There has been a lot of talk about track saws lately with both DeWalt and Makita coming out with versions to compete with Festool. A bigger selection of a tool is always good news, but with three major tool companies out with three great saws it makes things difficult when trying to make a choice. JLC has a nice review of the track saws from Festool (TS 55), DeWalt (DWS520), and Makita (SP600K). The article has some good information for anyone looking into getting one of these systems, and will hopefully make the selection process a little easier. JLC also has a video of the Makita track saw in action. Also check out The Wood Whisperer to see his video of the DeWalt track saw.

DAP has come out with a brand new line of advanced sealents named DAP 3.0. This new line of sealents has a number of new features that should make the job of caulking much easier. DAP 3.0 features a new Kwik Dry technolgy that allows the caulking to come into contact with water after just 3 hours of drying. Now you can wait to fix that leaky roof untill just a few hours before the storm. It can also be applied in temprature ranges between 35°F to 140°F. Unlike silicone DAP 3.0 can be painted with both latex and oil-based paints.

Ever find that you just cant seem to hold on to your wooden handled tools. Or maybe you can but you just want more comfort. The Air-Grip is a cold-shrink grip that you can apply to any of your tools handles between 3/4" and 1-7/8". The Air-Grip also features a tacky grip that will keep your tools in your hands even in wet or humid conditions. Simply slip your handle into the tube, unravel the plastic endoskeleton and the Air-Grip wrap tightens itself around the handle. Useful for shovels, rakes, axes, and many more tools. Available in 8" and 18"

Air-Grip - Amazon

Pelican makes ultra tough cases as well as ultra tough flashlights, now Pelican has cool ultra tough Remote Area Lighting Systems, or RALS for short.

The 9450B Remote Area Lighting System combines our tough 1510 Case with 16 x 1 watt LEDs mounted in an aluminum heat sink. All items are stored inside the case and assemble in minutes. The aluminum pole extends to a height of 83" to provide 1280 lumens of light for any area. The rechargeable battery has 9 hours of life at maximum output tailing off to low light level at hour 17. The diffuser (included) can be mounted to change the beam from a focused spot to a diffused beam.

The 9450B weights 46 lbs which isn't exactly light weight, but it does offer quite a bit of portability considering the 9 hour run time at maximum. This definitely isn't something your everyday user could afford at around $800, but it does show you what the current technology is capable of, and where it is heading.

Pelican