News

I was pretty rough on Rockler the last time I mentioned them, but they are still one of my favorite tool stores because they still have some of the coolest products; products like the Thread Detective. Unless you have a nut and bolt in every size, or some other type of measuring gauge, you have probably found it difficult to find out the sizes you need when trying to match other nuts and bolts. The Thread Detective offers a simple and very effective way to find out the size you need by giving you a bunch...

Argon gas has been used as insulation in dual-pane windows for years now because it is a much better insulator then regular air space; so it would seem only logical that people would be looking for other uses for this safe insulating gas. Ergodyne has come up with a use for argon, but it is in probably the last thing I would have expected, clothing. The Ergodyne N-Ferno 6900 Warming Vest does away with all of the conventional insulating methods, and gets all of its insulating power from the use of argon gas. The vest itself is...

Over the past couple of years we have seen many different oscillating tools come out from all of the major brands and even a few no-names, but there really hasn't been any innovation in the accessory department. Well that has all changed with the addition of the Multi-Flex from Dremel. The Multi-Flex looks a little weird, but if it works as advertised, it should bring a whole new level of of versatility to the tool. When the Multi-Flex is attached, it turns your oscillation tool into what is very similar in function to a scroll saw...

One of my first experiences in using tools was when I would work with my Father to design & build my car for the Pinewood Derby races in the Cub Scouts. He would let me do all of the designing myself and even let me do some of the simple cuts with a handsaw. My designs were not works of art by any means, but the cars were always fun to build, and the quality time with Dad was priceless. Dremel, Lowe's and the Boy Scouts of America have teamed up to help share...

Bosch is launching what they are calling a store within a store at select Home Depot Stores. This new Bosch store inside of The Home Depot is called the Bosch ProCenter, and is likely an area set aside just for Bosch tools. Also on hand at the Bosch ProCenter will be a Certified Expert to help answer any questions you might have about Bosch tools, and give tool demonstrations. Sounds like what Hilti did. Right now the Bosch ProCenter can only be found at a few Home Depot stores in the Chicago, Houston, and Miami areas,...

There is nothing worse then walking onto a jobsite early in the morning only to find that your tools are not where you left them. It is sad that things like this happen, but with the economy the way it is, theft is on the rise. We don't like to leave our tools on the jobsite overnight, but it is often not possible to take everything home every night; so we lock up what we can. Imagine how cool it would be if we could put a GPS tracker on all of our tools,...

I don't spend a lot of time on Twitter, but I do like to check in throughout the day to respond to my followers, and to see what might be new in the world of tools. A couple of days ago a tweet from @RocklerDave pointed to some new products that Rockler.com will be carrying. As a lover of tools, it was my duty to click on the link to see what was new.

If you are a fan of the Systainer stackable storage system, you will probably be happy to know that Tanos has given the Systainer a much needed update. The new T-Loc Systainer not only ditches the old bland look for something much more stylish, but the hardware sees a huge change with a completely re-engineered latch system. What once required 4 latches to mount one box to another, now only requires one. The T-Loc makes use of two hooks to keep the back of the boxes together, and a single locking knob to latch the front....

Makita has been an industry leader when it comes to cordless lithium-ion tools, and were the first to come out with the tools we categorize as "Compact". These Compact tools run off of 18 volts of power, but use a smaller battery, and the tools themselves are smaller in size. Makita has announced that they have come out with a new 18-Volt Compact Drill/Driver that is even smaller in size then previous models, by 7/16", and weighs in at only 3.3 lbs. Small and light is good, but according to the specs, the tool...

I would have never expected to see accessories for something as simple as the Rockler Bench Cookies, but you can't go wrong when trying to make a product even more useful. The new Cones for Bench Cookie offer painters a way to utilize the non-slip abilities of the Bench Cookie, and apply this to there finishing process. The cones will work with all Bench Cookie models and simply fit snugly over the body of the cookie. What the cone does is further lift your project off of your bench, which allows for greater access...