Remember when you were a kid and how you envied the school janitor because of his cool retractable key ring? Now you can be the cool one with a retractable tool tether. The tool tethers from Gear Keeper are very similar to retractable key rings, only they have a much greater weight limit of up to 32 oz. They offer great mobility because of the dual-axis rotation belt clip, this allows for a full 360 degree rotation, and a vertical swing of 180 degrees. Reaching shouldn't be a problem either because the retractable cord can be purchased in a 36-inch or 42-inch lengths, depending on the model.

When using my laser measurer while in a scissor lift, or up on a ladder, I am always worried about dropping it. The measurer does come with a wrist strap, but these don't really work if you are constantly using and putting away the tool. I could see the Gear Keeper working very well in this situation. The Gear Keeper tool tethers cost around $30, but they are a lot cheaper then a new laser measurer.

Gear Keeper

So you're off to the hardware store or local lumber yard to pick up some alder plywood. It is for an important project and you have a deadline to meet, so you rush out as fast as you can. It's a clear day out, so you don't expect much to happen. It is these situations that Murphy's Law likes to show its ugly head. The next thing you know, you are half way home when a thunder storm hits. Five sheets of alder plywood in the back of your pickup are ruined.

The above situation might not be typical, but non the less, things like this do happen. Though it would have never been a problem if you had purchased the Kerry-All plywood pouch. The Kerry-All is made up of 11-mil. woven polyethylene and is designed to be the ziptop bag of the construction world. Once your precious plywood is safely nestled inside, a Velcro strip seals to keep the weather out.

Oh, it doesn't rain where you live? No one is safe. Did you know that wood veneers will darken in the sunlight? Uneven color is not what you want. Of course, they wont darken if they are inside the Kerry-All, that just so happens to be treated with an ultraviolet inhibitor. It looks like they thought of it all.

The Kerry-All Plywood Pouch costs around $60 and is slightly larger then a 4' x 8' sheet to allow for a bit of wiggle room and can hold between 6 to 8 sheets of 3/4” material. It is more costly then some plastic or a tarp, but we all know how well those work to keep the water out. If plywood is not your thing, Kerry-All has a number of other options, including, the Trim Pouch, Drywall Pouch, Pallet Pouch, and more. If you want to support a small business, give them a try. Video in action proof, after the Read More.

[:cicn:] Kerry-All

I received a question from a reader who was having a hard time selecting the right SoniCrafter set. I thought I would post the question in case other people were having the same issue. As of now Rockwell has six different sets available on Amazon, so choosing the right set can be challenging.

I read the review your wrote on the Rockwell Sonicrafter 72-piece set, which I found quite helpful. I am interested in purchasing one as a gift and was wondering what your recommendation would be. Do you feel there is anything the 72-piece set contains that is beneficial that the 45-piece or 37-piece set does not have? You mentioned the 72-piece set has a fair amount of sanding paper and I am wondering if you feel it is worth the added cost. Also, the 72-piece kit has a cloth bag while the 73-piece kit has a hard plastic storage. Is one more beneficial/convenient than the other? I am lost when it comes to making a tool purchase but, I do want to give a lovely gift. I would greatly appreciate your input.

Here was my reply:

I am glad the review has been helpful to you. The accessories that are missing from the smaller kits appear to be the smaller sanding pad, the two rasps, and the polishing pad. While the sanding papers do bring the accessory count up, it appears that they do not really increase the price of the kit. The rasps themselves cost around $20 each, so those two alone would bring the price up to the 72-piece kit range. If you plan on removing tile, these rasps are key.

The hard case should offer more protection for the tool, and probably a little more organization for the accessories. With the bag, things can jump around a bit. I tend to lean in the hard case direction, but I have not had problems with the bag. The 73-piece hard case kit only cost $1.50 more then the 72-piece kit at Amazon, and it does include an extra blade. So if you plan on getting the 72-piece kit, you might as well just move up and get the 73-piece kit.

Basically it comes down to what you plan on doing with the kit. If you want to do everything that is shown in the infomercials, you need to get one of the larger kits. If you just want to do some basic cutting and sanding, the smaller kit is for you. Also keep this in mind, Rockwell makes their money of off their accessories. In this case, it is a lot cheaper to buy more upfront, then to wait and buy them later.

[:cicn:] Amazon

I have talked about the WS2000 knife sharpening attachment in the past, and I have just recently talked about the new WS3000 knife attachment, but both of those require you already owning one of the two Work Sharp Sharpeners. For those of you that just want to sharpen knives, Work Sharp has a much cheaper solution with the stand alone Knife and Tool Sharpener(Model WSKTS).

The WSKTS is almost identical in function to the attachments for the Work Sharp Sharpeners, just at a much smaller scale. In fact, the smaller width of the belts might even offer a better sharpening solution to some of the more complex blade styles. The system works by using a sharpening guide at either 50 degrees for hunting & outdoor knives, or 40 degrees for kitchen knives to hold the blade, while one of the abrasive belts spins with the help of a 120 volt motor to do the sharpening. Using the three abrasive belts, 80 grit, 220 grit, and 6000 grit, ensures that you get a razor sharp edge on straight bladed knives, curved knives, tanto blades, filet knives, serrated knives, gut hooks, and more. The system even does scissors, or you can remove the guide and go completely freehand.

It would be nice to see Work Sharp come out with a cordless version for hunters, fisherman, and whoever else needs to do some sharpening in areas that lack power. The cost of the WSKTS is similar to one of the WS Knife attachments, so you might have a decision to make if you already own a Work Sharp. Video after Read More

Work Sharp - [:cicn:] Amazon