will also ignite nearby combustibles, posing fire and burn hazards. The good news (and the reason I’m joking around about it) is there have been no injuries or property damage, so this is totally preventative.

The affected models include the Milwaukee Heat Gun MHT3300, ACE HT3500 Heat Gun, and the Wagner Heat Gun HT3500. The heat gun’s name and model number are located on a black label on the bottom of the heat gun’s barrel.

If you have one of these guns, just contact Wagner for a free replacement product.

Wagner Spray Tech Recalls Heat Guns Due to Fire and Burn Hazards [CPSC]

This interesting-looking old drill press posted to the Toolmonger photo pool has us scratching our collective noggins. It’s obviously a belt-powered drill press of some sort but we have no idea what its original setup would have looked like.

The stock plate doesn’t have a hole in it, which to me says metalwork — though I suppose that’s not always true. The whole thing looks like it’s built for fine adjustment with the knobs at the spindle shaft, but the wheels at the rear are a bit of a question for me. Is the belt supposed to loop through them or is it for a second belt that controls the height?

We always find this type of shop mystery thought-provoking. We hope reader Ghb624 finds out how this rig is meant to be set up and what its original purpose was. Let us know what you think in comments.

Toolmonger Photo Pool [Flickr]

The sub-compact 3/8” drill market must be a place where Bosch and the few others were making a killing last year, because almost all the heavy hitters are rolling out with them this year — and Makita is no exception. The DF330DW should look very familiar to anyone that’s been scoping other models of the same class.

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Milwaukee is still putting the final touches on this bad boy, but that didn’t stop them from letting us play with their new compact band saw. Our homie Doug Mahoney, pictured above, models the new corded band saw doing its thing.  Yeah, it’s as badass as it looks.

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Milwaukee is currently offering a free tool with the purchase of some of the combo kits in their M12, M18, and V28 power tool lines. Depending on availability and the tool line you’re purchasing from, you can choose from such freebies as extra batteries, add-on wet/dry vacs, a Sawzall, and many more items.

This special rebate offer runs through June 30, 2009, and you can find more details on Milwaukee’s website.

Offer Details [Milwaukee]

Milwaukee unveiled their newest frontline products in the sub-compact cordless wars last week, and the M12 3/8” drill/driver was one of the first out of the gate. This offers a couple of insights:  first, this new drill is proof positive that Milwaukee has no plans to drop their M12 line;  and second, if you’ve been lamenting the limited choice of tools in this line, you’re in for a good year.

From everything we’ve heard, the big red “M” plans to roll out just shy of a dozen new tools in the M12 line alone this year. Their 3/8” drill is a great start. It features a 0 – 1,500 RPM high gear and 0 – 400 RPM low gear as well as a ripping 250 in-lbs of torque that’ll keep it in stride with the other competitors in its class.

With the rising popularity of the sub-compact lines in the market today, it seems Milwaukee’s going to bet heavy on little tools that boast large performance.  From a consumer standpoint we have to agree with that choice — we’ve reached for the high-end Li-Ion subs for the last two years, and they haven’t disappointed us yet. We can’t imagine the M12 3/8” will be any different. We got our hands on one for a short time at the recent Milwaukee event and it seemed very solid.

Pricing looks to be in the $130 - $150 range for the drill, charger, and two-battery set.  No word on what drill-only or combo kit pricing will be just yet, but we’ll keep you updated as rollouts occur.

Milwaukee M12 Line [Milwaukee Tools]

This new 7-1/4″ saw from Makita looks very similar to their other circular saw offerings, and to most other brands on the market, too.  But it hides its special feature on the inside — a hypoid gear drive.

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Yes, ladies and gents, this is a preview of the upcoming Craftsman C3 cordless chainsaw — they’ll add it to the existing C3 line in late July.  Craftsman recently released this information to Sears associates only, and just as of today it’s cleared for public consumption. On with the show! (more…)

Paslode was kind enough to offer up a set of cordless tools for giveaway to one of our loyal readers. Here’s how it works: sometime in July we’ll select a comment from all the valid comments posted here on this Toolmonger entry post since today. The author of that comment receives the tools!  So, when you post a comment on this post or any of the following Paslode giveaway posts, you’re not only sharing your experience with other Toolmongers around the world, you’re also adding a chance to win. Win what, you ask? You’d receive:

• A CF-325 cordless framing nailer
• One Fuel+Nail combo pack
• Your choice of a straight or angled cordless 16g finish nailer
• A cordless 18g brad nailer
• And a cordless 16g standard crown stapler

If you’ve been putting off a cordless nailer/stapler purchase, winning an entire set of Paslode cordless tools would be a great way to get a few summer projects completed without spending that hard-earned cash you’ve been saving. To enter, just tell us in the comments what you’d do with the set if you won, or what you like about cordless nailers over corded pneumatics. Good luck.

Toolmonger Paslode Cordless Giveaway Rules [Toolmonger]

In this great action shot, reader Vincent Ma cuts some stone for his latest backyard project and shows off his hard-won work clothes.

Using an angle grinder from Canadian Tire, and a Norton diamond blade, I can score grooves in the brick in order to snap the “wings” off the Celtik wall unit. This way I can make beveled units for curved sections of the wall.

My work pants are nearing their end. Here a giant rip opened up and all I can do is duct-tape it to prevent my underwear from showing. Yes, I do know how to sew, but I don’t wanna bother with it.

Never feel bad about working so hard that your work clothes can’t take the strain. The only idiots who’ll make fun of you for that are the same people who’d hire out the project you just did with your bare hands. The duct tape just means you value one type of work over another this weekend — nothing wrong with that.  Also, the stones look great.

Toolmonger Photo Pool [Flickr]

If you need a small portable cutting tool for carpet, clamshell, cardboard, fabric, and other lightweight materials, take a look at Skil’s Power Cutter. It sports a 10-sided 1-1/2″ blade, and it comes with a 3.6V lithium-ion rechargeable battery and charger.  Amazon is selling the Skil Power Cutter for $48 — or you can pick it up at Ace Hardware for $52 if you need it immediately.

Via Amazon [What’s This?]
Skil Power Cutter [Ace Hardware]
Street Pricing [Google]

Reader Simple Simon’s sweet photo of this industrial-looking Canadian Buffalo drill press piqued my interest and inspired me to find out more about it. The key word here is industrial, and as it turns out, though the Canadian Buffalo brand is new to me, the company is old –- very old.

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I’ve been cleaning up all the tools for the ShopSmith, and it’s an uphill battle — however, the process got a little more interesting when I got to the scroll saw and found out it’s the only attachment that’s not SS-branded.  It was obviously made to work with the ShopSmith since it sports the telltale driveshaft that hooks into the headstock, but this is the first time I’ve run across a Dunlop brand power tool.

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Woodcraft is having a sale at all their locations this Friday and Saturday — twenty percent off all Jet and Powermatic tools and accessories.  It’s not a bad deal, especially if you’re looking at getting a big piece of gear like a full-sized wood planer, table saw, or floor-standing drill press.

So if you had your eye on a Powermatic PM2000 3HP table saw, for instance, you’d normally be out about three grand;  this weekend you can shave about $600 off that.  Unless you’re buying equipment used or off the back of a truck, you probably won’t find better deals on this big a selection anytime soon.

I’m going down to check it out, but will wind up leaving my wallet in the car just in case I’m tempted –- which has happened in the past.

Sale Sheet [Woodcraft]

Next week Craftsman is set to release its newest addition to the existing 12V Nextec line:  the Multi-Tool.  If the shape seems a little familiar, it should — except for a few slight differences in the casing, it looks very similar to the Bosch PS50-2B multi-saw.

Craftsman designed the Multi-Tool for cutting, sanding, scraping, and grinding, all by means of the 15,000 OPM drive.  The unit comes with six attachments, a sampling of cutters and scrapers that Craftsman says will tackle anything from drywall to masonry.

Like the rest of the Nextec line, the Multi-Tool features an LED work light and a 30-minute quick-charger. The Multi-Tool will also run about $100 with the charger and bag included, which is less than half the price of the PS50-2B.

Nextec 12V Multi-Tool [Craftsman]