Whether you’re an aircraft mechanic, auto mechanic, welder, or DIYer, you’ll eventually need to grind or sand some metal. But what happens when your angle grinder doesn’t offer the finesse you need for a small, intricate job? What happens when you need to get into a hard-to-reach area? Here’s a solution that takes advantage of a tool you already have — 3M’s Roloc drill-mounted grinding/sanding/finishing system.
If you need to drill a hole in steel, you’re going to want a drill press. The power, the stability, and the accuracy will allow you to bore your way through small or narrow pieces of stock. But what do you do when you need precise holes in a large piece of plate steel that you can’t take to the drill press? You need to take the press to the steel. Milwaukee’s magnetic drill press lets you do just that.
I love my nail gun, but I don’t love plugging it into an air compressor and dragging around a hose. A cordless nailer sure would fix that problem, but wouldn’t I have to deal with both batteries and gas fuel-cells? Unlike the Palisode models Toolmonger previously covered, the DeWalt cordless nail guns don’t require a gas fuel-cell — they fire nails powered by the battery alone.
DeWalt makes a number of 12/14.4V and 18V models. But I’m going to feature the DK612KA 16-gauge 12/14.4V, because if you already have a tool with 12 or 14.4 XRP batteries, you can buy a bare tool for 154 freaking dollars!
Congratulations, everyone! Our tools now come equipped with laser beams — we’re officially in the future. Many drill presses, circ-saws, miter saws, and even some wacky hand tools now feature lasers for precision work. It seems manufacturers are anxious to put as many laser beams on their products as possible. I’m sure we’ll see a hammer that shines a laser on the head of a nail by year’s end. But do these high-tech beams of light really help?
I recently acquired a jigsaw that had a laser on it. I thought is was a bit weird, since lasers shoot straight and jigsaws are meant to cut curves — but I tried it out. Although it seemed to work at first, I wound up watching the laser instead of the blade, and my cut started to wander.
My Ryobi drill press also sports a laser. Although the laser crosshairs can be useful, I have to realign it almost every time I use the darn thing. On the other hand, I used to cut granite commercially on a large wet-saw, and my cuts would’ve been horrible had I not had a laser to align them.
So, are laser alignments hot or not? Do you have a tool with a laser? Which one? Do you use the laser, or does it just get in the way? Let us know in comments!
Saws With Lasers [Google Products]
Drills With Lasers [Google Products]
Time is money in every trade. If the trade requires setting up scaffolding, you waste time and money every time you have to get down, move the scaffold six feet, and then remount. The Crawler can potentially save hundreds of hours every year by allowing you to move the scaffolding without getting down.
While cordless screwdrivers rock at home, cords still rule in the industrial world. Why? Because they can spin like the devil — up to 2,850 RPM for the new Metabo — and they never run out of juice. Metabo also claims the SE2800’s shape plus its relatively-light 2.64 pound weight makes it easy on your hands, while that crazy-looking chuck allows you to remove and replace a driver bit without screwing up your depth stop settings.
If you need more spin, Metabo also offers the SE4000, which cranks up to 3,950 RPM, delivering slightly less torque as a trade. (Don’t read anything into that statement: all electric motors deliver less torque as RPM increases. The fact that Metabo rates the SE4000 as 71 in-lbs instead of the SE2800’s 106 in-lbs just means they’re being honest instead of simply measuring at a different RPM to make them match.)
Street pricing starts around $125 for both models, and they appear to be shipping now.
SE2800/SE4000 Corded Screwdriver [Metabo]
Street Pricing [Google Products]
I’m finally getting into the world of routing, and my entry point is this Hitachi KM12VC plunge and fixed-base router kit, available from Amazon for $130. The router features an 11A, 2-1/4 HP variable speed motor (8,000 to 24,000 RPM), and it includes the plunge base, 1/2″ and 1/4″ collet chucks, template guide adaptor, centering gauge, sub-base plate, three wrenches, and a five-year warranty.
I chose to save a Jackson and a Hamilton and get the refurbished model from the folks at Reconditioned Sales for $102.
KM12VC [Hitachi]
Via Amazon
Hitachi KM12VC Refurb [Reconditioned Sales]
Street Pricing [Google Products]
Using simple geometry, Rockler’s mortise-centering router baseplate can help you make perfectly centered mortises. Rockler makes the baseplate from 1/4″ clear acrylic, so you can see exactly what you’re routing. Two solid brass, 11/16″ pins screw into one of three sets of inserts drilled into the baseplate to accommodate different board thicknesses.
Setting router bits to the correct height takes patience and plenty of test scrap pieces. To aid in this process, Sommerfeld Tools recently released two Easy-Set (EZSET) gauges: a red one with eight different Freud profiles, and a yellow version with eight different Sommerfeld profiles.
We love almost any tool that looks like an alien weapon. The new Hitachi DH40MRY and H45MRY hammers fit that description nicely. New this year to the Hitachi lineup, these hammer drills boast some concrete-spanking specs, even if their name does sound like a serial number for an inmate.
According to Hitachi, these new arrivals soften the impact from the hammer and rotary action via a sweet dynamic counterweight and a system of dampers in the switch handle. They also sport a 9.2A motor with 950 watts of input power and a 12-position variable lock mechanism that allows you to easily adjust the bit for an optimal working angle.
Did we mention they look sweet? No pricing info yet, but we hope they won’t be sky-high. We also hope the service life matches the good looks.
DH40MRY And H45MRY Hammers [Hitachi]
An alert Toolmonger is always on the prowl for good deals, wherever they might be. Reader Brad found his latest score at the local pawn shop for super cheap. He writes:
No need for bartering with this one though. Almost brand new, I paid $10, thats no typo, ten! Some pawn shop employees have no idea what tools are worth, this is the case with this tool.
Made by Ryobi and compared to the Ryobi scroll saw, it is the exact same. Motor, molded plastic, metal parts, all the exact same.
We have to admire Brad’s killer deal instincts. Not only did he make the score, but he managed to not start laughing until he got it to the truck. Now that’s style — our hats off to you, sir!
Toolmonger Photo Pool [Flickr]
Bosch is set to roll out the new generation of their Brute Tough line this year. Bosch says the new generation is faster and more powerful than its predecessors. Also, the new Brute Toughs will feature a couple of kickers, like a newly designed 1/2″ metal chuck on the drills — it’s designed to give you a better grip and to be easier to lock down.
We’re interested to see how the revamped line fares against its competitors in the same class, but we’re more interested in how the new and improved metal chuck works. We’re hoping it feels like our shop-favorite V28 chuck in strength and grip. If that’s the case, then the new Brute line will be a tough contender in its class, considering the already stout list of features.
We happened across the Bosch 4212 attached to a T4 gravity-rise stand at a local tool show. The marriage of massive instruments is a sight to behold — though the $1,200 combo isn’t for the faint of heart, this miter/chop saw features a degree of raw cutting power that’s truly sweet.
Our only disappointment: The guys at the show couldn’t plug it in and slide a few 2×4’s under it so we could watch it in action.
Bosch 4212L and T4 Gravity Stand [Bosch]
Milwaukee Electric has added a new grinder to their vaunted V28 lithium-ion line of cordless tools. The V28 grinder features a 3.0 Ah, 28V lithium-ion battery and can spin up to 8,000 RPM.
We’re pretty stoked that Milwaukee chose to expand the V28 line, and we’re happier still that they picked a completely practical tool to do it with. The new grinder also features a soft start and weighs in at just under 7 lbs with the battery attached. No word on price yet, but we expect it to pass the hundred dollar mark.
V28 4-1/2” Grinder 0725-20 [Milwaukee]
With the smorgasbord of router jigs available today, the router has become one of the most versatile machines in the shop. With versatility comes trade-offs — each different jig usually requires removing the old jig and the router baseplate. But a system like the Router Buddy reduces setup time by allowing you to follow profiles and templates, and to cut circles, ellipses, dadoes, and rabbets, all with the same baseplate.
A look at the Festool site will have fans of the green and black drooling over the May release of the MFK 700 multi-purpose routing tool. The 700 features a quick-change base that switches from vertical to horizontal mode in about six seconds and requires no additional tools.
The video on the Festool site makes the unit seem pretty slick. The MFK 700 features good stuff like a 10k - 26k RPM motor and a connection for a dust collection attachment. The unit will weigh in at 4.2 lbs and will ship with the adjustable base attachment. Nothing on price yet — but if it follows general Festool pricing, “cheap” won’t be the word to describe it.
MFK 700 [Festool]
Steve Good from the Scrollsaw Workshop put together these videos for people looking to buy a scroll saw. He runs through some of the features he thinks are important to look for when deciding which saw to purchase. So what’s his number one feature to look for? The scroll saw should have a quick blade-changing mechanism, preferably tool-less.
Scrollsaw Workshop [Blogspot]
What To Look For In A Scroll Saw Part One [YouTube]
Selecting A Scroll Saw Part Two [YouTube]
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