Wobble Wedges® are small (1″ × 1 ¼” × ¼”) tapered (4°) wedges made from hard clear (there’s also a black version for photographers) polypropylene or soft white vinyl, which is easily trimmed. They have interlocking ridge teeth to prevent slipping when stacked. The manufacturer lists a myriad of uses for these shims, including plumbers, installers, cabinet makers, homeowners, and even restaurants — for leveling those tippy tables.

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Lex’s recent post on captive nuts reminded me of some other nuts I’ve been using a lot lately while doing some volunteer work on a search-and-rescue van: nylon-insert hex nuts. Depending on which big box you shop at, and whom you ask when there, they’re also called stop nuts, locknuts, or nyloks (although NYLOK® is a nylon material typically applied to bolts and screws), or nylocks. I like them because they resist vibration and loosening, they’re reusable, they don’t damage threads, and they’re readily available. McMaster-Carr has a large variety in their catalog, and many of the big boxes carry Hillman versions.

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There are times when I’m very glad I don’t own a gas grill. I’m sure many people use them without issue, but I’ve heard of folks’ houses burning down after faulty shutdowns and any number of other issues after a summer or so of operation. Most of that is hearsay of course, but it seems Fiesta Grills has a real tale of woe with the voluntary recall of around 88,000 of their Blue Ember Gas Grills.

Fiesta has received 161 reports of malfunctions resulting in 9 incidents that produced major burns and one case of temporary hearing loss. The recall states the cause of all this mess is that the gas hose can get too close to the firebox. Once it does, it gets bad.

The recall notice had this to say on what to do if your unit is one of the affected models.

Consumers should immediately stop using the grill and call Fiesta Gas Grills to obtain a free replacement grease pan assembly and instructions for installing the part and the gas tank. The grill should not be used until the new grease pan assembly and the gas tank have been installed correctly. Consumers should also inspect the gas burner hose and regulator, which will be replaced free of charge if there are signs of damage.

Check out the CPSC site for more info on how to identify which grills are included in the recall. And should your grill be one of the guilty parties don’t just ignore the notice and light up anyway. The way this recall reads, it’s only a matter of time.

Recall Information [CPSC.gov]

Meteor’s Spark Doctor is yet another multi-tool, but this time they’ve specialized it for working with spark plugs. This multi-tool boasts eight different tools for removing, tuning, and cleaning your plugs.

As always, we’re skeptical about the number of tools a multi-tool packs — sometimes marketing departments like to be sneaky and claim a lanyard hole or carrying case as a tool or function. So let’s enumerate the tools, shall we?

• 5/8″ socket
• 3/4″ socket
• 13/16″ socket
• Brass brush
• Metal file
• Metal pick
• Gap gage
• Gapping tool

The metal file and metal pick are part of the same tool, kind of like the wire stripper is part of the flat screwdriver blade on Leatherman and Swiss Army Knives. If they can get away with it, why not Meteor? All these tools fold into a soft-grip handle.

The Spark Doctor can be had for less than $20 before somebody tries to gouge you with shipping.

Spark Doctor [Meteor]
Street Pricing [Google Products]
Spark Doctor [Sears]

Today you can buy a mower with a guaranteed start on the first or second pull — a huge improvement over my old 10+ pull mower — but why does it still come with a cheap plastic T-handle which can be hard for some people to pull? If this bothers you, replace it with the Start-Me-Up handle from Meteor.

Available in red, green, or gray, the Start-Me-Up D-shaped plastic handle is covered in a soft-grip rubber material that’s more comfortable than a hard plastic T-handle. Included with the handle is 84″ of Duratuff starter rope in case you also need to replace the pull cord. Pricing for the handle starts at $7.

Start Me Up [Meteor]
Street Pricing [Google Products]
Via Amazon [What’s This?]

$5 for a two-pack is a lot to pay for what amounts to some six-sided sand paper, but for special jobs, these could be just the trick. Ever tried to prepare the inside of a turned wooden bowl for lacquer or stain? T-minus two minutes to cramped fingers, unless you have a few of these in your tool chest. Home Depot and Lowe’s both carry a variety of grits and dimensions.

Sanding Sponge Pack [Gator Grit]
Street Pricing [Google Products]

If you own a DeWalt miter saw but find yourself left out in the dark when trying to make detailed cuts, you may want to take a look at DeWalt’s miter saw work light system.  It fits on all DeWalt miter saws, and the angle of the heavy-duty 200W LED bulb allows you to use the blade shadow to easily measure for repeat cuts and angles, without removing the light.

DeWalt’s miter saw work light sells at Lowe’s for $60.

DeWalt Miter Saw Work Light [Lowe's]
Street Pricing [Google]
Via Amazon [What’s This?]

If you’re in the habit of forgetting your keys, you may find this Schlage LiNK Deadbolt with Keypad to be a sound investment.  Not only can you unlock your door by punching the numbered keypad on the deadbolt, you can also cause the latch to unlock from anywhere in the world using a computer or cell phone with Internet access.

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If you’re looking for a good weekend project, Lowe’s website offers instructions on building your own backyard putting green. Using wood, sand, paver base, astroturf, PVC, and a few basic tools — plus some elbow grease/quality time spent with the kiddo — this looks like a project you could do even without the big box. In fact, one online magazine dedicates a whole section to building your own greens that go beyond the 8′ by 8′ square.

We see a few potential concerns, though:  warped wood over time, protecting the green in winter months, and drainage issues since the flat turf and raised border can retain water.  Do you have experience building a green or ideas about how to improve drainage?  Post in comments and let us know!

Weekend Projects [Lowe's]
DIY Backyard Putting Greens [Residential Putting Green Magazine]

Skil just recently introduced the Isio 2-in-1 gardening tool — it’s a new lithium-ion grass and shrub trimmer with a tool-less blade-changing system that allows you to convert it from lawn shears to shrub trimmer and back again easily.

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Lowe’s has marked down this Kobalt bow/hack saw combo to $10 in preparation for Father’s Day. The saw frame’ll take any of Kobalt’s 12″ bow saw or hack saw blades, and with the built-in tension system you can adjust the blade to just the right sturdiness for whatever you’re cutting.  The larger opening allows you to cut big items, making this very handy for projects around the house.

Kobalt Bow/Hack Saw Combo [Lowe's]
Street Pricing [Google]

You want to quickly cut a fence post on the spot, but you don’t have a table or sawhorse close by.  You could try to balance the post on your foot, grip the pipe with one hand, and grip the saw with the other, but that seems a little risky and your cut probably won’t be all that accurate.   The Tri-Vise exists for situations just like this.

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Any good Toolmonger knows that the best part of a project is the celebratory beer and barbecue when it’s finally finished.  A major project requires a major celebration, and a major celebration requires a major grill. If you’re in need of a new gas grill this season, take a look at the Weber Genesis E-310 in espresso brown.

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For my workbench project I needed to cut sheet goods on the length, and I wanted the cuts to be straight since I’m going to be looking at ‘em for awhile.  I found Swanson’s CG100 cutting guide at Lowe’s for $20 and figured it was worth a shot.

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If you want to know what a ghost town looks like, just go to the big boxes today and stroll down an aisle or two.  You won’t encounter another living soul, and you’ll see what was once a cornucopia of sale material reduced to empty shelves and what’s soon to be last year’s tools.  But don’t let this get you down — there’s still some interesting action.

In the lull between the end of the holiday season and next year, you can find some great odds and ends.  For instance, an entire shopping cart of bathroom lighting fixtures was rolled out into the middle of an open area with $20 stickers slapped on them. These same fixtures ran $180 earlier this summer.

Perhaps they’re not the world’s greatest sales, and they won’t be advertised, but they’re there.  Take advantage of the markdowns if you have need.

Lowe’s [Website]

Between now and Xmas Lowe’s will be marking down a different item every day, and the discount’s only available online and only for a day.  Lowe’s has dubbed it their Daily Drill Down.

Sure, it’s a bit on the hokey side, but the last two items have been half-off, and that’s not bad considering you never have to set foot in the increasingly busy brick-and-mortar locations.  Keep an eye out if you’re shopping for stocking stuffers.

Drill Down Promo [Lowe's]

Black Friday normally incites one of two reactions — either you cower and run to the nearest panic room and hope it all passes you by quickly; or you join the store-combing hordes of undead shoppers, as pictured above.

Like it or not, you can get some serious deals if you’re one of those brave souls not afraid to push around your fellow man with a shopping cart.  Lowe’s conveniently posted some of the deals that’ll be available this November 28th:

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