When pros need to drill seriously gaping holes in masonry, they put the hammerdrill back in the truck and reach for a rotary hammer. And Hitachi recently updated their 1-1/2″ spline-shank hammer, shaving off just shy of three pounds of weight while retaining an 8.4 amp motor that delivers a whopping 5.9 ft-lbs of impact energy and an impact rate of 2,800 BPM.

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Given the state of 2x lumber you get nowadays, why wouldn’t you use steel in non-structural applications? Why screw around trying to use warped, twisted, and cupped studs when you can use uniform steel studs? The metal studs even have pre-cut holes to run most plumbing and electrical, unless you need to need to run something like 2″ water, vent, or waste pipes. In that case you’ll need a tool like Greenlee’s 713 stud punch. Think of it as the big-ass version of a paper hole puncher — only for steel studs.

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Staples seem like a good idea, until you have to remove them. Maybe you’re breaking down boxes in the shipping department, or you’re undoing some work by a carpenter who apparently was paid by the staple; you can use several different tools, but why not use a tool actually designed for the task?

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Inspired by a cool find by Toolmonger reader whiteforge, I dug up a photo of this unusual curved wrench, courtesy of Ron Geeson of Made in Birmingham. The wrench was made for the English Fordson tractor, or “automobile plow,” that Henry Ford & Sons Company developed in 1917 — in the 1920s manufacture moved exclusively to Ireland and England. The Fordson was the first mass-produced tractor that small farmers and ordinary people could afford, and was in production until 1991 when the company sold its tractor division to Fiat.

This particular wrench has a unique snail logo in relief on the handle. It was tough to track down, but evidently it comes from Snail Brand tools, a division of Smith Francis in Birmingham, England, who’ve been in business since 1934. While these vintage spanners are primarily in circulation overseas, a recent eBay auction (now closed) shows you can still get them for around £18, or about $30.

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Forget cutting your sticks one piece at a time; with a little bit of help from an A-daptor kit*, you can turn your Skil or Bosch 7-1/4″ worm drive saw into a 10-1/4″ saw that can take a big 3-3/4″ bite out of your stock — enough to gang cut a mess of 2×4s.

Big Foot Tools sells kits that fit Skil Type 14,15,16, and 17 saws, the Bosch 1677M, and the Mag Type  1. Their adapter kit ships complete with a 10-1/4″, 36-tooth carbide blade. Using the supplied instructions it supposedly only takes 15-30 minutes to convert your saw.

You’ll pay about $300 for the kit.

*(Thanks to the Man in Black for this great song)

Saw Adapter Kit [Big Foot Tools]
Street Pricing [Google Products]
Via Amazon [What’s This?]

Apparently this sharpening tool has been around under various names since 2004 or earlier, but I just recently found out about it — I know: if I don’t start paying attention, I’m going to have to turn in my Toolmonger badge. The 12″ tall, 8″ diameter JoolTool™ (a.k.a. Ninja™) is a variable speed (500 to 5,000 RPM) dry sharpening system that has a 17° forward tilt for easy use, a vacuum port, and several accessories allowing it to sharpen, polish, grind, lap, sand, and deburr. Highland Woodworking and Japan Woodworker both have a basic package (inc. the JoolTool™, an instructional DVD, a backpad, a buff/polish felt wheel, a small block of honing compound, a variety of different grit discs for various materials, and more) available for $279.95.

Have any Toolmongers used one of these? What did you think? How does it compare to something like the Work Sharp? What’s your preferred tool for sharpening?

JoolTool™ [Manufacturer's Site]

Are you still mopping the garage floor with the mop rejected from the kitchen last year? If so, upgrading to the pro’s solution — a nice rolling mop bucket and wringer — makes the whole process a lot easier. And unlike upgrading to the latest table saw or knee mill, it’s pretty easy on the wallet.

Of course you can get by with a bucket and crappy mop. But you’ll save a bend-down-to-pick-up-the-bucket rep every time you move. And by pairing this with a good ‘ole standard mop you’ll save yourself the indignity of sticking your hands in the moist remains of floor nasty in order to repair the kitchen-style self-wringing mop. And when you’re done, just stick the whole thing in the corner — or out in the shed if you have one.

The Rubbermaid rig pictured above runs $54 from ACE right now, though you can find a similar deal (or even better) all over locally. For the best deal check out your local restaurant supply store. Not surprisingly, restaurants need a lot of these, and the fact that they’re notably cheap-minded when it comes to things that don’t draw customers or save cash works in your favor.

Combo Mop Wringer/Bucket [ACE]
Other Sources [Google Products]
Via Amazon [What’s This?]

Big Foot Tool’s Stand-Up Bolt Hole Marker allows you to mark the location of bolts on plates quickly.  Once you’ve dialed the correct bolt size and lined up the plate next to the bolts, you simply push the tool against the bolt and hit the spring-loaded plunger with a hammer to mark each bolt.

The bolt marker has a bolt size dial for 1/2″, 5/8″, 3/4″, 7/8″, 1″, and 1- 1/4″ bolts on each end; one end is used for 2×4 plates and the other for 2×6 plates. It retails for $33 at DHC Supplies, plus an extra $10 for shipping.

Stand-Up Bolt Hole Marker [Big Foot Tools]
Stand-Up Bolt Hole Marker [DHC Supplies]

Thankfully we don’t have to deal with this kind of thing down here in Texas, but for those of you who live in two-season (frozen and not frozen) climates, here’s a product to help save your gutters: a cable-type de-icing kit. Here’s the lowdown: You string this cable around the edge of your roof, then plug it in. Resistance heating clears a path for melting snow, shunting it through your gutter instead of allowing it to run off just anywhere — and possibly damage your roof.

It’s important to note that this product doesn’t clear all the ice and snow off your roof. It just prevents ice-dams from forming. A few other caveats from the manufacturer:

“Never install on a flat roof. Never install on combustible materials. Not suitable for use on metal roofs. Contact Easy Heat for appropriate cable solutions.”

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They say when all you have is a hammer, everything looks like a nail. When all you have is a $250 hammer, does everything look like a gold-plated nail? Seriously, folks, you don’t have to look far to find some seriously spendy hammers out there. The Stilleto TiBones pictured above run a whopping $200+. Hell, just scoring the replaceable face for one’ll set you back a Hamilton (or two).

Estwing offers a number of $100+ models, too, though some check in under $30. Even that’s a pretty big swing from the $15 store-brand special.

So what will you spend on a hammer? $20? $50? $100? More? And why? What do you look for in a hammer, and why is it worth your hard-earned cash?

What’s the key to modern battery systems? They’re almost all pumped full of the latest battery tech and electronics, so I’m going to go with options. If you can’t buy a wide range of tools — all of which are powered by the same batteries, charged by the same chargers — why buy in? Milwaukee’s aware of this, and I’m sure that’s why they’re adding tons of products to all their new systems, including M12 and this new radio.

Besides the fact that it works with your M12 batteries, though, there’s not a lot new here. It includes an AM/FM radio as well as an AUX port for your iPod/other MP3 player. You do get a weather-sealed compartment to store your player, meaning you might have a chance to keep the dirt and other job-site smeg off it. There’s also a clock.

Street pricing for the tool only (sans batteries, which Milwaukee assumes you already have or you wouldn’t be looking at this product) starts around $80.

M12 Radio [Milwaukee]
Street Pricing [Google Products]
Via Amazon [What’s This?]

Ideal’s benchtop laser wire stripper will, without blades or heating, perfectly strip insulation from most wires and cables in less than a second. Its 10W CO2 laser can strip wires as small as .005″ to as large as .150″ in diameter.

The Wiremaster’s laser head rotates around the wire to give you a 360° cut. The laser light vaporizes the insulation while it bounces harmlessly off the wire. The Wiremaster I can strip up to 1″ of insulation, while the Wiremaster II can strip up to 6″ of insulation and even slit the insulation along its length or spiral cut it for easier removal.

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Our long-time friends over at Miller Electric dropped us a line to let us know that they’re placing their sponsorship bucks behind a new Discovery build show: Motor City Motors. Here’s the elevator speech:

“The show follows Dave and James Kaye, a.k.a. The Detroit Brothers, as they showcase Detroit’s finest metalworking specialists in a five day contest to transform an old vehicle into something unique and powerful. Each team is equipped with Miller welding, cutting, and fume extraction equipment to complete the challenge in five days.”

Winners will receive a bonanza of badass Miller gear, including a Millermatic 211 Auto-Set MIG or Diversion 165 TIG package (winner’s choice), a Miller welding helmet, welding gloves, and a combo jacket. (Honestly we’re envious of the jacket. We don’t have one in the TM shop, so we’ve just been burning through denim shirts one after another.)

At any rate, if you want to give the Detroit Brothers and their new weld-centric shop show a try, Motor City Motors airs Monday nights at 10 p.m. EST/PST and 9 p.m. CST. This Monday it looks like they’re building motorcycle boats. Maybe they’ll watch the Top Gear Vietnam special as research.

Motor City Motors [Corporate Site, Warning: Video]

Milwaukee’s ever-expanding M12 cordless line now includes a brand-spankin’ new cordless grease gun. Its primary talking point: an 8,000 PSI max operating pressure, which Milwaukee says makes it perfect for heavy machinery, cold weather, and clogged grease fittings.

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Unless you install radiant floor heating, you probably won’t need Malco’s foamboard stapler. It’s a stapler that allows you to fasten PEX tubing to an insulating foam board layer without getting on your knees or even bending over.

The stapler uses a leaf spring that automatically adjusts to the staple size, whether it’s 1-1/2″ or 2-1/2″ staples for 1″ and 2″ foamboard, respectively. The aluminum magazine holds multiple plastic welded strips of 25 staples and the fastening mechanism can cleanly separate the welds without jamming or deforming the staple. To deliver a staple, you just push down on the D-grip handle. The stapler’s concave head holds the PEX in place while you staple it.

Pricing starts around $230 for the stapler and pricing for the staples starts around $30 for a 300-pack.

Foamboard Stapler [Malco]
Street Pricing [Google Products]
Via Amazon [What’s This?]

Matco Tools announced an addition to their tool cart line today, pictured above. Besides its “distinctive look,” features include bar magnets inside the lid to hold commonly-needed (and presumably ferrous) tools, magnetic door closures, a molded tool organizer, and two cup holders.

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Right now you can get Milwaukee’s 48-89-1105 1/16″ to-1/2″ titanium coated 20-piece twist drill bit set for $24.99, about half off retail and the lowest price we found online.

According to Milwaukee’s website, the set comes with three flat, no-spin shanks at 13/64″ and larger to prevent slipping in the chuck and a 135-degree split point that self-centers to reduce “walking.” The titanium coating allows bits to withstands high temperatures by reducing friction and increasing resistance to wear over time.

Reviews [What’s This?] over at Amazon indicate that the bits are quite sharp right out of the box. This set may not be the highest quality set of bits out there, but it’s a good basic 20-piece set for a reasonable price, and it seems most of the customer reviews are positive about the general durability.

If you have experience with these bits, let us know what you think in comments.

Via Amazon [What’s This?]
20 Piece Titanium Drill Bit Set 48-89-1105 [Milwaukee]