Right now you can find the RoboToolz RT-2210-20 20 x Magnification Builders Level for $69.99 at Amazon.

The Builder’s Level is a transit, albeit a cheap version of a professional transit. It features accuracy of +/- 1/4″ at 100′ with a magnification 20x and an advertised range of 200′. It should be good for any light duty surveying such as fence lines. It doesn’t come with a tripod or a graduated rod, however, so you’ll have to get those elsewhere.

RoboToolz RT-2210-20 Builders Level Via Amazon [What’s This?]

Right now you can find the Empire Level 27088 Magnetic Base at Amazon for $10.52.

The base is no frills — it has an adjustable arm, no fine adjustment, and a clamp that should fit most dial indicators with a stem (rather than dovetail mount).

This looks like a good deal but the two negative reviews leave us wondering. It seems that both reviewers didn’t know that most non-switchable mag bases ship with a keeper on the magnet. Compounding this is the illustration showing a 1″ dial travel indicator, when for a small base like this it would be better to use a test indicator or much smaller dial travel indicator. It would also be nice to know how much holding force the magnet has.

Empire Level 27088 Magnetic Base Via Amazon [What’s This?]

Welding Supply currently has the Tweco SMGC200 Magnetic Ground Clamp for $22.95

Used in place of the typical alligator clamps, the SMGC200 Magnetic Ground Clamp allows you to quickly place the ground clamp on any flat or round surface. The top handle actuates the magnet and is rated for 200 amps and 176 degrees F.

Tweco SMGC200 Magnetic Ground Clamp [weldingsupply.com]

TM has had recent posts about both soldering and desoldering. If you’re doing either, the Edsyn FXF15 FUMINATOR can help to remove the potentially toxic fumes. You can get one in blue, green, or red from Edsyn for $27 (a 75% discount according to their website). Shipping costs seem a bit high, but maybe you can find some other things you need to rationalize the shipping. This bench-top fume extraction system draws fumes away from the operator, and comes with front and rear charcoal-impregnated filters, a 12 VDC wall transformer, a single adjustable arm, and is ESD safe. The FXF15 weighs 1.09 lbs, and is 5.5″ W × 9″ H × 5.5″ H. It appears to have a fan system similar to the Edsyn FXF11 (available from Amazon), but without the solder-peg stand and dual adjustable arm.

Instructables has several DIY alternatives (here’s a filtered version, for example).

Edsyn Fuminator FXF15 Via Amazon [What’s This?]

Amazon has a #61-#80 set of drill bits for the low price of $3.95.

These bits are definitely not high quality, but it’s worth keeping a set around just in case you have to drill a tiny hole from time to time. Bits this small are also handy for cleaning out small orifices by hand or even gauging holes if you don’t have a set of wire gauges that small. The description is confusing as it labels the size in mm, but we’re reasonably sure they’re number gauge bits. The case is definitely a throwaway, though, compared to the small metal indexes sets usually come in.

Via Amazon [What’s This?]

“Wow, that looks stupid. Who would use that thing? I’m never going to use this.” We said all those things at one point about the right angle attachment. Then we dug it out of the drawer about five times and had to eat our words. If you have a Dremel, get smart and buy in now — Utopia Tools has the Dremel 575 Right Angle Attachment for $16.99.

The right angle attachment, um…, attaches to your Dremel and provides a relatively compact 90-degree drive to the tool for getting into smaller spaces. The right angle drive doesn’t provide any speed reduction/torque increase, just a 1:1 drive at 90 degrees. It certainly means the body of the dremel can be held well away from the cut, when using smaller cutoff wheels and such.

Dremel 575 Right Angle Attachment [utopiatools.com]

Last August I posted a Dealmonger for the Osborne Revolving Leather Punch at $16.48 — now Amazon has the punch for the incredible price of $10.45 and it’s eligible for “Super Saver” shipping if you’re buying a bunch of stuff.

At that price you really can’t pass it up, even compared to cheap imports, if you need a punch for leather, rubber or other soft materials. In the last year I’ve used mine many times, and nothing works better for punching small holes.

C.S. Osborne 223 Revolving Leather Hole Punch Via Amazon [What’s This?]

A casual glance will tell you these are not standard slip joint pliers or cutters. What’s a little more rare is the person who can tell you they are Grozing pliers. Whittemore-Durgin Glass Co. has this pair of Inland brand Grozing pliers on sale for $5.92. 

Grozing pliers are used for nibbling glass and tile as well as breaking glass along the score line left by a glass cutter. The jaws are smooth and ground such that they have clearance for different thicknesses of glass, unlike regular pliers that won’t grip thick work properly. They’re a must-have for glass work, and there are other times having a pair of smooth jawed pliers just comes in handy, such as for bending small pieces of metal.

Inland Grozing Pliers [whittemoredurgin.com]

Rockler has a small autoloader screwdriver (see TM 2006 and 2007) for $10 as an online-only special. The unit comes with 6 bits (Phillips #0, #00, #000; slotted 3/32″, 1/8″, 5/32″; all bits are 5/32″ × 1″) that are accessed by pulling back on the handle, twisting to select the desired bit, and then pushing the handle forward. A large autoloader with 6 bits (Phillips #1, #2, #3; slotted 1/8″, 3/16″, 1/4″; all bits are 1/4″ × 1″), is also on sale for $15 (online-only). Free shipping with promo code V9789. This online sale ends this Wednesday, September 30.

Small Autoloader Screwdriver [Rockler]
Large Autoloader Screwdriver [Rockler]
Via Amazon [What’s This?]
Street Pricing [Google Products]

While there are much better models out there, Tool King has a “Grip” (a cheap import brand) 100′ long open tape measure on sale for $5.99. It will likely break at the first opportunity, but for that kind of cash if you get a few uses out of it you’d probably be ahead.

If you find yourself measuring long distances and hate running a 25′ or 50′ tape out and marking where it ends and running it out again, having a 100′ tape, even a cheap one, will save a lot of work. It’s perfect for setting up that archery range or laying out flagging for the road sprayer.

100′ Open Tape Measure [toolking.com]

Drillspot has what seems to be the lowest prices on Flex-Hones. For instance, $8.97 for a 1/4″ hone and 12.01 for a 3/4″ diameter hone. Of course, they do have many different sizes available — this one just jumped out at us.

Flex hones are used to debur and smooth a bore, as well as provide a cross-hatched finish, which is important for retaining lubricant on the walls of a cylinder (oddly enough you don’t want a polished bore in many applications, you want a bit of tooth) such as a brake cylinder. Because the individual “globules” of abrasive float in their bristles, you get a self-centering action that should give a uniform finish.

Flex Hone [drillspot.com]

Aldi probably isn’t the first place you’d look for an emergency generator, but they’re running a fine deal on a Kingcraft model as we speak. Specifications include 2,500W continuous output (20A at 120VAC), 3,250W peak output, two AC sockets, 12VDC terminals, and a 6.5HP motor. Claimed run time at half load is eight hours, requiring four gallons of fuel.

Kingcraft probably isn’t the best generator manufacturer, but the asking price is less than half that of comparable models. A similar Troy-Bilt model retails for $429, and Generac’s 3,250W unit costs $469. Both Troy-Bilt and Generac rate their products by continuous output rather than peak, so they have a leg up on the Kingcraft from the start. The unit is produced by the daintily-named Chong Qing Dajiang Power Equipment Co. LTD, a Chinese industrial engine manufacturer. No surprise at the price. Still, a discriminating rifleman has good things to say about the Kingcraft.

Kingcraft 3,250W Generator [Aldi Foods]

The name gets a laugh more often than not, but what this syringe-looking rig really does is suck solder away from an area you didn’t mean to put it on. MRO2Go has the Edsyn Soldapullt for about $11, which isn’t too bad when you try to think of a better way to get solder off something. At least in theory.

I assume you actuate the spring-loaded plunger when the solder has been melted by your soldering iron, and then is sucked up into the barrel of the tool. Unfortunately I can’t find instructions on the terrible Edsyn site, so I have to ask if anyone out there knows how to use it. Why? I picked one up for $1.00 at a garage sale this weekend.

Edsyn Soldapullt [mro2go.com]

A diamond band saw is used for cutting glass, tile, and stone in a manner similar to a woodworking band saw. The blade is a diamond-bonded steel band that has a thin kerf and allows curves within the limits of blade flex. Unconventional Lapidarist has the Inland Diamond Band Saw on sale right now for $228.76.

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The Mitee-Bite fixture clamp is a screw with a head diameter eccentric to the shaft of the screw and a hexagonal brass collar that fits around that head. Wholesale Tool has the 1/4″-20 thread Mitee-Bite Fixture Clamp for $5.35. Sound boring? It might be, until you need one.

When placed against the edge of a workpiece (that has a stop opposite the clamped edge) the screw is turned and this clamps the part. It’s a simple, low-profile way of clamping parts for machining.

Mitee-Bite Fixture Clamp [wttool.com]

The drill press table is often undervalued and overlooked in the shop. If your rig came with one you don’t think of it again. If it didn’t, you start looking at tables like this one from MLCS woodworking that’s on sale for $59.95.

The large table, which mounts over your standard drill press table, is made from MDF and has two t-slot tracks for hold downs and an adjustable fence. Looking around the internet it appears that the table is made by Peachtree Woodworking and is indeed cheaper from MLCS. What we wonder is, given the price of the t-slot extrusion – about $13.00 for 24″ – is it stupid to buy a table like this when it would be fantastically easy to just make your own?

Drill Press Table [mlcswoodworking.com]

Woodcraft has a closeout on their MT2 hollow lathe center that’s now on sale for $7.99. Though it’s largely a specialty tool, there really isn’t a better way to hollow out a lamp core faster than this.

This is for boring deep holes in lamp components; the center has a hole through it that, assuming your tailstock ram is similarly hollow, allows a boring gouge to be inserted through. The gouge bores out the long hole as found in most lamp uprights while still supporting the revolving workpiece — an interesting way around the problem of boring a deep hole.

3/8″ ID, #2 MT, Hollow Center [woodcraft.com]