TM reader and photo pool member Simple Simon posted this sweet shot of some tool souvenirs he brought back from Japan. Our favorite: the “GA-GA DUCK,” which appears to be an outlet child-proofer. As the package says (in English), “The peep is prevented.”

The prominent “made in Japan” information caught my eye. At first I thought this must serve the same kind of nationalistic purpose as “made in America” does here, but then I noticed that it’s in English, too. Is that for our eyes? Or is it duplicated in the Japanese text somewhere? (If any of you can translate some of these, please comment. I’d love to know what they say. Just click on the link above, and Flickr can show you a much higher-res version of the photo.)

Another thought: considering the history between Japan and China, I can’t help but wonder how the average Japanese feels about tools made in China. Can anyone — Simon, maybe? — shed some light on this?

Toolmonger’s Photo Pool [Flickr]

Yeah, BSW has (sadly) passed, but we’ve still got demo gloves to give away, so the destruction continues! Today’s winner: TM reader and photo pool member jason.leanard.peacock who posted this photo (and about a hundred more) of him ripping down a garage.

Enjoy your gloves, Jason. They make the work a lot easier if you wear them. And if you have a minute, how ’bout stopping by and leaving a comment to tell us a bit more about the project?

Toolmonger’s Photo Pool [Flickr]

TM reader and Flickr pool member donaldsquire posted this photo of him and his helper in the demolition phase of remodeling their kitchen. From what we can see, this room is in pretty good — if ungloved — hands.

It just goes to show that you’re never to young to help Dad rip stuff up. I know it would have ranked tops with me when I was his age.

And yes, we’re sending two pairs of gloves, even though one pair might take a while to grow into.

Toolmonger’s Photo Pool [Flickr]

TM reader and Flickr pool member isaacknight posted this photo the remodel of this wall. We have to say that anyone that goes after a wall rebuild with a flatbar in hand is our kind of guy.

We also noticed that he didn’t have any gloves so we are just goingto have to fix this with a pair of demolition gloves!

Toolmonger’s Photo Pool [Flickr]

Got pics of your latest demo job? Post ‘em to the Toolmonger photo pool and you could win some sweet demolition gloves. We’ve still got lots of gloves to give away, so your chances of winning are, well, quite high. We’ll pick a couple each day to feature — and send ‘em gloves for their trouble.

Toolmonger’s Photo Pool [Flickr]

Sean and I will be at Maker Faire in Austin this weekend (October 20th and 21st), and we hope to see you there. There are lots of reasons to go — check out Make’s site for information on all the great Makers who’ll be there showing off their projects and ideas — but here are a few special reasons for Toolmongers to attend:

1. We’ll be testing tools!

Swing by the Toolmonger area to help us test the ergonomics and fit of mechanic’s tools. We’ve got a big special scheduled for early November, and we need your help to find the best tools for the price.

2. Stanley’s joining us, and the two of us will be giving away tools all weekend.

Stanley’s co-sponsoring the event with us, and they’ve brought out a truck full of tools to give away — all sorts of fun stuff. It’ll be a great time.

3. You can meet Jimmy Addison.

You’re not really a tool guy (or gal) until you’ve met Jimmy. He works for Stanley’s Discovery Team and is easily one of the most knowledgable guys we’ve met in the business. Got a question about Stanley? He can probably answer it. And he’s a hoot to hang out with, too.

4. We’re gonna break s#!%!

That’s right. Next week is Break S#!% week, and we’re gonna kick it off right at Maker Faire. With Stanley’s help, we’re gonna demolish a small building — with hand tools. Register your guess on how long it’ll take us to flatten it, and you might win some larger tools. (You can score smaller ones regardless. Really!)

And if you need any more reasons to show up, check out our coverage of Maker Faire’s last stop in San Francisco. Think of Maker Faire as a big party for people just like you.

We’ll see you there. Of course, if you’re stuck in Alaska, your next best bet is to check back here for our live blogging of the event all weekend.

Maker Faire Austin [Make]

We just had to give a pair of free gloves to TM reader and photo pool member danamight for posting the above pic of his tool alarm system — and best friend. Is this not in the finest Toolmonger spirit?

Toolmonger’s Photo Pool [Flickr]

Some of our favorite projects are the ones that start out with a problem and end up being a sweet custom rig that brings functionality and style to the room it goes in. TM reader and photo pool member Dan Poff posted this photo of his sweet steam punk shower system.

Hats off from one frugal guy to another for your sweet $5 cost-saving shower heads and the new fixture in your (now)showcase bathroom!

Toolmonger’s Photo Pool [Flickr]

TM reader and photo pool member jmillerid posted this photo of a ring he made himself. Ok, so it wasn’t forged in the fires of Mount Doom to enslave the population of Middle Earth, but it was hand-made with love to give to his other half.

If it were me, I’d still have to put it in a fire to see if words appear on the inner band. Just to be safe.

Check out the photo pool for additional pictures of the ”forging” process as well as more information on its construction.

Toolmonger’s Photo Pool [Flickr]

TM reader and photo pool member mysanitysrequiem posted this photo of a slick picnic set he made for his wife. It’s particularly nice because it converts into a small table for on-site dining. Also upping the cool factor: it’s made almost completely from recycled materials. The wood came from an old pallet and the hinges are made from an old belt. Only the nails are new.

Hopefully a free pair of work gloves will keep your hands nice and soft for picnicing!

Check out the photo pool for addition pictures of the set in different configurations as well as more information on its construction.

Toolmonger’s Photo Pool [Flickr]

Many of us questioned the utility of Eastwood’s Tilt-A-Car when we wrote about it, but TM reader and photo pool member fabridan43 gives the concept the ultimate Toolmonger thumbs-up: he made his own.

In the photo above you see his 1962 Sprite project on its side, offering easy access to the bottom of the car for restoration work. And you can see that there’s no way a lift would fit in his shop — assuming he could spare the cash from his restoration project to buy one.

As far as I’m concerned, this is case closed: these things clearly have a place in the shop.

Toolmonger’s Photo Pool [Flickr]

Look around Sean’s wood shop and you’ll find dozens of items made from scrap wood. His motto: “Why buy s#!$ when you can make it from scrap?” Of course, Sean’s definition of “scrap” varies a bit from most people’s, which is why you’ll see him, for example, moving furniture on a solid-oak furniture dolly.

So how could we not send long-time TM reader and photo pool member jdwires a pair of gloves for posting this kick-ass wooden mallet he made from “scrap” maple he had “laying around the shop.” That’s just be wrong.

So thanks for the inspiration, and enjoy your (free) gloves.

Toolmonger’s Photo Pool [Flickr]

Having trouble getting those decking planks aligned right? You’re not alone. You could spend $50 to $150 on a specialized tool to jack ‘em into place, but don’t the immortal words of Jesse James — “Anything fits with a welder.” — apply to wood, too?

Hell, yes. When TM reader and photo pool member jef4130 hit this snag, he whiped out his welder and some spare parts to build the tool you see above — perfect for levering in planks without the arm pain. He says his total cost was around $16.

Check out the pool for another photo of the tool in use — and some great instructions on how to build your own.

Toolmonger’s Photo Pool [Flickr]

Remember those little stamped-wood you-assemble-it dinosaur kits you used to pick up at the museum and build in an afternoon? TM reader and photo pool member dbthetd does, too, and he’s found a new application for his CNC router.

After a little programming, he cranked out a much larger version from plywood, pictured above. Actually, he’s made two so far. Check out the pool for additional pictures. That’s the kind of “yard art” we’re down with.

Next question: how big can he go? Assuming that the horns are probably the largest piece, how big would the ’saur be if that was cut from a 4′ x 8′ sheet?

Toolmonger’s Photo Pool [Flickr]

TM reader and photo pool member jameskingston totally scores a free pair of work gloves for sharing this project. Why? I spent about $150 on one of these not so long ago. The whole way home I kept thinking, “I should really just build one. I could build one way cooler than this one.”

And James did, of course. Good for you, and for your lucky cats.

We’ve still got some gloves left, and we’ll be keeping a watchful eye on the photo pool. So if you’re got a fun project (or some new tools) to share, why not post ‘em for all to see? It’s inspiring to see all the cool ideas.

Toolmonger’s Photo Pool [Flickr]

TM reader and photo pool member lungofish took on the project recently of building himself a drafting table, which includes the pictured hinged stand. We thought we’d send him a pair of gloves for two reasons:

First, we’re a fan of using metal in building things like this. In the spirit of “When you have only a hammer, everything looks like a nail,” most people want to build everything out of wood — or everything out of metal. Often, the easiest solution is a combination of both.

Second, we offer props to anyone who a) owns a welding helmet with a flame job and b) notes that he wants to replace the sticker-type with real flames. Awesome.

Check out the photo pool for additional pictures of his work, including the finished project.

Toolmonger’s Photo Pool [Flickr]

We laughed for a long time when we saw TM reader and photo pool member Inmarr28’s latest project — the perfect protection against the possibility of mass zombification. What totally seals the deal in our opinion, though, is the way it’s mounted in a perfect Martha Stewart meets Shaun of the Dead style with wrought-iron decorations and candles. Check the photo pool for additional pictures, including some shots during construction.

Though it’ll pale to the enjoyment he’ll get seeing his project on the wall for years to come, we’ll send him a free set of gloves for sharing. We hear they totally prevent blisters when wielding an axe.

Toolmonger’s Photo Pool [Flickr]