Kreg isn’t making a big production about changing the grips on the clamps in their pocket hole tool line, but you can pre-order the improved clamps to be shipped this week from Woodcraft and next week from McFeely’s.

Except for their new corner clamps, Kreg is adding comfort grips to all the clamps in their pocket hole tool line — that includes their bench clamps, right-angle clamps, and face clamps.  Since there’s no press release, we scraped this information together from other sources, and we haven’t run across the reason for the upgrade.  Is it a ploy to further differentiate their products, or are they doing it in response to customer feedback?

It looks like the new clamps will be priced similarly to the older versions, but we found a few cases, like the right-angle clamp, where they bumped the retail price up a few dollars.

Pocket Hole Tools [Kreg]
New Kreg Clamps [McFeely's]
New Kreg Face Clamps [Woodcraft]

Sears is offering the best deal of all — a deal that’s free.  Just print out the coupon from the link below, present it at your local store, and walk out with a 1-1/2″ or 1-3/4″ Master padlock.  The coupon expires September 13, 2008, and it’s limited to one per customer.

Free Padlock Coupon [Sears]

If an anti-vibration pad just doesn’t keep your scroll saw from dancing, you might want to look at the next step up: installing isolation foot pads.  KNC designed their HSCB bench-top equipment mounts especially to curb the vibrations and noise created by low-RPM reciprocating machines like scroll saws.

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Ace Hardware is offering a deal on a set of six Adjustable brand clamps with 3-1/2″ opening and 2″ throat for $25.  Deep-throat clamps often provide the only solution to clamping problems involving access from only one side, large assemblies, etc.

Set of Six Deep-Throat Clamps [Ace Hardware]
Street Pricing [Google Products]

Kreg’s rolling out a new self-squaring corner clamp this month to complement their pocket hole tool lineup.  They designed their new clamp to secure right-angle joints squarely before screwing them together.

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Enco is selling 12″ x 18″ granite surface plates for $25, a good deal.  At that price they’ll work great as a base for sharpening and lapping against sandpaper.  The plates are flat to +/- .0002, which is good enough for most general shop work.  The only hitch, of course, is the cost of shipping — but you can usually find free shipping codes if you look around.

12″ x 18″ Grade B Granite Surface Plate [Enco]
Street Pricing [Google Products]

Just what do you call a combination chisel and rasp: a raspel or a risel?  Neither — you call it damn handy!   Nicholson packs a chisel, a flat rasp, and a half-round rasp into one useful tool that they call the WoodChuck.  You probably aren’t going to choose this tool for fine woodworking, but stick it in your tool belt and you’ll surely find a dozen uses for it.

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Often times a vice just doesn’t cut it when you’re trying to machine an odd-shaped piece.  If you’ve got T-slots in your table, you have a lot more options — for instance, you could slide in Bessey’s RiteHite hold-downs.

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The forged jaws of this thumbturn pipe wrench tighten as you apply torque to the pressed steel handle — and the jaws continue to tighten as you increase the force.  The knurled thumbscrew provides a convenient way to adjust the wrench without changing your grip.

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Metabo has added a 5″ angle grinder to its already-substantial line of grinders. The fact that the wheel is bigger than 4-1/2″ tells us that they’re focusing on productivity with this new model.

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All2ools.com is selling the Starrett 828A Wiggler, also known as a Centerfinder, for $15.45.  The Wiggler helps you pick up prick points, either optically or via a contact method, when you’re drilling with a drill press or milling machine.

Starrett 828A Wiggler [all2ools.com]
Street Pricing [Google Products]
Via Amazon [What’s This?]

That new shop cleaner may be better for your lungs, but the noise it spreads through the floor may be ruining your family’s mental health.  Stop your air cleaner, and other ceiling-hung shop equipment, from transferring noise and vibrations to the rest of the house with isolation hangers from KNC.

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Right-tool.com has the Black and Decker Workmate 225 on sale for $59.  While not as heavy-duty as the WM425, nor as nice as the old Alloy Casting versions (we have two), it supports 450 pounds, clamps wood, and functions as a shop-tool stand — it’s just one of those all-time handy tools.

Workmate 225 [Right-tool.com]
Street Pricing [Google Products]
Via Amazon [What’s This?]

The other day I watched an insurance adjuster evaluating a roof for hail damage and noticed that he didn’t whip out a tape measure to record the roof dimensions — instead he used a little measuring wheel like the Keson RoadRunner model 182.  Keson designed this dual-wheel measuring wheel primarily for measuring short indoor distances, but why the heck not use it on a dry roof?

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ToolDiscounter.com is selling the Mityvac Brake Bleeder kit for only $24. If you’ve ever had to cajole a roommate or neighbor into pumping your brake pedal while you tediously bleed a brake line, you’ll appreciate the ability to just do it unassisted!

Mityvac Brake Bleeder Kit [ToolDiscounter.com]
Street Pricing [Google Products]
Via Amazon [What’s This?]

If you work with metal frequently, you can probably tell what gauge material you’re working with just by sight and feel — for the rest of us, Starrett makes a precision US Standard Gauge for measuring the thickness of uncoated sheet, plate iron, and steel.

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Wearing a respirator mask usually involves fumbling with irritating stretchy straps, followed by muffled grumbling. AO Safety eliminates this frustration with their Quicklatch respirator — instead of grabbing for nylon bands, you tighten and loosen the mask with a flip latch.

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