Archive for the 'Halloween' Category

But Wait, There’s More! (This Halloween)

Wednesday, November 11th, 2009

I know it’s a little late for a Halloween post, but a friend of mine sent a picture of his brother’s kick-ass Halloween costume: the venerable Billy Mays. And I couldn’t wait ’till next year to post it. It’s a striking resemblance, yeah? I love the way he actually reddened up his nose and lightened his face a bit. That’s detail, man.

Posted in Halloween | 2 Comments »

Target Recalls Halloween Flashlights

Thursday, October 29th, 2009

If you bought one of the Halloween-themed flashlights pictured above from Target recently, you should “immediately stop using the flashlights and return the product to any Target store for a full refund.” The CPSC reports that these flashlights “can overheat and melt, posing a burn hazard to consumers.” So far the manufacturer has heard of eight such incidents, “including one report of burns to the hand.”

Or hey, better yet, skip the Halloween-themed gear when it comes to the important stuff. If you want to give your kids a flashlight to carry during the yearly loot-fest, why not go with a tried-and-true quality flashlight? Bonus: it’s far less likely to end up in the trash can once we move on to Turkey day and X-Mas.

Halloween Flashlights Recalled Due to Burn Hazard [CPSC]

Posted in Flashlights, Halloween, Kids, Recalls | No Comments »

Dealmonger: Craftsman 8-Amp Recip Saw

Thursday, October 29th, 2009

Craftsman’s 8-amp variable speed reciprocating saw is on sale right now in Sears stores and online for $59.88, about 25% off its normal price. The trigger-operated saw runs up to 2,500 strokes per minute with a 1-1/8 inch long blade stroke.

Recip saws are a Halloween favorite around here for carving out your favorite scary pumpkin face and making with the gourd carnage. And of course, you can wipe the slime off and use the saw for other things throughout the year, too.

Craftsman 8 Amp Reciprocating Saw with Soft Carry Bag & 3 pc. Blade Assortment [Craftsman]
How to Carve Pumpkins with Power Tools [ExtremePumpkins.com]

Posted in Craftsman, Dealmonger, Halloween, Power Tools, Saws | No Comments »

It’s Just Cool: Haunted Bookshelves

Thursday, October 30th, 2008

When someone needs something strange done, they come to a tool guy, and Halloween is no exception.  This haunted bookshelf is pretty entertaining, even though it sounds like an old washing machine.

Though we suppose it could actually be an old washing-machine motor behind there, it’s most likely some sort of bench-tool motor attached to a few levers and a cam-crank.  It does give us a few ideas for next year.

Halloween Project: Moving Bookshelf [YouTube]

Posted in Halloween, It's Just Cool | 3 Comments »

Craftsman Share A Scare

Wednesday, October 29th, 2008

None of the traditional holiday email-o-grams get me, but Craftsman’s “Share a Scare” is pretty amusing. Sure, it’s also a way to capture your email, but at least it gives you something else to do at the office instead of working.

If you’re eager to make the robot deliver a very “special” Halloween message to your friends and co-workers, we hate to break it to you that this one isn’t “George Carlin”-friendly.  Most of the nasty words have been disabled — ahem, or so we hear.

Share A Scare [Craftsman]

Posted in Craftsman, Halloween, TV/Media | 3 Comments »

HIGH VOLTAGE! Done Dirt-Cheap

Tuesday, October 14th, 2008

When it comes to decorating for Halloween, any soccer mom can run to the local big box and grab a light-up skeleton or animated rat — but any mad scientist worth his Bunsen burner knows a Jacob’s Ladder is the way to go. They look cool and they sound cool, and you can build one for next to nothing from scrounged materials.

(more…)

Posted in Halloween, How-To | 2 Comments »

Finds: Dremel’s Cordless Pumpkin Carving Kit

Monday, September 25th, 2006
post-dremelpumpkin.jpg

It’s almost October, which means Halloween’s approaching quickly.  When you were a kid, Halloween was all about the costumes.  As an adult, it’s all about the parties.  And of all the holidays — save, maybe, Christmas — Halloween seems to demand the most elaborate decorations and parties.

But no matter how elaborate the decorations, they mean exactly squat if you don’t have an exquisitely-carved pumpkin.  Well, Dremel’s here to help.  This year they’re again offering their cordless pumpkin carving kit — an inexpensive, battery-powered, two-speed rotary tool complete with bit, instructions, and even templates.

(more…)

Posted in Dremel, Halloween | 7 Comments »