Miller recently added a new set of digital features to their Elite series of auto-darkening welding helmets. The new masks include settings for welding, cutting, and grinding, as well as an “X-Mode” setting that electromagnetically senses an arc and then automatically switches to a predetermined shade level, with a reaction time of 1/20,000 of a second. The X-Mode setting also prevents sunlight or an obstructed sensor from causing interference.
Sears is offering this Stanley 89-piece drill and drive set for $30, which is $10 off the normal price. The set features Stanley’s 1/4″ hex-shank Fast Change system, and it includes a variety of bits for masonry, woods, and metals, as well as screw bits and socket bits in the most common sizes, all housed in a molded plastic case.
It’s only available for in-store pickup, and the offer expires June 6, 2008.
Stanley [Corporate Site]
Stanley ST-02189 [Sears]
Last year about this time we made a joke about the Rambo styling of a certain garden spade from Garrett Wade. This year a new contender may take the Rambo-gardening title: this Japanese digging knife. We don’t doubt that it’s handy — it looks like it could cut up some dirt, or fend off a tribe of deadly ninjas, without much trouble.
I found this swaging punch on Klein’s website, and it got me wondering just what swaging was. It turns out that swaging is changing the diameter of tubing by forcing it into a die — so swaging is somewhat like flaring. After you swage the tubing, you usually mate it with a fitting, then crimp or solder it. Although swaging can be a hot or cold process, you’ll probably want to use this swaging punch cold.
Stabila’s new plumb laser, dubbed “LaserBob,” just sounds friendly. With its rugged construction, this crown jewel of Stabila’s Laser line can withstand a three-foot drop onto concrete, according to Stabila.
Now you can pick up this great little tool from Stanley at a great price from Circuit City. For $5 with free shipping this Stanley 4-in-1 bi-material pocket driver comes with magnetic bits sized 5/32″, 1/8″, 1PT, and 2PT — perfect for small electronics and eyeglasses. Some online vendors offer this tool cheaper, but with the free shipping Circuit City wins out.
4-in-1 Pocket Driver [Stanley Tools]
4-in-1 Pocket Driver [Circuit City]
Street Pricing [Google Products]
Our favorite guilty secret is back. The New Yankee Cam shooting schedule has started up again, and the novelty hasn’t worn off for us yet. After watching Norm put together his old-world goodness, we still love the behind-the-scenes happenings glimpsed one frame a minute.
I love the shape and function of a manual flooring nailer — it just goes to show how specific requirements can lead to creative and elegant solutions. The tall handle helps relieve back strain from bending down to work on a floor all day. The cleat on the foot helps to snug the boards up tight against each other. The striker works with the cleat for tight joints but also allows for odd angles and tighter spacing of the nails. And it just looks cool.
When you’re wiring up your shop, you really “ought” to run your wires through conduit, but the really cool tools for bending conduit and pipe cost too much to be practical for a small shop. So, if you’re going to do the job like the fire marshall would prefer, you might want to look at a less expensive option — a hand bender. For about $30 it provides a correctly shaped form for bending the conduit without breaking or kinking it.
You can buy them with or without the big metal handle, since a threaded metal pipe will work fine. This version from Gardner Bender features markings for the most common bend angles and a bend-back channel for slip-ups.
We’ve mentioned before that the Gardner Bender site is a mite tetchy, so I included a direct link to the PDF catalog — you’ll have to jump to page 57.
PDF Catalog [Gardner Bender]
Street Pricing [Google Products]
Via Amazon [What’s This?]
Get a free DeWalt bare-bones power tool with the purchase of selected 18V lithium ion cordless tool kits. Choose between a circular saw, reciprocating saw, car charger, impact driver, 4-1/2″ cutoff tool, dual port charger, or lithium battery pack. This means you can get a customized three-tool/two-battery kit starting at around $430. If you’re thinking of going lithium, check out this deal.
Free Tool Form [Dewalt PDF]
Hammerdrill/Impact Driver Set Via Amazon [What’s This?]
Dust/grease caps aren’t always easy to remove, and if you damage one and don’t replace it, you’re in for a world of hurt, because water will find its way into your hub and destroy your bearings. Next time you service your bearings, don’t grab a screwdriver — grab a tool designed for the job, like the Oldforge grease cap remover.
Father’s Day is coming, and if your dad already has a chipper shredder, this Fiskars tree pruner will compliment it nicely. It slices, it dices, it even juliennes… wait… The pole tree pruner will add an extra 12′ to your reach, which makes a huge difference whether you’re on the ground or swinging from limb to limb.
This Craftsman 10″ sliding compound miter saw normally sells for $250, bur right now Sears is listing it for $190. It weighs in at a modest 52-lbs, and it comes with a 10″ carbide blade. Powered by a 3 HP motor, the saw can cut boards up to 12 inches wide, and you can adjust the blade for both bevel and miter cuts. Two retractable extension wings with stop clamps provide extra support for the workpiece. And a laser helps you align your workpiece before you cut.
Craftsman Sliding Miter Saw [Sears]
Greasing the front end of your vehicle can be so frustrating sometimes, you just want to give up and bring it to your mechanic. Automakers obviously weren’t thinking about serviceability when they designed some of these vehicles. Thexton feels your pain, so they designed the Lube Tube to help you reach those impossible-to-reach fittings.
Hitachi recently unveiled the second tool in their micro series, the WH10DL 10.8V Lithium Ion Impact Driver. Hitachi boasts that the alien-skinned driver provides 930 in/lbs of torque — a promising addition to the sub-compact impact class.
The unit weighs around two pounds and measures 5-1/2” long, which will make it super-handy in tight spots that need gobs of power. The WH10DL also sports modern features such as an LED and the popular quick-change 1/4” hex chuck.
We’re fairly excited to see competition in the marketplace — we’ll let you know how it stacks up as soon as we get our hands on one.
10.8V Impact Driver [Hitachi]
Recently SK Hand Tools released their nine-piece No-Sparking and Non-Marring Replaceable-Tip Dead-Blow Hammer Kit. The mallet accepts two screw-on replacement tips, and SK incorporates a non-slip grip and a flanged-butt into the handle to keep the hammer in your hands, not flying across the room.
There’s so much crap stuffed into a modern engine compartment, sometimes you have to take things apart just to reach the frickin’ battery — and then there’s not enough room to get your hands around the battery to pull it out. In this situation, a battery lifter can save the day. We’ve posted about EZ Red’s Top Post Battery Lifter, but how do you handle a battery with side terminals? You grab their side battery lifter.
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