This patent-pending paint can holder from Lee Valley fits both the flat rungs of a stepladder and the D-rungs of an extension ladder.  It holds either a quart or gallon can steady, and you can easily pick it up and move it to the next set of rungs.

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While similar in design to a common nail set, this 6″ double-ended Japanese nail set also features a 1-1/4″ set built into the striking end.  This second shorter set is handy for setting nails in tight or awkward spaces.  The long shank gives you excellent control no matter which end you use.

In a pinch this tool can also function as a punch, a drift pin, a tack hammer, or a small anvil.  Both Lee Valley and the Japan Woodworker’s Catalog sell a similar forged-steel Japanese nail set for about $9.

Japanese Nail Set [Lee Valley]
Japanese Nail Set [The Japan Woodworker]

When we posted the EasyCoper a while ago, we were disappointed they didn’t make a similar tool for base or other flat molding.  Now that’s changed — recently EasyCoper introduced the BaseCoper, their new jig for coping flat moldings with a hand-held jigsaw.

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Sure, these magnetic coil-spring holders from Chestnut Tools will hold a pencil or pen to the fridge, but their rare-earth magnets also make them useful for keeping other small items — like flashlights, screwdrivers, or other small tools — always at the ready.

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Leave it to Lee Valley Tools to sell a tool you didn’t know you needed till you saw it on their website. They designed the plane screwdriver to fit that otherwise-awkward cap iron screw on your plane — you know, the one with the slot so wide the only screwdriver you have that comes close to fitting it is three feet long.

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This simple paintbrush holder incorporates two magnets into a bent plastic clip. Clip the holder to the side of the can and it’ll hold any brush with a ferrous ferrule in a vertical or angled position. As a bonus, a metal tab for opening paint cans is built into the lower grip.

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The Veritas dividing rule makes it easy to divide boards into halves, thirds, quarters, all the way up to tenths — it works on boards eight inches wide and smaller.  Change the orientation and it also functions as a marking gauge.

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It seems like everybody has an idea for a new and better clamp — now Strong Hand Tools has come out with the shark clamp, which distinguishes itself by being fast to use.  Holding the quick-acting button you can open and close the scissor-action jaws quickly and finish tightening them with a few turns — instead of turning and turning and turning the handle.  But do you really need another type of clamp to add to your collection?  Keep reading to find out.
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If you’ve ever wondered why there are a bunch of 3/4″ holes in your workbench, Lee Valley sells one answer. Their patent-pending Veritas bench anchors turn those holes into a good purchase for any 1/2-13 bolt or threaded rod.

The removable and reusable all-steel bench anchors wedge into through-holes 5/8″ or thicker, or into blind holes at least 1-1/4″ deep, giving you 3/8″ of threads in your bench-dog holes to attach jigs or stops to your workbench.

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Veritas adds versatility to your precision steel rule with their ruler stop. They designed the stop to be positioned and removed quickly and easily. Slide this little stop over your ruler and tighten its brass set screw to create a reference point for repeatable measurements.

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Cortec corrosion inhibitors sold at Lee Valley will protect your rust-prone tools for up to two years. Instead of coating your tools with sticky, greasy, or oily substances, just throw one of these anti-corrosion emitters into any enclosed box, cabinet, or drawer where you store your tools.

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Spring arrived a few weeks ago, so if you haven’t already, it’s time to pull the hoses out of storage. If you’d stored ‘em in this fingered hose holder, you’d be watering tangle-free now instead of trying to unravel a kinked mess.  Mount the holder next to the hose bib, and your hoses’ll always be ready to go.

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Removing a stripped screw or a drywall screw that missed the stud can be a trial — you try to back the screw out with a screwdriver, you almost get it, but it slips back into the hole again. Sometimes you can grab the deviant screw with your fingers or a set of pliers, but Lee Valley sells a tool designed especially for removing stripped screws.

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Blind or “sliver” nailing is an old technique of hiding nail heads in finish carpentry. You raise a thin sliver of wood, leaving it attached; drive a nail, and set it in the depression left behind; and glue the sliver back into place — no filler needed. Lee Valley designed a modern tool to help make this antique practice a bit easier.

Made of stainless steel and brass, the specialized plane clamps a 1/4″ high-carbon steel chisel at a 15° angle. The gouge-shaped edges of the hardwood-handled chisel minimize tear-out and leave a clean shaving. To change the thickness of the shaving, just adjust how far the chisel protrudes from the sole of the plane.

Along with the non-marring plane and the chisel, the Veritas Invisible Nailing kit includes a small container of fish glue.  For only $28, this kit’ll help you lend an air of professionalism to your woodworking projects .

Note: Check out page 432 of Woodworking for Beginners: A Manual for Amateurs By Charles Gardner Wheeler at Google Books for a 100-year-old description of “sliver” nailing. While you’re at it, take a look at some of the other great woodworking techniques from 1907 that this great, public-domain book describes.

Invisible Nailing Kit [Veritas]
Invisible Nailing Kit [Lee Valley]

If you ever need to bend a piece of metal, to make a clamp, for instance, you can achieve a somewhat-functional bend with a vise and pliers — but it takes too long and looks like crap. A better solution, the Veritas metal bender slips over most bench vise jaws to create bends between 180° and 90°.

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Although plumb bobs have been in use for thousands of years, Lee Valley thinks they can make this old standard a little better with their patented Veritas Flat Bob. Is it any better, or are they blowing smoke up your ass to try to get you to part with some more of your hard-earned money? Read on, and decide for yourself.

When you first look at the flat bob, it doesn’t look like most plumb bobs. Lee Valley manufactures the 3-3/4″ plummet from precision-molded nylon and adds a brass weight, tip, and string holder. They designed the flat weight to slide against a wall instead of rolling like a normal plummet, so it stabilizes quickly. The marking slot in the plummet serves two purposes: it’s directly in line with the string, so your lines are dead-on plumb; and the cord windlass snaps into the slot for storage.

The flat bob comes with a protective tip cover, 8′ of braided nylon cord wrapped around the windlass, and the 70g plummet. If you inhaled the smoke, you’ll be happy to find out it only runs $19 at Lee Valley.

Flat Bob [Veritas]
Flat Bob [Lee Valley Tools]

Your Yankee screwdriver sits in the drawer collecting dust. You’d use it more, but it’s missing most of the special bits. Buying a new one is expensive, and so is buying the bits — if you can actually find someplace that sells them separately. There’s another option: head on over to Lee Valley Tools and spend $6 to make your Yankee screwdriver more versatile than ever with a hex adapter.

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